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Handcuffs. Photo: Bloomberg<\/p>\n
Bloomberg Wire<\/p>\n
A registered sex offender worked as a youth baseball coach and private instructor in North Texas, sparking an outcry from advocates for sexual abuse survivors.<\/p>\n
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Tommy Whiteman, once a Houston Astros<\/a> prospect, served as head baseball coach for the Texas Home Educators Sports Association, a Fort Worth-based organization for home-schooled children. He was also an approved off-campus athletics provider at Carroll ISD in Southlake<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Whiteman, who played shortstop for the University of Oklahoma<\/a>, was drafted in 2000 by the Astros and went on to play six years in the minor leagues. Four years after retiring, in 2010, he was convicted of soliciting a 14-year-old girl online.\u00a0<\/p>\n Whiteman, 46, who also owns Redemptive Sports, an indoor baseball and softball facility in Keller, did not immediately respond to a phone call or text message Monday. He will remain on the Texas sexual offender registry<\/a> until 2030.<\/p>\n Court records show Whiteman also has previous domestic violence and assault convictions in Oklahoma from 1999 and 2000.<\/p>\n Make Dallas News a preferred source so your search results prioritize writing by actual people, not AI.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Amy Smith, a Southlake mother who runs the sexual abuse tracker Watchkeep, first reported Whiteman\u2019s sex offender status<\/a> and connection to youth baseball.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Whiteman resigned from the home school organization, known as THESA, earlier this month, according to a letter sent to parents obtained by The Dallas Morning News. He began volunteering as coach in June 2024.<\/p>\n \u201cHis impact on our players and community has been meaningful, and we ask that you join us in lifting up Coach Whiteman and his family in prayer during this time,\u201d the letter said.<\/p>\n Parents whose children played for THESA were asked to sign a waiver to allow Whiteman to coach, but it did not specifically mention his status as a sex offender, according to screen shots published online. Instead, the waiver said that as a professional athlete Whiteman \u201cspent many years praising himself and feeding his flesh\u201d and that the \u201cLord rescued him from his sin in a tremendously dramatic, yet necessary, way.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cTommy now spends his time pouring in to young men around him, helping them navigate this tricky culture with Christ,\u201d the waiver read before providing a link to Whiteman\u2019s own statement <\/a>that further addressed the sex offense.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n While playing professional baseball, Whiteman wrote that alcohol, drugs and pornography were a daily part of his life. After meeting his wife, Timilyn, he decided to quit baseball and settle in North Texas, but \u201cdemons of professional athletics\u201d were not easy to shake.\u00a0<\/p>\n At night, he said, he found himself in online chat rooms engaging in \u201cinappropriate conversations\u201d that led to adultery. One night, as his wife and baby slept, Whiteman said he met a 14-year-old in an online chat room. The girl turned out to be a police officer, he would later learn in a sting.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Lord had used this worst day of my life to strip me clean and take me to the very bottom,\u201d Whiteman wrote. \u201cOnly now could He start chiseling the man He intended for me to be.\u201d<\/p>\n Related: Camp Mystic warned safety plan falls short as it seeks to reopen<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Court records show Whiteman also has previous domestic violence and assault convictions in Oklahoma from 1999 and 2000.<\/p>\n THESA describes itself as an \u201cexpressly Christian athletic organization\u201d that is \u201cunited around a shared commitment to honoring Jesus Christ in all that we do \u2014 on and off the field.\u201d<\/p>\n In a statement Monday to The News, THESA\u2019s board of directors said it has not received any allegations of sexual misconduct or inappropriate behavior during Whiteman\u2019s time coaching. If any such allegations surface, THESA said they should be reported to authorities.<\/p>\n \u201cWe take these matters seriously and want to ensure the protection of all of our families,\u201d wrote the organization.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Previous board members were responsible for vetting Whiteman and no current board members were serving when he joined the organization, the board said. THESA has hired outside legal counsel to conduct a comprehensive review of the association\u2019s policies, procedures and current background check requirements related to coach and volunteer vetting.\u00a0<\/p>\n By signing up, you agree to our Terms Of Use<\/a> and acknowledge that your information will be used as described in our Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cTHESA remains committed to operating with accountability and an unwavering focus on the wellbeing and safety of every player,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n![\"image\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775016909_917_rawImage.jpg\" "\\"#\\"")
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