Micaela Minner, a professional softball instructor is currently enjoying instructing softball in Ohio, PA, and WV. She has made teaching the game her career. With a Masters Degree in Education Counseling and Psychology with an emphasis in Sports Psychology, she is able to apply her knowledge from her degree to her philosophy and structure in coaching. She resides in Akron, OH and is an avid crossfitter that loves weightlifting, boxing, and playing with her two kitties.
Her facility is located in Tallmadge, OH. She has teamed up with a strength and conditioning coach, Darcy Thompson a 3-Time Crossfit Regional Competitor, who will be doing sport specific training, along with offering adult boot camp classes and personal training.
She has also recently hired a new instructor, Chris Skinner. He is a former fire fighter who has been working with Micaela for the last 3 years and will also be teaching softball and baseball. He has a background in fastpitch softball and baseball.

This facility is a Mecca for elite athletes who are looking to better their game and learn more than the basics. A place where you can find both softball/baseball instruction and strengthening for any sport that will allow you to take your game to the next level. This environment is an opportunity that is rare to exist. Minner is very excited for all her athletes to reap the benefits of her being in one location. Minner was a 2003 graduate of Sanger High School and member of the 2001 Class 3A state championship softball team. She received a 60% scholarship to the University of Missouri and after her breakout first year of leading the team in every offensive category and breaking the single season home run record (17), she was put on a full ride. She enjoyed a standout career at the University of Missouri, which concluded in 2009 at the Women’s College World Series after Missouri upset perennial softball power UCLA in Los Angeles to win the Super Regional. It was the first time Mizzou reached the Women’s College World Series in fifteen years. For her college career, she finished third all-time in batting average (.357), third in career hits (230), first in career doubles (55), third in career home runs (40), fifth in runs scored (142), third in career RBI (180), second in slugging percentage (.631) and second in career walks (95). She also sits second all-time in single-season slugging percentage (.781 - 2005), doubles (18-2007), home runs (17-2005) and fourth in walks (33-2007). In recognition of her achievements on the field and in the classroom, she was selected as Missouri’s softball representative to the University of Missouri All-Decade team, which is comprised of one standout from each of the University of Missouri’s athletic teams from the year 2000 through 2009. Minner graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications in May of 2007 and received her Master’s Degree in Education Counseling and Psychology with an emphasis in Sports Psychology in May of 2009.

