By Roderick Mitchell

The Selma Times-Journal

No one ever said coaching baseball is reserved for only the men. In fact, Lauderback coach Britany Johnson is one of an increasing number of women coaching youth baseball in Selma.

While Johnson is younger than most of the coaches filling out line-up cards at the Dallas County Sportsplex at 23, she is also one of those newest to the game, picking up the game by playing softball when she was a teenager.

“This is my first year with the recreation league, but I coached at East Selma last year,” Johnson said.

If Johnson had her choice between coaching and playing, she would be right in the middle of the action as a player.

“You get to be in the action. As a coach, on the sideline all you can do is tell them what to do,” Johnson said. But, that is the toughest part of the coaching duties.

The hardest part of the job is “when the kids don’t listen, and the summer is the most difficult, probably because of the heat,” Johnson said.

Just like any coach would say, if you ask them what their favorite thing about coaching is, they would say the children, and Johnson was no different.

Outside of coaching at the Sportsplex, Johnson is a student at Selma University, completing her basic courses before transferring to Alabama State in the fall. She is scheduled to pursue a degree in sports medicine.

If Johnson has time next year she would consider coming back to coach for another season.

“I will want to, and if I am here next summer, I’ll be back,” Johnson said.