SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Around 50 children from San Diego military families had a once-in-a-lifetime experience Thursday, taking part in a baseball camp on the field at Petco Park.
It's part of a program put on by USAA which they call "Lil MVP's".
"To give back to the families and have the mothers and the fathers out here with their kids, it's a great opportunity," said Tim Haney, USAA Military Affairs Representative.
The kids were split into groups, which rotated through a series of skill stations on pitching, bunting, base running, hitting, and fielding. The coaches are veterans from universities and junior colleges across Southern California.
Padres pitchers Steven Wilson and Brent Honeywell spent time meeting the children and signing autographs.
Wilson told ABC 10News that he told the team's community relations representatives that he wanted to sign up for any events that benefit military families.
"My oldest brother is in the Air Force. He’s been all over the world. I haven’t been able to see him a lot in the last ten years. We have a bunch of family that has been in the military. My uncle was in the Army for 23 years on tanks. So to be able to give back to some of the military families here in San Diego is pretty amazing," he said.
