Academy Notebook: Academy player advances to second Mexican National Team tryout; winter programming wraps up

Round 2!

On February 6 and 7, Texas Rangers Youth Academy player Ximena Zamarron (2022) attended a two-day tryout for the Mexico Junior National Team in Anaheim, California.

Later in February, the Mexico Woman’s National Softball Team (WNT) planned to take on the USA Softball Women’s National Team in a practice scrimmage as preparation for the Tokyo Olympic Games. Although the games, schedule for February 12-14 at the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy at Mercy Street Sports Complex were cancelled due to unprecedented winter storms, Zamarron had the opportunity to practice with Mexico’s WNT.

“I was excited when I found out I could practice with team Mexico. I knew it was a once in a lifetime opportunity” she said.

Zamarron emphasized the positive feedback she received. “The coaching staff was great. They talked to me and gave me tips about my hitting which I needed. They complimented me when I made a good play or when I adjusted with my hitting. They took everything they did seriously. It went really well, I fit right in with them,” she said. Her biggest take away from the practice was that “the ladies were very nice and welcoming.”

The practice gave her the opportunity to exercise her skills in a high intensity setting. “I know team Mexico took all they did seriously, even if it was a small thing, like hitting off the tee, hitting in the cages, fielding, seeing pitches. It just made me realize if you want to be the best and perfect the little things to make it look easy you have to take a seriously even if it is small,” she said.

Overall, Zamarron is extremely happy with how the practice went. “My fielding was really good, I didn’t look like I was new and I fit right in with the girls” she explained.

Zamarron was invited to tryout with the team again in April in Anaheim, California.

Black History Month Concludes

Over the past month, the Rangers Youth Academy amplified their athletes’ voices during Black History Month. The Black History Month Jamboree, presented by Nike, started the celebration of baseball and black excellence on and off the field on February 6. The Black History Month Jamboree was a vision years in the making and the culmination of months of hard work and countless Zoom calls that yielded a memorable day.

The Black History Month Jamboree afforded the Academy the opportunity to kick off the celebration of Black History Month and the return of high school baseball by hosting preseason baseball games for six high schools that have the highest attendance of Black students.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to build relationships with a new group of athletes and coaches,” Baseball and Softball Youth Academy Coordinator Orlando Prescott said. “I was very pleased with how the inaugural Jamboree went, and I am very excited to build on it in 2021,”

Videos posted on the Academy’s Instagram and Twitter featured coaches and athletes throughout the month (@RangersYA).

We’ll Be Back Soon!

The Winter Academy Training Program concluded on Thursday, February 25 with 450 kids having participated in the seven weeks of programming despite the weather cancellations last week.

The training program will not be gone for long. Spring programming begins on Monday, March 22 and runs through Wednesday, May 12.

Baseball and softball players ages 7 through 18 will be invited to train with sessions tailored for individual age groups.

Registration is available at texasrangers.com/academy.