Co-owner Jill
Jill Barranco was born and raised in the Bulverde/Spring Branch area. She fell in love with the sport of softball at 8 years old while playing in Bulverde Little League. Her parents started a local club team when she first started playing club softball. The team eventually expanded to girls from all over the San Antonio area. Jill graduated from Smithson Valley High school, where she was a 4 year letterman playing 1st base and pitcher. While at Smithson Valley they went to the UIL State Tournament 3 out of the 4 years she was there. Jill will never forget winning it her junior year (at the UT Softball Stadium) as their community rallied around them to watch the team win the title! She was also named MVP of the State Tournament as she was the winning pitcher in both the semi-final and championship game.
Jill continued her softball career pitching for UT Arlington where they went to the NCAA Regional tournament her freshman year, 2003. 20 years later she was recognized with her team in the Hall of Honor at UTA for being the first softball team to do this. Jill played all 4 years there as a starting pitcher. After graduating in 2006, she was asked to play/coach professionally in Austria for the summer.
Jill started her coaching career in 2008 at MacArthur High School where she met her husband of 14 years, Mike Barranco and they have 3 wonderful children. Their oldest daughter, Mia is 12, and sons Jack who is 9 and Joseph who is 8. She has also coached at San Antonio Christian School, Pieper Ranch Middle School and Pieper High School. Jill has a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership and Bachelor's Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies specializing in Sports Marketing and Management. After 14 years of being high school softball head coach, she has decided to join co-owner Kimbo NeSmith to create Diamond Fellowship.
Kimbo and Jill both believe that after all the years of playing softball, the memories they have created with the teams they played on will forever be a part of them. Kimbo and Jill still connect with many of the women they played with so long ago. They also believe that oftentimes, sports create a false identity of who we are. When Jill finally hung up her cleats, she didn’t really know who she was as a person without softball. They want young players to know that their identity is not in the sports they play, it’s with Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.
At Diamond Fellowship we want to teach our players that you COMPETE the moment you step foot on the playing field, but we play for HIM. Sports teach us about team work, perseverance, dedication, sacrifice, and so much more, but it is not who we are. We are children of God, our identity is in Him, and we can use sports as a platform to shine God’s light to others.
Jill's favorite Bible verse: Romans 12:2
"Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."