Our Founders & Board
The people behind Even Playing Field — committed to opening doors for the next generation of athletes.
Founders
Where it started
Michael Garcia
Founder & Board Chairman
Michael Garcia founded Even Playing Field with a simple but powerful belief: every youth athlete deserves the opportunity to experience the confidence, discipline, teamwork, and life lessons that sports can provide—regardless of situational circumstances. As Founder and Board Chairman, Michael leads the organization with a deep personal commitment to helping young athletes stay in the game and giving donors a meaningful way to change lives through youth sports.
With more than 30 years of business and leadership experience, Michael brings strong organizational, financial, and people-development expertise to the mission. He has spent his career scaling teams, managing complex operations, developing leaders, and overseeing multi-million-dollar budgets in both public and private organizations. His professional background helps ensure Even Playing Field is built with accountability, strong stewardship, and a clear focus on using donor support where it can make the greatest impact.
Michael's passion for this work is personal. He has been part of the baseball community for more than 35 years as a player, parent, Little League board member, CYO coach, and travel baseball coach. As a father with children who have participated in travel sports, he understands the pride, sacrifice, and financial pressure many families face when trying to give their children the chance to compete, grow, and belong.
That firsthand experience fuels Michael's commitment to connecting generous donors with real needs in the community. Whether support helps cover team dues, athletic and mental performance training, equipment, or access to development opportunities, Michael believes each gift can remove a barrier and give a young athlete the encouragement to keep going. To him, a donation is more than financial assistance—it is a message to a young athlete that their dreams matter and that their community believes in them.
Through Even Playing Field, Michael is committed to building a trusted, mission-driven nonprofit that serves athletes and families with integrity. His goal is to make it easy for donors, sponsors, and community partners to see the impact of their generosity and to know their support is helping create opportunities, confidence, and hope for young people through sports.
Monica Garcia
Founding Board Member & Director
Monica Garcia is a founding board member of Even Playing Field Inc. and a passionate advocate for creating equitable opportunities for youth through sports. With more than 33 years of leadership experience at H-E-B, one of the nation's most respected retail organizations, Monica brings a powerful combination of operational excellence, people leadership, and community commitment to the board.
Currently serving as a Perishable Leader at H-E-B, Monica oversees complex, high-performance teams while managing customer experience, financial performance, and day-to-day store operations. Her career has been defined by a consistent ability to develop talent, build strong teams, and deliver results—all while maintaining a deep focus on people and service. Her leadership was recognized company-wide when she was recently awarded H-E-B Leader of the Year for Store Operations, a testament to her impact and influence within the organization.
Monica holds a degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and has dedicated her career not only to professional excellence, but also to strengthening her community. She is deeply involved in her church and local outreach efforts, where she has spent years serving and supporting families in meaningful, hands-on ways.
As a founding member of Even Playing Field, Monica has played an integral role in shaping the organization's foundation and mission. Her perspective as both a leader and a mother fuels her commitment to ensuring that no child is denied the opportunity to participate in sports due to financial barriers. She brings a grounded, relatable voice to the board—always advocating for practical solutions that directly impact families and student-athletes.
Monica is also a strong ambassador for the organization, helping build trust with donors, sponsors, and community partners. She understands that every dollar contributed represents a belief in a child's potential, and she works to ensure those contributions translate into real, life-changing opportunities.
Board of Directors
Guiding our mission
Oscar Rodriguez
Board President
Oscar Rodriguez serves as Board President of Even Playing Field, where he helps lead the organization's mission to give more young athletes the chance to play, grow, and succeed. He believes that no child should be left on the sidelines because of the cost of equipment, registration fees, or the financial burden of participating in sports. Through his leadership, Oscar is helping build a nonprofit that connects generous donors with real opportunities to remove barriers and make youth sports more accessible for families in need.
