Garcia is first softball player to sign
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera South softball player Savaanah Garcia, back middle, and her family are all smiles after Garcia signed her National Letter of Intent to Drexel University
By signing her name on a National Letter of Intent to Drexel University, Madera South’s Savaanah Garcia became the first Stallions softball player to sign to a college.
“It’s awesome, but it’s not about me,” Garcia said. “It’s about the Liz Cuevases, Nicole Sosas, Christina Delgados, Coach Gio (Giovanni Serros) and everybody because they’ve paved the way about how a Stallion is supposed to be. It’s kind of what I’ve always imagined.”
Garcia will spend her fourth year on the varsity team in the spring and has been destined for greatness since she was a freshman.
“Ever since she got here, she’s been just a trend setter,” Madera South softball coach Peter Gallegos said. “She took our softball program to the next level by hard work. I remember seeing her for the first time and heard great things about her. She showed it on the field. She’s just great.”
However, for Garcia, she said she is just reaping the benefits of the players that came before her and credits them with her success.
“It’s not about me,” she said. “It’s about everyone else. It’s about my family and friends that came before me to set the example I want to set for everyone else.”
Garcia had looks at other schools, but once she took a visit to Drexel in Philadelphia, she knew it was home.
“The coaches, they made it feel felt like home,” she said. “It was an amazing trip. It felt like me in a college. They called my travel coach and everything flew from there. They said they wanted me for me.”
Garcia knew she was going to college and play softball. The only question she had was where. She said it was seeing the success of a former Madera Coyote that gave her the confidence to sign with a college on the East Coast.
“The expectation for me is took up to someone like Mariah Davis who chose to go to the East Coast for college,” Garcia said. “Looking at that, it’s always been an idea of I was going to college. It was a matter of where and if it’s going to be for softball.”
During the softball offseason, Garcia tries to help out other teams. She has letters in golf, tennis, cross country, soccer and track.
“I try to be the best Stallion I can be showing everyone that no matter what you do, you can represent your school the best you can. It’s not necessarily about me, but it’s showing them there’s different things you can do.”
With her signing, Garcia can concentrate on her senior season, which she plays with her father, Angel, who is an assistant coach.
“it’s a nice moment to have,” Gallegos said. “I had the same moment with my daughter. I know the experience they are going through. I know he’s proud and excited for her.”
“It’s definitely awesome to sign,” Garcia said. “It helps me to know that I’ve known my sisters and my family that it’s for them. It’s kind of me showing everyone else that it’s awesome.”
