I’m sure you’ve all heard of the Dallas Tigers Baseball
club, but what do you know about the softball sector. The Softball side has had
the opportunity to expand with the help of Sara Hernandez and her ties to the
“family business.”
The softball organization is spread across Texas and
currently consists of 10 teams. There are two Dallas Tiger facilities and
private fields in Rockwall that the Dallas Tigers East teams own and use, and those
located near the University of A&M Commerce have the opportunity to utilize those
fields. However each team has their own
practice location and they also have been a part of FMYSA in Flower Mound for
many years and have utilized these fields for team trainings and workouts.
The organization makes it a priority to give back to their
community by participating in different Toys for Tots tournament every year for
the last few years. They make it a goal to fill up a truck and a trailer full
of gifts and toys for the kids. Sara mentioned that “have amazing Tiger Alumni
families that still come back and help with donations of bikes and bigger gifts
every year” has contributed heavily to the organizations giveback.
So, What led Sara Hernandez to take on the responsibility of
spearheading the Softball sector? Well Sara started playing softball in the
fifth grade and since then has dedicated endless amount of time and energy to
bring a “different perspective and reality to the select softball world.”
For Sara, softball forever changed her life. She said “I did
not seek out to do this when I was younger, nor did I know taking my uncle’s
recommendation to play the game in college versus soccer (a sport I planned to
play in college since I was four) would be the best decision of my life.”
Each step of Sara’s journey allowed her to connect softball
and life experiences and she accredits that to the person she is today. Because
of softball Sara had the ability to graduate from a Division I school and be
the first in her family to graduate college. It was clear that Sara wants to
use her story to show girls that softball can help them in more ways than one.
So, what makes this organization stand out in an area like
DFW?
Well in an environment where most organizations are ran by
males, Sara has a personal connection as director of Dallas Tigers. Sara
explained that by “being one of the few female Club owners I’ve personally
lived and gone through what these ladies are aspiring to reach, and I was
fortunate to do so at a competitive Junior college & on the Division 1
level.” Softball is a girls world and having the ability to connect with
someone who has experienced the process can bring a positive light on many these
girls journey.
For the Dallas Tigers it seems necessary for the entire
organization to work cohesively. Sara said that through her experience she has
had the opportunity to meet amazing college coaches who have given insight on
the college coaching perspective and it’s her duty to pass that along. One of those coaches currently holds the position of Director of Dallas Tigers and that would be Richie Bruister. Bruister is the current head coach at Texas A&M Commerce (D2). Another coach apart of our college focused program would be Gay McNutt former Division one head coach. These coaches have been a vital part of realigning the goal for the Dallas Tigers.
How is the organization changing? In the past Sara has had
the opportunity to coach Dallas Tigers teams in the higher divisions but her
new role as Lead Recruiter will allow her to focus on the personal
relationships she creates with the girls who are just as passionate about
softball as she was and is.
For Sara and the future of Dallas Tigers the goal is to make
the organization feel like a home. The organization wants to focus on “getting
to know the girls better and figure out what their goals are for their next
level of ball and life and how to help them get there.”
Sara and the Dallas Tigers are excited to move forward. Sara
explained that the organization has “been working very hard this offseason to
put strategies into action that we feel will help elevate the great young
ladies in our organization for many years to come.”
The organization feels that physically they will be putting
an emphasis on providing college level training and educating the girls on
nutrition and injury prevention. As the program has grown they have established
the concept of working for the future. It is clear that the Dallas Tigers want
to provide their girls with as much training and knowledge to ensure their
success at the college level.
The Dallas Tigers define themselves as a faith based
organization that dedicates their time to the complete development of their
student athletes. They stand out as a girl power organization in a girls world.
Throughout the years their success can be attributed to the many coaches,
family, and staff who want to ensure the best future for all who have become
apart of their family.
For a list of notable alumni who went on to play at the
collegiate level click on the link.
For team listings and general information be sure to visit
their website.
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