Oscar brings more than five decades of professional experience in banking, financial services, talent acquisition, and human resources. Throughout his career, he has focused on recognizing potential in people and helping them access opportunities that can change the direction of their lives. For the past 19 years, he has served with Accenture, LLP as a Talent Acquisition Business Partner, helping connect individuals with meaningful career opportunities. His earlier leadership roles as Senior Vice President with San Antonio Savings Association and Bank of America strengthened his commitment to service, trust, and relationship-building—qualities that now guide his work with Even Playing Field.
For Oscar, supporting youth sports is about more than providing equipment—it is about investing in confidence, discipline, teamwork, perseverance, and hope. He has seen how sports can shape a young person's future by teaching life lessons that extend far beyond the field, court, or track. His long-standing commitment to community service includes board service with Alamo Public Broadcasting Corporation (KLRN), the Vikki Carr Scholarship Foundation, and Holy Cross of San Antonio. As Board President of Even Playing Field, Oscar invites donors, sponsors, and community partners to join in creating opportunities for children who are ready to participate, compete, and dream bigger when given the chance.
Stephen Garza
Board Treasurer
Stephen Garza brings more than 14 years of leadership experience to the board, serving as a Business Director for Chick-fil-A where he helps oversee two restaurants and more than 175 team members. His background in team development, operational excellence, financial stewardship, and leadership coaching gives him a strong understanding of how the right support, structure, and encouragement can help people reach their full potential.
Stephen joined the organization because he believes every young athlete deserves the chance to participate, grow, and compete regardless of financial circumstances. As Treasurer and Board Member, he helps ensure donor contributions are used responsibly and directly support the mission of removing barriers for families, providing access to sports opportunities, and helping young people build confidence both on and off the field.
For the past 10 years, Stephen has coached youth athletes and has seen firsthand how sports can shape a child's life. A registration fee, tournament cost, pair of cleats, or piece of equipment may seem small to some, but for many families it can be the difference between a child sitting on the sidelines or stepping onto the field with confidence. That reality fuels Stephen's commitment to helping donors turn generosity into life-changing opportunities.
Stephen's work on the board is grounded in a simple belief: when donors invest in youth sports, they are investing in confidence, discipline, resilience, teamwork, leadership, and hope. His role helps strengthen the organization's ability to steward gifts with care, expand its reach, and make sure more athletes and families experience the encouragement and support they need to keep going.
Through his professional leadership, financial oversight, coaching experience, and heart for service, Stephen brings credibility and passion to the mission. He is committed to helping build a financially strong organization that earns donor trust and creates lasting impact for young athletes throughout the community.
- Stephen Garza
Phil. 4:13
Rosa Gutierrez
Board Secretary
Rosa Gutierrez brings a strong sense of purpose, organization, and compassion to her role as Board Secretary for Even Playing Field Inc. With a professional background as a Land Tech at Hurd Enterprises, Rosa understands the importance of accuracy, follow-through, and thoughtful documentation—qualities that help strengthen board operations and support the organization's mission with professionalism and care.
Rosa is known for her dependability, strong work ethic, and commitment to doing things the right way. She brings a steady and detail-oriented approach to board service, helping ensure that important discussions, decisions, and records are handled clearly and responsibly. Her ability to stay organized and communicate effectively makes her a valuable part of the leadership team as Even Playing Field continues to grow its impact in the community.
Beyond her professional skills, Rosa is deeply motivated by service. She believes in giving back, helping others, and being part of something that creates meaningful change. Her passion for volunteering aligns closely with the heart of Even Playing Field: removing barriers so more young athletes have the opportunity to participate, grow, and experience the confidence, discipline, and belonging that sports can provide.
As a supporter of softball and the life lessons sports can teach, Rosa understands how access to athletics can shape a young person's future. She recognizes that for many families, the cost of equipment, fees, and travel can stand in the way of opportunity. Through her board service, Rosa helps champion a mission that invites donors, sponsors, and community partners to make a direct difference in the lives of children who simply need someone to believe in them.
Rosa's dedication reflects the kind of leadership donors can trust—steady, compassionate, and focused on impact. Her service helps ensure that every contribution to Even Playing Field supports a larger purpose: giving young athletes the chance to play, compete, belong, and dream bigger.