Athletes from the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy at Mercy Street Sports Complex, Presented by Toyota, took the field at Globe Life Park in Arlington on Monday, September 17, as Whataburger Rising Stars were honored in a pre-game ceremony. 
 
Mackenzie Amaya was one of the Academy baseball and softball players on hand for the recognition. Each of the Whataburger Rising Stars was nominated by Academy and RBI coaches to receive the monthly award based on their stellar achievement and outstanding sportsmanship during summer programming.
 
Amaya pointed to her efforts to be a leader on her Wildcats RBI squad with helping her land the honors.
 
"I pushed the team to do what they could do and even better than they thought they could do," Amaya said.
 
While it was just her first summer participating in the Academy programming, the shortstop and second baseman said she noticed improvement in her game.
 
"I liked the coaches that helped me get my technique down on my throwing," Amaya said. "I was struggling during the school season."
 
But working improving her technique wasn't the only thing Amaya took away from her time at the Academy this summer.
 
"I liked working with the girls that I didn't know because it's making new friends and learning new skills," Amaya said of the experience. "It's giving an opportunity to low income families and kids that don't have a chance to be on club teams."
 
Below are the summer's Whataburger Rising Stars:
 
•   Melanie Henderson, 16, Irving High School  
•   Cesar Saucedo, 15, Cedar Hill High School
•   Mackenzie Amaya, 15, Woodrow Wilson High School  
•   Josiah Drake, 13, Byrd Junior High School   
•   Darren Simon,15, Carter High School   
•   Amaad Garrett, 11, Collegiate Academy Middle School   
 
Henderson, Saucedo, Amaya, Drake, and Simon were at Globe Life Park for Monday's presentation.
 
A photo of the pre-game presentation for the Academy's Whataburger Rising Stars is attached to this email. The ceremony occurred at Globe Life Park in Arlington on September 17 before the Rangers hosted the Rays. 
Getting in Gear
 
The Academy hosted an end of the season equipment distribution on Saturday, September 15. Over 200 Academy participants registered for the opportunity to receive free gloves, shin guards, bats, cleats, shirts, pants, and helmets.
 
As one of the coaches at the Academy, Sebastian Martinez sees firsthand how important having the right equipment is for his athletes. 
 
"They're shy about what equipment it is they're able to afford. Maybe it's that they can't afford as good a glove as the next player or they don't have the nicest bat or maybe they don't have the money to go buy practice clothes so they come up and they have to practice in their school clothes," Martinez said.
It's another area where the Academy's mission has an expansive impact.
"For those kids that we see come back on a day-to-day basis consistently, if they don't have the equipment, we have the capability to go ahead and put a glove in their possession, say, 'hey, why don't you go ahead and take this glove home. We'll see you next week.' So they keep coming back," Martinez said. "It gives them that sense of ownership they might not have the opportunity to otherwise have."
Fall Campers
 
The Youth Academy Fall Training program began Tuesday, September 18, with 151 baseball and softball players taking part in the first week. 
 
Athletes participating in the free program will work on hitting, fielding, throwing, and defensive strategies with members of the Academy coaching staff.
 
Programming will occur Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays through November 15. Registration is now available for baseball and softball players ages seven through 18 at www.rangers.com/academy. 
 
Coming Soon
 
Mercy Street Little League: season begins Friday, September 28
 
West Dallas Little League partners with the Little League Urban initiative to facilitate baseball and softball for participants ages four through 12.
 
Registration is available at https://www.mercystreetdallas.org/baseball/
 
RBI Fall Baseball and Softball: seasons open Saturday, September 29
 
Fall RBI baseball and softball games will be played on Saturdays from September 29 through November 17. More scheduling information will be announced in the coming weeks. 
 
The Academy league is expected to facilitate eight baseball and four softball teams for the fall season.   
 
The Buck O'Neil Scouts Association Clinic: Saturday, November 10
 
The clinic aims to promote baseball in inner-cities by educating coaches and mentoring players.
 
Founded in honor of the late legendary player and scout Buck O'Neil, the Buck O'Neil Professional Baseball Scouts & Coaches Association was created to provide a forum for scouts and coaches to share their passion for the game. O'Neil was the first African American to coach in the Major Leagues and one of the first to scout fulltime.
 
Registration is available at rangers.com/academy for players ages 14 through 18.
 
Kershaw's Challenge Baseball Camp: Saturday, November 10  
 
This will mark the seventh annual Kershaw's Challenge Baseball Camp, hosted by Mercy Street. 
 
Dallas native Clayton Kershaw and his wife Ellen founded Kershaw's Challenge in 2011 and have since given over six millions dollars to support at-risk children and families around the globe. The foundation contributed generously to the building of the Academy facility, which includes Kershaw's Challenge Field named in his honor.