Garcia gives back to alma mater

Olympic medalist donates cleats to Highland softball

PALMDALE — When former USA and UCLA softball standout Rachel Garcia signed a sponsorship deal with Under Armour last year, her first thought was to use her new connection to give back to her alma mater — Highland High School.

Garcia accomplished that goal on Monday, handing out brand new cleats for the Bulldogs’ varsity softball players and coaches.

“As soon as I made a deal with Under Armour, I knew I wanted to do something for Highland,” Garcia said. “We talked about cleats, because, obviously, cleats are definitely not cheap. … Now they’ve got practice cleats and they have game cleats.

“I think it’s just a great opportunity to give back to Highland.”

Garcia said she’s happy she signed with Under Armour and loves the product. She was wearing all Under Armour clothes and shoes at the Highland softball field.

The softball Olympic silver medalist goes back to Highland at least once a year and she said she loves that her high school coach, Doug Harmon, is still coaching the team.

“With all of the different sponsorships that she’s gotten, we never expected it to actually come to help us,” Harmon said. “When Rachel came to us … she said, ‘I want to take care of the varsity girls with cleats,’ and I was just overwhelmed.

“So the simple fact that she was able to do this and do it so fast and take care of the girls — especially with everything they’re going through with COVID stuff — it’s just such a big plus for them and it really helps the program having Rachel. It’s pretty cool.”

The team is also looking forward to new uniforms as they raised $5,000 wrapping gifts in front of Bed, Bath and Beyond during Christmas.

So their new cleats will complete the ensemble.

“They look really nice,” Highland

sophomore Mia Romero said. “I don’t know what I was expecting. I was kind of just expecting like little plain white cleats or something. But I think they’re going to look really nice with our home and away uniforms.”

The cleats are white with red accents and look comfortable as well as sturdy.

“They’re really nice. I really like them,” Highland senior Keira Carrillo said.

Carrillo was also grateful to Garcia for giving back to the program.

“It’s really inspirational what she did

in the Olympics and at UCLA and to still come back to her hometown and her old school and give back to us,” she said. “I think it’s really cool.”

Romero said she grew up reading about Garcia and her accomplishments in the newspaper and she looks up to the athlete.

“The fact that she still comes back and she still supports us a lot, it just feels really incredible to know we have someone like her that went here and is still representing us, not just like, ‘Oh, I just went to that high school.’ No, she still has love for this team and this program,” Romero said. “I just really appreciate all the work that she’s put back into this program.”

Garcia was home for a couple of days from her new gig as an assistant coach for San Diego State. She is under the tutelage of head coach Stacey Nuveman Deniz, also a UCLA alumna, who came to Palmdale to present Garcia her Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year award during her senior year at Highland.

“It was something that randomly popped into my head my last season at UCLA,” Garcia said about coaching in

San Diego. “… When coach Nuvey became the head coach I thought that was a great opportunity to reach out, since she’s also a Bruin alum, played for Team USA and I think she’s just a great mentor to learn from.”

When the college season is over, Garcia will play softball for Athletes Unlimited in the summer. She will start with the AUX Softball twoweek season from June 13-26 in California and move on to the Athletes Unlimited third championship season from July 29-Aug. 28 in the Chicago area.

“It’s pretty exciting,” Garcia said of playing professional softball. “I think I’m more excited to play in California and for my parents and family, friends and anyone else who wants to come. You just

can’t top California when it comes to softball. I think it’s a great opportunity for Athletes Unlimited, too, to expand on their season.”

There’s more for Garcia to do and accomplish in softball, but she’s already inspired athletes around the Valley, especially at her alma mater.

“I really look up to Rachel and I think what she’s doing is such a big thing,” said Carrillo, who has signed to play softball at Fresno State. “I hope that if I make it big like her, that I do the exact same. That’s exactly what I want to do for my community.”

The CIF-Southern Section spring season begins on Feb. 12.

“I’m just excited to play in some Rachel Garcia cleats and do her proud,” Romero said.