Minner was selected 18th in the 2009 NPF draft by the Akron, OH Racers but was unable to play because of injuries which included a torn labrum in her shoulder, a broken left fibula and a partially torn ACL. She had finished her senior season at Mizzou playing with those injuries.
During the summer of 2009, Minner moved to Orlando, FL where she became employed by RIP-IT Sporting Goods and worked as Senior Account Executive. She was the 2nd employee RIP-IT had hired on staff to join the team. RIP-IT is a baseball and softball manufacturing company who make bats and are widely known for the RIP-IT protective face masks. She was on the drawing board and helped design the new RIP-IT Helmet with black out technology.
Minner signed a free-agent contract in 2010 to play for Akron. In 2010 she enjoyed success at the highest level of softball competition, the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league. The league is comprised of some of the best softball players in the nation, including numerous former Olympic gold medalists and current Team USA representatives. As of July 11, 2011 she hit .341, which was fourth in the league and the highest average on her team, the Akron (Ohio) Racers. She also led her team in slugging percentage at .545 and hit a tie-breaking two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to lead Akron over the Chicago Bandits, 5-3 in Chicago on July 8, 2010. It was her second home run of the season. At the end of her rookie season she was sidelined by yet another injury (torn ACL) during the NPF Championship Series. After rehabbing all off season Minner came back for her 2nd season with the Racers in 2011. After the first 2 weeks of season she was leading her team in batting average (.471) and hits. She finished out the season with a realization that retiring and hanging up her cleats was the best idea with regard to staying healthy and completely healing her body. After 10 surgeries throughout her life her body knew it was time to quit.
In between her professional softball seasons, Minner got the opportunity to work under Crystl Bustos (GotBustos? Inc) and Howard Carrier for a year. Howard Carrier is a coach and instructor, who is one of the most influential researchers of the game of softball. That opportunity truly helped mold Minner into the instructor she is today. The experience helped her get her feet wet in training and teaching softball. It is one of her most appreciated experiences of her life. Crystl Bustos is a 2-Time Gold Medalist USA Softball, Silver Medalist USA Softball, and holds the world record for home runs during an Olympic series with six. She was 2008 USA Softball Player of the Year. She played in the WPSL (Women’s Professional Softball League) and NPF(National Pro Fastpitch) and was League MVP multiple times. She is known as one of the best hitters in the world. Therefore it is clear to see why her experience learning from Crystl Bustos was so impactful.
During winter of 2011, after deciding to retire from softball, Minner got the opportunity to become the head varsity coach at Aurora High School. With it being the softball program’s first year at the division 1 level she did an outstanding job. She led the team to the Ohio State Regional championship in 2012 for the first time in school history. Due to family health issues, she resigned as head coach so she would be able to travel back home to Texas once a month to help out her mother and father.
After taking a year off and completely healing her body, Minner decided to get back into sports and played for the Cleveland, OH Crush Pro Football Team of the Legends Football League summer of 2013. She started all 4 games at the center position and made the 2013 All-Fantasy Team.
Playing football was a fun experience for Minner, but it was really rough and she decided to retire after one year. After making that decision, she packed up and partially moved to West Virginia. She began instructing softball in Ohio, WV, and PA on a monthly basis. During this time she had already teamed up with Darcy Thompson who was introduced to her through a mutual friend, Jess Ewald. Darcy Thompson who was her football teammate, is a regionally known certified crossfit coach and crossfitter. She is a 3-Time MidAtlantic Regional Crossfit Competitior with her highest finish in 2014 in 15th place. Thompson is a personal trainer who works with athletes and people of all ages. She is Minner’s partner and Co-CEO of D&M Works LLC. Together, work together in a sports training facility called D&M Sports Training which is located in Tallmadge, OH. This is in the Akron, OH area located off 76E, 1 minute from the Summit Auto Racing building. At the facility you can find Minner giving hitting and all skills softbal/baseballl lessons, Chris skinner doing the same, and Darcy Thompson heading up the sports specific strength and conditioning, speed and agility, and also adult personal training classes. You can learn more about Darcy Thompson and their company at www.dandmsportstraining.com.

Micaela Minner Univ. of Missouri Softball All-Decade Team Member 2011 Akron, OH Racers Former Professional Softball Player Private Professional Softball Instructor/ Life-Sports Coach Cleveland Crush - Legends Football League Former Professional Football Player 2014 Parkersburg, WV Toughman Champion

www.micaelaminner.com Cell: 940-395-8999

Chris Skinner, a former fire fighter who dedicated his life to helping protect and serve the people of northeast Ohio, and also a former division one NCAA football referee, has been around softball and baseball his entire life as a player and a coach. He has now made the decision to become a part of the D&M Sports Training company and work as a part time softball and baseball instructor.

Chris was a 2-sport athlete at Akron Kenmore High School, where earned a total 6 varsity letters and played in three consecutive City Series baseball Championships. He was an All-City selection in baseball as a junior and senior, as well as All-City and All-District in soccer. He has played men’s fastpitch and slow-pitch softball with various teams, playing in both local and national tournaments.

He has over 10 years of coaching experience in baseball and 3 years of coaching tournament girls fastpitch softball. He has been around girls fastpitch his entire life.
Chris has worked closely with Micaela Minner for the last 3 years in various areas of the game, specifically hitting. She trusts him and his experience and knowledge of the game. He has learned the 8 hitting absolutes and will be teaching the exact same hitting program to all athletes who are interested in learning the Micaela Minner's Hitting Absolutes. He will be a great addition to the coaching staff at D&M Sports Training.

Chris's knowledge of the game will continue to build the athletes who are members of our facility. We are very excited to increase the level of passionate staff members associated with our business.