ALICE, Texas — Mental health has always been part of the game, but awareness is finally starting to help athletes who need it. For example, Cowboys kicker Brett Maher when he missed four extra points in a playoff game during the 2022 season or when Olympian Simone Biles took a break from gymnastics for self-care, reflection and rest. One Coastal Bend alum is making it her mission to help the Coastal Bend.
It's been a year since Dominique Salinas hosted her first softball camp in Corpus Christi. The 5-foot-4 outfielder used to play for Duke University and King High School, and now she's ready to give back and share what she learned.
"That's the cool thing about these camps. I like to physically be here, so I can also just show them look at my height right," Dominique Salinas, Mental Performance Coach, said. "There's a lot of campers I work with that are taller than me, and there's a lot of people who don't think they can chase their dreams because they aren't a certain height."
Salinas runs drills that fine-tune skills on offense and defense at her camps.
"Today is like catching the ball, getting in front of it," Kamilah Garza, Hebbronville Elementary fifth grader, said. "Dominique is a really successful softball player, and I really want to learn from her."
2023 is her second year of hosting camps. Salinas' last training of the summer ended in Alice.
"Dominique is really good at going one-on-one," Deeandre Maldonado, Alice senior center fielder, said. "My personal favorite drills are like when you drop step because if a hard shot comes, you can take a really good angle to get right under the ball."
Salinas enjoys teaching all aspects of the game, especially the importance of mental health and battling through obstacles.
"We even bring parents in because we have youth athletes all the way from elementary, so we talk to parents about what support looks like for athletes going through these competitive sports," Salinas said. "We talk to them about skills that they can learn to help regulate their emotions during those times."
Many of her campers returned again this year. The best part is seeing how they've grown in fundamentals and confidence.
"It's cool, not even just the skills part, but seeing how their confidence is there," Salinas said. "They're excited, and that wasn't what we were seeing when we first started. That alone, and people's arms feel better. It's been really cool stories."
For more information on future camps or help on overcoming barriers, you can contact Salinas via email at Dominiquesalinas1@gmail.com or on Instagram here.
