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Photo courtesy of Texas Rangers<\/p>\n
Daylon Brooks, who spent three years developing his baseball skills at the Texas Rangers Youth Academy, will continue his career at UTA after signing a letter of intent Wednesday during the academy\u2019s annual signing day at Globe Life Field. <\/p>\n
Brooks and Nick Smith, who also signed with UTA, were among 44 student-athletes who signed with collegiate programs. <\/p>\n
The Texas Rangers Youth Academy helps develop athletes ages 7-18 by offering free year-round baseball and softball instruction, summer competition through MLB\u2019s Nike Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities league and educational programming to athletes, according to its website. <\/p>\n
For Brooks, the academy\u2019s biggest lessons weren\u2019t about hitting or fielding. He said traveling with the academy, flying for the first time and spending time away from home helped prepare him for college ball before ever setting foot on the field at Clay Gould Ballpark. <\/p>\n
\u201cTraveling without my mom and my dad and all my parents has really taught me how to grow up,\u201d Brooks said. <\/p>\n
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Photo courtesy of Texas Rangers <\/p>\n
His growth didn\u2019t go unnoticed. His mother, Sequoia Brooks, said she watched the growth firsthand.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe youth academy actually pushed him out of his shell. The youth academy helped him with his public speaking, helped him just advance more than what he was,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was a great choice to go with the youth academy.\u201d <\/p>\n
After preparing for college through the academy, Brooks wanted to stay close to the people who helped him get there. Choosing UTA meant staying close to home after graduating from South Grand Prairie High School. <\/p>\n
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Brooks smiles at the camera behind a table with a Mavericks banner on the front.<\/p>\n
Photo courtesy of Texas Rangers <\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels like home away from home. It’s really home because it\u2019s 15 minutes away,\u201d Brooks said. \u201cIt’s one of those things where if my mom needs me or I need my mom, I can just go knock on the door. She’s right there.\u201d <\/p>\n
Brooks won\u2019t be the only academy member making the trip to Arlington. <\/p>\n
Smith, an Arlington native who signed as an infielder, also chose to stay close to home after connecting with UTA\u2019s coaching staff and program during the recruitment process, and a practice he attended. <\/p>\n
\u201cI live around the area, and it’s a really cool experience going there, being around the corner, and being able to still have the same coaches, and train with some of the same guys,\u201d Smith said. <\/p>\n
While each of the 44 athletes arrived through a different journey, Sequoia Brooks said Wednesday\u2019s ceremony represented much more than a college baseball commitment. <\/p>\n
\u201cDaylon is the first boy on my side of the family to graduate from high school, so graduating from high school and signing, it was a big deal,\u201d she said. \u201cI’m pretty proud of him.\u201d <\/p>\n
@diegocllazo<\/p>\n