Justine Siegal Hired by the Oakland Athletics as First Female Coach

Justine Siegal, who also became the first female to serve as a coach for a professional men’s baseball team back in 2009 when she was with the Brockton Rox, will now join the Athletics as a guest instructor for the team’s 2015 Instructional League, which will take place from October 4-17 in Mesa, Ariz., according to the club’s website. Earlier this year, Becky Hammon was hired as an assistant coach with the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs, Jen Welter became the NFL’s first female coach when she was hired by the Arizona Cardinals, and Nancy Lieberman was hired as a coach with the NBA’s Sacramento Kings, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. She was the first woman to throw batting practice to Major League Baseball teams (she did so in 2011 for five teams, including the A’s).

“We’re thrilled that Justine will be joining us for Instructional League”, A’s assistant general manager David Forst said.

More recently, Siegal has spent her time working with Baseball For All, a non-profit organization that she founded to give young women the opportunity to play baseball. She also completed the Major League Scouting Bureau’s scout school.

Given her qualifications, the A’s are bullish about the variety of ways Siegal can impact their organization.

Siegal is the head coach and founder of Baseball For All, a national nonprofit organization with a mission to provide meaningful instruction and opportunity in baseball, especially for girls. She holds a PhD.in sport and exercise psychology from Springfield College, where she was an assistant baseball coach from 2008-10. “And I do like talking about life skills; I like to help people achieve their life goals”.

While Siegal is not yet considered a full-time coach, Forst said that the A’s will consider anything, so a minor-league coaching position may be in the cards. “The A’s do not have their minor-league coaching assignments set for next season, so they do not yet have an idea about potential job availability”.

“

Justine knows that nothing has been promised, but we’re not ruling that out”,

Forst told the Chronicle.

“I think it would be incredible to coach full-time”, Siegal said.

In re: to Siegal ever having a chance of becoming a major league coach, Frost continued…