Meet Coach Rance T.! Rance works as a strength & conditioning coach and played baseball for all four years of college. Based in Fort Worth, TX, Rance has a lot of experience coaching private baseball and strength & conditioning sessions.
How would you summarize your experience with sports?
I played catcher for four years at Lubbock Christian University, where I received my Bachelor of Science in Exercise Sport Science and Sports Management. While I was there, I worked for Texas Tech Strength & Conditioning, working with their Division 1 athletes. I’ve also coached two little league teams and numerous private lessons with athletes of different ages and skill levels.
Why did you decide to become a private coach?
My profession is coaching strength and conditioning, so it is my job to teach athletes to get stronger and more athletic at their sport. This work carries over to baseball. Coaching baseball lets me teach give athletes instruction on the game, while they get stronger and more agile. Seeing kids progress and get better as they follow the program is very rewarding. Kids eventually start to believe in themselves and realize that the harder they work, the more they will get out of it.
What can a client expect from private lessons with you?
A client can expect to gain experience in every facet of the game: hitting, fielding, pitching, fundamentals, and rules. I also explain tips and broader ideas that I learned while playing in college that they will not get from the coaches on their teams.
What is your favorite moment in your athletic career?
My senior year we had already locked up our place in the playoffs so we were playing a game that didn’t mean much and I had the game off to rest my knees. However, we were down a couple runs in the last inning and we had the bases loaded, so my coach put me in to see if I could put a ball in the gap and add a few runs to stay in the game. I ended up hitting a grand slam walk off to win the game.
Do you have any success stories from coaching an athlete?
I have a lot of success stories but one that really stands out is one teenage kid I worked with awhile back. When he came to me he wasn’t too skilled and didn’t know the fundamentals. We found a way for him to afford to train with me twice a week and then once a week over two seasons. By the time he got to high school, a kid that would’ve never been able to make a varsity squad impressed the coaches and made the varsity team. He just needed the right instruction.
What is your favorite sports related movie?
Friday Night Lights. I played football in West Texas and we played Permian a lot, so it always takes me back.
Do you have a favorite saying?
I like “learning by doing” because I believe that it is the best way to improve in baseball. Also, “If your mind can believe it then you can achieve it”.
What team do you root for most enthusiastically?
The Texas Rangers are my team and always will be.
Do you have any surprising, special talents?
I pole vaulted in high school between playing football, baseball and golf.
