Sports teams at every level designate a player to be the Captain. In fact, in the NFL and NHL, individual players are recognized with a bold “C” on their jerseys or sweaters. The Captain is the team leader among the players and is expected to be a role model and mentor while setting the tone for communication, preparation, competitiveness, conduct, and sportsmanship. These are traits exemplified by Tiffany Rubin, the Director of Youth Programs for the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF).
Tiffany grew up in Monterey Park, California, a municipality 15 miles east of Los Angeles. At a young age, she remembers playing and watching sports with her father. “My dad is a big baseball fan,” recalls Tiffany, “so growing up we would go to Dodger games and listen to Vin Scully on TV.” She first participated as a five-year old when she played t-ball at a local park. “I remember always enjoying being with my team because I looked forward to seeing my friends.”
Tiffany grew up playing baseball and was always one of the few girls on the team. According to her, “That never stopped me from playing. I was also a pitcher and had no problem striking people out!” She also believes that having positive relationships with her teammates and coaches encouraged her to continue playing. Finally, at the age of ten, she decided to transition to playing softball.
“I grew up playing basketball, soccer, and softball,” said Tiffany. “As I grew older, I became more serious about playing basketball and softball and played both sports throughout high school.” She attended Mark Keppel High School in Alhambra, California, where she played softball at the varsity level for four years at second base and shortstop. Tiffany’s desire to excel on the field was matched only by her appreciation and love for the game. “I loved that once I hit the field everything just stopped, and I got to just play ball.” Tiffany played well enough to receive multiple awards throughout her high school career which allowed her to pursue a college career. She attended Pasadena City College for one year and then received a scholarship to play at Morgan State University in Baltimore, where she played shortstop for three years and served as team captain.
“Softball changed my life and has given me so many amazing opportunities,” recalls Tiffany. “It allowed me to make some of my best friends and provided me with a college education. I traveled to places I never thought possible, and it gave me the confidence to be whoever I wanted to become.”
After only playing for male head coaches, Tiffany had her first female head coach at Pasadena City College. According to her, the experience had a profound effect on her as a player and as a person. “I really looked up to her and the career she had. Her passion and commitment to the sport not only pushed me to become a better athlete but she also helped me grow more confident. She stressed the importance of school and was a big part of my being able to earn a scholarship to Morgan State University.”
While Tiffany has not been involved as a coach since her college softball career ended, she thinks she provided leadership in another way. She says, “I believe my experience of coaching came in the form of being team captain for my basketball and softball teams. This truly allowed me to grow as a leader and develop my skills in motivating and teaching my teammates the right way, supporting them with positive encouragement and pushing us to great achievements together.”
After graduation from Morgan State, Tiffany worked for the Philadelphia Phillies for two years in ticket sales and later community outreach. During her time in the community outreach department, she worked on various sport, education, and health programs. This is where she found her passion for being a part of something that could help give back to communities through the power of sports, and she saw how sports can be such an amazing platform for access to important resources and help impact communities at a large scale.
Upon her return to the Los Angeles area, Tiffany began her work with LADF. “I look at my position as a chance to give back and provide thousands of kids with the positive sports experience that I was so lucky to have,” she says. “We know that talent is evenly distributed, but opportunity is not; so providing access is at the forefront of our work.” Now, in her fourth year running the Dodgers RBI program, she feels fortunate to have this opportunity to serve so many youth and families. “I love being a part of a team and joining the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation was a great fit for me because collaboration is at the center of our organization’s team environment. Being able to have strong women in leadership roles here at LADF is motivating and inspiring to me every day. Together, we are working to produce meaningful results on fields, in classrooms, and at recreation centers across Los Angeles.”
Tiffany continues to play softball today and is constantly reminded of the impact sports-based youth development (SBYD) has had on her life. While companies normally don’t award a captaincy to employees, if the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation awarded one, it might be placed on the shirt of Tiffany Rubin.
Read about the Up2Us Sports and Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation partnership here.
Learn more about the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation at Dodgers.com/LADF
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