Today we’d like to introduce you to Lance Miles
Hi Lance, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born in The Woodlands, Texas February 20th, 1994. Sports were my entire life- I began competing at the national stage for baseball at 8 years old. I graduated as an all state athlete in both football and baseball at the Woodlands High School then went on to play baseball at Kansas State University and Sam Houston State University. After finishing my playing career, I was on staff at Sam Houston State for 2 seasons before accepting a position as a Manager and Hitting Coach for the Texas Rangers at their international training facility in the Dominican Republic. When COVID struck, I had a change of heart and knew I needed to follow my life long calling to start a training facility. Growing up, my mom was an active dance teacher at Boni’s Dance Studio in The Woodlands and my dad was a travel baseball coach. Coaching and working with kids was something that runs in the family and comes natural. The information that I have gathered throughout my life and the research I have picked up throughout my professional career fuels the desire to build a bond with the families of the young athletes and work to help them start their careers with a healthy foundation. The difference in styles between the division 1 level and the professional level from a coaching standpoint gave me a unique perspective on the different routes one may choose to go when it comes to their reasoning for playing the sport of baseball or softball. Another unique perspective worth noting is the experience of seeing the Latin American approach to baseball in comparison with the American approach I was only familiar with at the time. We even had Korean baseball representatives in the D.R so the difference in baseball culture was a great experience to learn from. The holistic, balanced approach we take with our athletes and the environment we maintain is something I cherish as a business owner and as a dreamer of what the perfect environment is to grow up in as an athlete.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The nature of coaching and training athletes, especially kids, comes with struggles. All you can ask for is to limit these struggles to the necessary ones and all the praise be to God that we have not faced many struggles outside of the ordinary wear and tare of running a training facility.
We’ve been impressed with Diamond Sports Academy, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Diamond Sports Academy officially opened on April 8th, 2023. What began as a business plan to run a batting cage rental facility, eventually turned into a community, family-driven mission to grow the game of baseball in the conroe area and promote the continued education of the game of baseball. We settled on a holistic approach that encourages athletes to focus on little details and master the movements and mindsets necessary for a healthy and lasting career. A few friends and Montgomery County native business owners came together and merged with a couple individuals looking to begin an academy. Tide Murray, Garet Norton, and Kenny Whittleman teamed up with Casey Collum and Lance Miles. The group of men teamed together with the help of their wives; Lien Murray, Malorie Norton, Kelly Whittleman and Maggie Collum, to embark on something Conroe has never seen. All parties take part in making the operation run, along with an operating staff of 7 employees, with Miles being the main visionary. The 30 year old part-owner and operator, Lance Miles acts as the Head of Athlete Development. He grew up a native of The Woodlands, Texas where he graduated as a two-sport star. After a college carrer highlighted by 2 super-regional appearances; once while playing at Kansas State University and once while finishing his career at Sam Houston State University. After his playing career he spent 2 years on staff at Sam Houston State before taking on the role as a Manager of the rookie team and hitting coach for the Texas Rangers at their international training facility in the Dominican Republic. When COVID struck the world, Miles had a shift in heart before quitting his job and moving back to The Woodlands to begin his journey towards opening an academy. He spent one year on staff at Sam Houston State during this time before joining arms with his friends in Conroe to start his dream family, DSA. The idea was that our approach towards training youth baseball players has been off, and we must take a different approach if we want to build a healthy, lasting career. DSA sells memberships that include classes, workouts, cage rental time, and free use hours. In addition to player development, Miles has always shown an interest in coaching development and therefore will be sure that DSA provides team workshops and coaching clinics throughout the year. Miles claims to enjoy “coaching coaches” due to his experiences with brilliant coaches with the Rangers, Matt Deggs and Jay Sirianni at SHSU, Mike Clement at KSU, Ron Eastman at The Woodlands High School, and especially his own father/coach Dave Miles. Dave spends his days as the main hitting instructor for the nationally ranked Backyard Ballers Organization in Montgomery, Texas. One way DSA provides resources to coaches is through their “Powered By DSA” program, where teams receive discounts on rentals, memberships and access to digital resources to help improve practice efficiency. Inside of DSA, you can find several professional instructors providing individual lessons to athletes of all ages. Dom Robinson is the pitching coordinator and Daryl Robinson is the hitting coordinator. Other instructors include; Jimmy Stone, Jackson Loftin, Jacob Ortiz, Cris Burch. DSA also has plans to bring physical therapists into their facility to offer a different type of development to our athletes. The academy has recently passed their first year mark and are providing some form of service to over 200 members. Future plans could include a high school showcase team, land purchase for additional training, home school program, app improvements, staff increases, etc. Head of Athlete Development, Lance Miles claims that DSA will quickly begin to unveil digital resources to the internet in order to fulfill their mission to become active teachers of the game of baseball aimed at growing it the right way.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Instagram: @DiamondSportsTx
Email: DiamondSportsTexas@Gmail.Com
Web: Www.DiamondSportsAthlete.Com
Pricing:
- $250 / Month Membership
- $65 / Hour Cage Rental
- $50 / Hour Cage Rental (Powered By DSA)
- $100 Hour Lesson
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.diamondsportsathlete.com
- Instagram: diamondsportstx
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiamondSportsTX/
- Twitter: https://x.com/DiamondSportsTX
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LanceFromDSA
Image Credits
Heather Dow Photography
