Bianca Smith hopes her new role as Boston Red Sox's assistant coach and hitting coordinator will inspire other women interested in baseball; she is eyeing the role of manager of an MLB team one day, saying: "I just want to go as high as I can, as far as I can"
Friday 8 January 2021 21:35, UK
Bianca Smith, who this week became the first black women's coach in professional baseball when she was hired by the Boston Red Sox, hopes to become manager of a Major League Baseball team one day.
Smith, who grew up playing soccer before turning to softball in high school, will officially begin her time with the Red Sox in a few weeks after completing her role as assistant coach and hitting coordinator at Carroll University in Wisconsin.
She was appointed to serve as a minor league coach based at the team's player development complex in Fort Meyers, Florida.
The 29-year-old, who previously held internships in the baseball operations departments of MLB's Texas Rangers and Cincinnati Reds, hopes her new barrier-breaking role will inspire other women interested in the game.
"Long-term goals, easiest way to put it is just get as high as I can, which at this point is MLB manager," Smith said.
"I never want to have to limit myself. I just want to go as high as I can, as far as I can, and if right now that's manager then that's it. I just want to keep challenging myself.
"Now that I am in this position I am hoping to be that person that they see that looks like them and gives them the idea that 'hey I can do this'.
"When I was younger I never thought about working in sports, and that was because I hadn't seen anybody who looks like me really working in sport."
Smith expects her biggest challenge to be getting to know each player.
"I can't just jump in and give them instruction when I have no idea what kind of person I am dealing with," Smith said. "Getting to know them is going to be the first hurdle."
