Minner was a 2003 graduate of Sanger High School and member of the 2001 Class 3A state championship softball team. She received a 60% scholarship to the University of Missouri and after her breakout first year of leading the team in every offensive category and breaking the single season home run record (17), she was put on a full ride.
She enjoyed a standout career at the University of Missouri, which concluded in 2009 at the Women’s College World Series after Missouri upset perennial softball power UCLA in Los Angeles to win the Super Regional. It was the first time Mizzou reached the Women’s College World Series in fifteen years. For her college career, she finished third all-time in batting average (.357), third in career hits (230), first in career doubles (55), third in career home runs (40), fifth in runs scored (142), third in career RBI (180), second in slugging percentage (.631) and second in career walks (95). She also sits second all-time in single-season slugging percentage (.781 – 2005), doubles (18-2007), home runs (17-2005) and fourth in walks (33-2007).
In recognition of her achievements on the field and in the classroom, she was selected as Missouri’s softball representative to the University of Missouri All-Decade team, which is comprised of one standout from each of the University of Missouri’s athletic teams from the year 2000 through 2009. Minner graduated with her B.A. in Communications in May of 2007 and received her M.A. in Education Counseling and Psychology with an emphasis in Sports Psychology in May of 2009.
Minner was selected 18th in the 2009 NPF draft by the Akron, OH Racers but was unable to play because of injuries which included a torn labrum in her shoulder, a broken left fibula and a partially torn ACL. She had finished her senior season at Mizzou playing with those injuries.
During the summer of 2009, Minner moved to Orlando, FL where she became employed by RIP-IT Sporting Goods and worked as Senior Account Executive. She was the 2nd employee RIP-IT had hired on staff to join the team. RIP-IT is a baseball and softball manufacturing company who make bats and are widely known for the RIP-IT protective face masks. She was on the drawing board and helped design the new RIP-IT Helmet with black out technology.
Minner signed a free-agent contract in 2010 to play for Akron. In 2010 she enjoyed success at the highest level of softball competition, the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league. The league is comprised of some of the best softball players in the nation, including numerous former Olympic gold medalists and current Team USA representatives. As of July 11, 2011, she hit .341, which was fourth in the league and the highest average on her team, the Akron (Ohio) Racers. She also led her team in slugging percentage at .545 and hit a tie-breaking two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to lead Akron over the Chicago Bandits, 5-3 in Chicago on July 8, 2010. It was her second home run of the season. At the end of her rookie season she was sidelined by yet another injury (torn ACL) during the NPF Championship Series. After rehabbing all off season Minner came back for her 2nd season with the Racers in 2011. After the first 2 weeks of season she was leading her team in batting average (.471) and hits. She finished out the season with a realization that retiring and hanging up her cleats was the best for her body after suffering another injury.
During winter of 2011, after deciding to retire from softball, Minner got the opportunity to become the head varsity coach at Aurora High School. With it being the softball program’s first year at the division 1 level she did an outstanding job. She led the team to the Ohio State Regional championship in 2012 for the first time in school history. Due to family health issues, she resigned as head coach, so she would be able to travel back home to Texas once a month to help her mother and father.
After taking a year off and completely healing her body, Minner decided to get back into sports and played for the Cleveland, OH Crush Pro Football Team of the Legends Football League summer of 2013. She started all 4 games at the center position and made the 2013 All-Fantasy Team.Playing football was a fun experience for Minner, but it was physically demanding, and she decided to retire after one year.
After making that decision, she packed up and partially moved to West Virginia. She began instructing softball in Ohio, WV, and in PA monthly. During this time, she teamed up with Darcy Thompson. Darcy Thompson, her football teammate, is a regionally known certified CrossFit coach and crossfitter. She is a 3-Time MidAtlantic Regional CrossFitCompetitor with her highest finish in 2014 in 15th place. Thompson is a personal trainer who works with younger athletes and people of all ages. She is Minner’s partner and Co-CEO of D&M Works LLC. Together, they work together in a sports training facility called D&M Sports Training which is in Tallmadge, OH. This is in the Akron, OH area located off 76E, 1 minute from the Summit Auto Racing building. At the facility you can find Minner giving hitting and all skills softball/baseball lessons, Darcy Thompson heading up the sports specific strength and conditioning, speed and agility, adult personal training classes, and Mandi Luers with Make a Change Fastpitch giving pitching lessons. You can learn more about Darcy Thompson and their company at dandmsportstraining.com. We expanded in the summer of 2018 and now offer a 2,600 square foot space for team rentals and hitting lanes with an Iron Mike hitting machine for softball or baseball.
Minner is thankful for the opportunity that she got when working under Crystl Bustos (GotBustos? Inc) and Howard Carrier for a year. That opportunity truly helped jump start Minner’s career into the world of private coaching. Minner has continued to research the game. She has created her own system from her playing experiences with Coach EhrenEarleywine, Crystal Bustos and Howard Carrier, researching Jake Epstein, Steve Englishbey, Baseball Rebellion, and Joey Myers -Hitting Performance lab.
