If
it were up to her parents, and for a while even herself, Tejanas centerfielder
Nicole Gomez’s path would have been much different.
Her family expected her to consider doing something a little more
feminine. Since her two older brothers, A.J. and Erik, had already
covered the sports side for the family, it was suggested that she
might delve into the arts.
“My mom always wanted me to be a ballerina,” Gomez said.
Gomez,
19, decided instead that she wanted to keep the family’s sports
tradition going and began playing softball and other sports, beginning
in the seventh grade.
“I wanted to see what I was good at,” she said.
However, after graduating from Eastwood High School, she had made
up her mind that softball would now be a part of her past. It wasn’t
too long until the sports bug caught up with her once again.
After playing in a summer league following graduation, one of her
teammates told her about an open tryout for the 2005-06 Tejanas softball
team.
According
to head coach Mandy Gamboa, outfielder Nicole Gomez is one of the
most improved players on the team.
Photo by Erika Hernandez
“I
came to the tryout and I realized I still wanted to play, plus I didn’t
have anything else to do, and this was going to keep me out of trouble,”
said Gomez.
Former Tejanas coach Shannon Grady was so impressed with her tryout
that Gomez was offered a partial scholarship.
“I was really excited, I was like a little kid,” she said.
“My parents were excited too because it was money for college
and plus, they want me to be happy.” After suffering through
a disappointing last place season a year ago, Gomez has never considered
leaving the team.
“Quitting has never crossed my mind,” Gomez said. “I
know no one is perfect. I just think that what doesn’t break
the team, will only make it stronger.” Not only did the Tejanas
have a dreadful season, but they also lost their head coach. Despite
the loss, the returning players don’t seem to mind, since the
new coach, Amanda Gamboa, was originally their young volunteer assistant.
“We were so excited to see her (Gamboa) get the job because
of all the time and effort she put into the team last year, and she
wasn’t even getting paid,” Gomez said. “I don’t
even see her as being such a young coach because she has so much knowledge
of the game.”
This year’s expectation for the Tejanas is not high. They are
a young team and under new management, but don’t say that to
Gomez.
“I see the team going really far because the girls have so much
heart,” she said. “Even though a lot of people think we’re
going to be in last place again, we’re excited because we have
coaches that have all the confidence in the world on us.”
Because this season will be the last at EPCC for Gomez, she has already
started making other plans for her future, unless of course, a university
offers her a softball scholarship.
“Since I will probably have to say goodbye to softball, I really
want to go into the nursing program.” Luckily for her, Gomez
won’t have to trade her softball cleats for those white nursing
sneakers for at least one more season.
