Bianca Smith facts for kids

Bianca Smith was born in March 1991. She is an American professional baseball coach. In 2021, she made history. She became the first African American woman to coach for a professional baseball team. This was with the Boston Red Sox organization.

Early Life and Learning

Bianca Smith was born in Sewickley, Pennsylvania. When she was about six or seven, her family moved to Grapevine, Texas. Her mom, Dawn Patterson, loved the New York Yankees. She shared this love of baseball with Bianca.

High School and College Sports

Bianca went to Colleyville Heritage High School in Dallas. There, she played softball and was a team captain in her last year. She finished high school in 2008.

After high school, Bianca went to Dartmouth College. She played on both the main softball team and a club baseball team. She earned a degree in sociology from Dartmouth in 2012.

Advanced Studies for Baseball

Bianca wanted to work as a baseball general manager. So, she continued her education. She earned two more degrees in 2017. One was a law degree (called a J.D.). The other was a business degree (an MBA) focused on sports management. She got these from Case Western Reserve University.

While studying, Bianca also worked. From 2013 to 2017, she was the director of baseball operations for the Case Western Reserve Spartans. This helped her learn a lot about how baseball teams are run.

Coaching Career Highlights

In 2018, Bianca started her coaching journey. She was a volunteer assistant coach for the University of Dallas college baseball team. She also worked as an intern for the Texas Rangers baseball team. She even interned at the main office for Major League Baseball.

Joining Professional Teams

In 2019, Bianca worked with the Cincinnati Reds. She was a trainee in their baseball operations department. Later that year, she got a job at Carroll University in Wisconsin. She became an assistant athletic director. She also coached baseball and helped players improve their hitting. Her coaching used a lot of statistics and data to help players get better.

Making History with the Red Sox

On December 31, 2020, big news came out. The Boston Red Sox were going to hire Bianca Smith as a minor league coach. She would work with players in Fort Myers, Florida. On January 4, 2021, the Red Sox officially announced her hiring.

This was a huge moment! Bianca Smith became the first African American woman to coach for a professional baseball team. She worked at the Red Sox's Fenway South complex. She also received support from big companies like Nike, Oakley, and Topps.

Continuing Her Coaching Path

Bianca continued coaching at the Fort Myers complex in 2022. She also coached for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League. In 2023, Bianca decided to look for new opportunities. She chose not to stay with the Red Sox organization.

See also

• Jennifer King – first full-time African American woman coach in National Football League
• Alyssa Nakken – first full-time female coach in Major League Baseball
• Buck O'Neil – first African American coach in Major League Baseball
• Women in baseball