TUCSON, Arizona — It's just before practice, and Mica Mountain softball coach Steve Garcia is delivering his daily message to the Thunderbolts. On this day, it has to do with detrimental comments on social media.
"Refrain from that," Garcia can be heard saying. "Stop."
It's wisdom that one player has heard before.
"I think his messages are great," said Mia Garcia, who happens to be Steve's daughter. "I look forward to them every day."
A longtime Cienega assistant coach, Garcia was also an assistant on the nationally ranked Under-16 AAU Oro Valley Suncats.
"This job opened up and I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to become a head coach now," added Steve Garcia.
Garcia is now coaching Mica Mountain in its seconds season. As it turns out, he's known more for what he does each day before he gets to the practice field.
"It's been an adventure," remarked Steve Garcia.
For the last 26 years, Garcia has worked for the Arizona Department of Corrections. He's considered an expert on the Mexican mafia. His other expertise is in prison gang investigations.
"Those are the things that I'm most proud about. That I'm able to teach other gang officers and allow them to soak in the knowledge that I have so that one day when I do retire, they have that."
So each day, Steve Garcia has to transition from the mafia and prison gangs to high school girls softball players.
"When I get there, it's kind of like my comfort zone," said Steve Garcia. "It's a comfort blanket to me. It's a warm feeling. And, I love being around the girls. But, ti does take me a few minutes to switch my brain to being a softball coach."
Mia Garcia has shared her father's passion for softball.
"It's great," said Mia Garcia. "He's my best friend."
Now, Mia also wants to follow in her father's footsteps in another way. She's planning a career in law enforcement.
"Ever since I was a little girl, I realized that law enforcement was something that I wanted to do," said Mia Garcia. "As a girl, I would run around in his vest. I just knew it was for me."
"Does it worry me? Absolutely, it does," said Steve Garcia. "I'd be a liar if I said I didn't. But, I know she's going to be okay as long as I'm there for her. And, she's got great people around her."
For now, the father-daughter duo have one more season together before Mia heads off to Park University in Gilbert.
"I don't want to see here leave," said Steve Garcia. "I love coaching her. I love being with her."
