Almost 12 years ago I went to my first baseball camp. It was run by the high school kids and I was so excited to participate. They helped me learn to throw and hit by playing games and giving me personal lessons. The camp had started my love for baseball that continues to this day as a senior in high school.

I got to participate in volunteering with the Arrowhead Union high school youth baseball camps as a junior. I helped the kids learn some key drills in helping with their swing and some position work. I saw my younger self when I was teaching the kids, which made me be more personal and really wanted to help each one of the kids. I felt like I was making a difference.

We played games and had fun, which is the most important part of baseball. The kids were telling me stories and talking to me like they had known me for a long time. I prided myself on having a personal relationship with the kids I was working with to help make sure what I was teaching sank in and they really processed and understood the drills we were doing and why we were doing them.

I really enjoyed watching the younger kids have fun playing the game I love and watching what I had taught them work and help them be a better player. This camp made us want to help out more and volunteer to help grow baseball and be an influence on the youth to keep the game growing. It was also very rewarding to watch them support us at the state game.