https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Balkovec
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Rachel Balkovec (born July 5, 1987) is an American minor league baseball manager in the New York Yankees organization. In 2022, the Yankees named Balkovec manager of their Class A minor league team, the Tampa Tarpons, making her the first woman to work as a full-time manager of a major league-affiliated team.
As a student at Skutt Catholic High School in Omaha, Balkovec played softball, soccer, and basketball.[1] She initially attended Creighton University, where she was a catcher on the Creighton Bluejays softball team, but transferred to the University of New Mexico, where she also played catcher for the New Mexico Lobos.[1][3] She graduated from New Mexico in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in exercise science.[1] She then earned her master's degree from Louisiana State University in kinesiology.[2] In 2018, she enrolled in Vrije University in the Netherlands to study human movement sciences,[2] earning her second master's degree.[4]
In 2016, Balkovec was hired by the Houston Astros to be their Latin American strength and conditioning coordinator.[3] She learned Spanish for the position, so she could better communicate with players.[3] She was the first woman in that role in Major League Baseball.[2] In 2018, she was promoted to be the Class AA Corpus Christi Hooks' strength and conditioning coach.[3]
After moving to the Netherlands to pursue a second master's degree at Vrije University, Balkovec worked for the Dutch baseball and softball programs as an assistant hitting coach.[3] After graduating, she returned to the United States to work at a fellowship at Driveline Baseball, researching hitters' eye tracking and pitchers' hip movement.[3]
In November 2019, Balkovec was announced as the New York Yankees' newest hitting coach, to start in spring training 2020, again the first woman to hold such a position full-time.[3] She also interviewed for a position as a quality control coach with the San Francisco Giants in fall 2019, but decided to take the Yankees' role.[5]
Since the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 Minor League Baseball season, she coached in the Australian Baseball League.[6] She was part of the coaching staff of the 2021 All-Star Futures Game.[6]
On January 11, 2022, the Yankees announced that Balkovec will manage the Low-A Tampa Tarpons in 2022, making her the first woman to manage in affiliated baseball.[7]
https://www.instagram.com/rachel.balkovec/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/_rachelbalkovec?lang=en
https://www.tiktok.com/@rachel.balkovec?lang=en
https://www.rachelbalkovec.com
https://linktr.ee/rachel.balkovec
| Rachel Balkovec | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 5, 1987 (age 34) Omaha, Nebraska |
| Occupation | Minor League Manager, New York Yankees |
| Known for | first full-time female hitting coach in Major League Baseball and first full-time female manager in Minor League Baseball. |
Rachel Balkovec (born July 5, 1987) is an American minor league baseball manager in the New York Yankees organization. In 2022, the Yankees named Balkovec manager of their Class A minor league team, the Tampa Tarpons, making her the first woman to work as a full-time manager of a major league-affiliated team.
Early life
Balkovec grew up in Omaha, Nebraska.[1] She has two sisters.[2] Her father worked as a customer service manager for American Airlines, and her mother was a bookkeeper.[2]As a student at Skutt Catholic High School in Omaha, Balkovec played softball, soccer, and basketball.[1] She initially attended Creighton University, where she was a catcher on the Creighton Bluejays softball team, but transferred to the University of New Mexico, where she also played catcher for the New Mexico Lobos.[1][3] She graduated from New Mexico in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in exercise science.[1] She then earned her master's degree from Louisiana State University in kinesiology.[2] In 2018, she enrolled in Vrije University in the Netherlands to study human movement sciences,[2] earning her second master's degree.[4]
Career
Balkovec began her career in 2012 as a temporary contract strength and conditioning coach for the St. Louis Cardinals' Johnson City, Tennessee, minor-league affiliate.[3] In that role, she won the Appalachian League's award for strength coach of the year.[2] In 2014, she assumed a full-time role as the Johnson City affiliate's strength and conditioning coordinator, the first time a woman had held that role in baseball.[2]In 2016, Balkovec was hired by the Houston Astros to be their Latin American strength and conditioning coordinator.[3] She learned Spanish for the position, so she could better communicate with players.[3] She was the first woman in that role in Major League Baseball.[2] In 2018, she was promoted to be the Class AA Corpus Christi Hooks' strength and conditioning coach.[3]
After moving to the Netherlands to pursue a second master's degree at Vrije University, Balkovec worked for the Dutch baseball and softball programs as an assistant hitting coach.[3] After graduating, she returned to the United States to work at a fellowship at Driveline Baseball, researching hitters' eye tracking and pitchers' hip movement.[3]
In November 2019, Balkovec was announced as the New York Yankees' newest hitting coach, to start in spring training 2020, again the first woman to hold such a position full-time.[3] She also interviewed for a position as a quality control coach with the San Francisco Giants in fall 2019, but decided to take the Yankees' role.[5]
Since the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 Minor League Baseball season, she coached in the Australian Baseball League.[6] She was part of the coaching staff of the 2021 All-Star Futures Game.[6]
On January 11, 2022, the Yankees announced that Balkovec will manage the Low-A Tampa Tarpons in 2022, making her the first woman to manage in affiliated baseball.[7]
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