- Texas Rangers Youth Academy to celebrate PLAY BALL Weekend throughout DFW Metroplex
- Shawn Armstrong to participate in Angles in the Outfield STEM Camp presented by Lockheed Martin
- Marcus Semien leads summer food distribution on Friday
This Thursday through Saturday, the Texas Rangers will join Major League Baseball’s league-wide initiative, PLAY BALL Weekend, by hosting multiple free-of-charge baseball and softball events throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
The festivities began Thursday morning at the club’s West Dallas Youth Academy, where the first of two Academy Summer Training sessions presented by Chick-fil-A was held. The Academy hosted another training session this morning, with attendees of both events receiving instruction from Academy coaches and staff. Each event concluded with the distribution of PLAY BALL bat and ball sets.
On Saturday, June 14, the Rangers Youth Academy will partner with the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association to host a PLAY BALL clinic at the All-Star Legacy Fields at Senter Park in Arlington from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Open to athletes ages 7-12, the clinic will feature appearances by several former Major League players, including ex-Rangers Mike Jeffcoat, Robert Ellis and Dan Smith. Brandon Finnegan, a Fort Worth native and former TCU standout, is also scheduled to attend.
These events are part of MLB’s broader effort to grow the game at the grassroots level and encourage participation among youth throughout the country.
QUICK HITTER
Rangers pitcher Shawn Armstrong to attend Angles in the Outfield STEM Camp presented by Lockheed Martin
What It Is: For the third straight year, the Texas Rangers Youth Academy and Lockheed Martin are teaming up to bring the Angles in the Outfield STEM Camp to student-athletes in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Throughout the five-day course spanning from June 16-20 at the club’s West Dallas Youth Academy, athletes ages 13-16 years old will work to apply the principles of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to lessons that directly connect to baseball and softball and careers at Lockheed Martin.
Big League Presence: As part of the programming, Texas Rangers relief pitcher Shawn Armstrong is expected to make an appearance at the Youth Academy on Wednesday, June 18. The 11-year Major League veteran will share with students his methodology for utilizing science and technology to improve his performance on the mound.
Go Deeper: Key lessons will include trajectory, aerodynamics, biomechanics, coding, engineering design process, baseball analytics and Lockheed Martin careers. The course will involve classroom discussions, hands-on experiments, research opportunities and group collaboration through their final projects on innovation.
SNAPSHOTS
Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien leads summer food distribution at Youth Academy on Friday
Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien and his family visited the Rangers’ West Dallas Youth Academy on Friday, June 13, as part of their annual commitment to provide healthy meals and snacks to the families of young athletes participating in Academy programming. These distributions, which are supported by the non-profit Food For The Soul, are scheduled to take place each Friday throughout the summer months (May 30-Aug. 1).
Education & Buckner International Programming
The Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy goes beyond baseball and softball programming to benefit our community. With help from our partner Bucker International, the Academy hosts free education and enrichment courses for athletes and their families throughout the year. Register here for all Youth Academy classes.