Dana Tritz was recently appointed as the assistant coaching intern for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters, the High-A affiliate team of the Milwaukee Brewers, making her the first woman on the team’s coaching staff.
According to WJFW, Tritz has been focusing on this goal since childhood, and she is excited to set an example for other women who want to break into male-dominated coaching fields.
“When I found that out, I was so happy,” said Tritz. “That I could be that blueprint for other women.”
Tritz, who attended the University of Michigan’s sports management program, is all about the numbers and statistics, and she has recorded each of the Rafters' nine season wins this year.
“I can give you the number of pitches that have occurred that have been balls and strikes and what types of pitches they were and what the velocities were,” she said. “But at the end of the day, how was the pitcher feeling? Maybe he threw a 94 but also blew his arm out, for all you know. Yeah, it might have been his best pitch but it also might have been his last one for a few months. There are so many more aspects than just the numbers that are so important.”
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And while she loves the numbers side of the game, Tritz acknowledges that her presence on the pitch does more for the other women who may follow in her footsteps.
“Especially for women trying to go into male-dominated spaces, there are going to be people who say you can’t do it just outright,” she said. “Some people are going to beat around the bush and say, ‘maybe you should try front office spaces or other places that other women have already gone into.’ But that’s the reason that women are now in them, because one woman was able to start it, so you need to do the same thing.”
