SAN DIEGO — Fifty young Padre fans were able to experience a once in a lifetime event at Petco Park thanks to the “USAA’s Salute to Service Lil’ MVPs Baseball Camp.”
These 50 children from military families had the chance to experience what it was like to train like a Padre for the day by competing in drills like those used to evaluate professional baseball players including base running, batting, fielding, and pitch speed challenges.
The kids were in split teams to compete in drills and win prizes, with their parents cheering them on from the stands. This was also the first time that USAA and the Padres have hosted USAA’s Salute to Service Lil’ MVPs Baseball Camp, specifically for military kids.
USAA’s military correspondent David Dearie highlighted the special moment this was for the kids, and how great it is for the military families.
“This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for these kids, I mean how many people can say they went onto the field here at Petco Park," said Dearie. "The coolest part is that they are able to have this much fun, experience this, all while their parents can watch them from the stands.”
One of the main purposes of this event is to have fun, but it's also a “thank you” to those who have served in the military locally and to bring the military community closer to the game that they love.
“There are so many things to highlight from this event, it’s really just a thank you to all of those who served," said Dearie. "Some of the military parents here maybe are not even a part of USAA, but this was a great way for us to show our appreciation to them.”
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