Community Corner

Hometown Boy Neil Walker Plunders the Hearts of Kids at Local Pro Camp

The Pittsburgh Pirates star taught tiny teammates about baseball and doled out high fives.

Equipped with bats in their hands and smiles on their faces, the 300 kids who gathered at Seneca Valley High School Monday were excited to show off their skills for their special baseball coach, Pittsburgh Pirates star Neil Walker. 

The second baseman and Pine-Richland High School graduate enthusiastically shared his passion for baseball with the boys and girls ages 6 to 14 who gathered for his ProCamp sponsored by Heinz.  

"I certainly never thought I'd end up where I am today," Walker said. "To share my experiences with the kids is really great." 

Walker spent his time pacing between groups of children adjusting their batting stances, doling out high fives and shouting encouragements. 

One little boy wearing a Neil Walker T-shirt faced the baseball player, who was triple his size, and asked simply, "Is it cool being in the major leagues?" 

Walker was quick to respond, "It's everything you could ever dream of."

Thirty of the top baseball coaches from around the area led the kids, some of whom attended the camp on scholarships from the Boys and Girls Club of Western Pa., in skill drills and practice games. 

Many of the young wanna-be Bucs took a Heinz Healthy Pledge to promise to eat better and commit to 30 minutes of physical activity a day. 

"We have to fuel our body. We have to get it ready for the day," Walker encouraged the group of children seated in single file lines around him. 

Although the Pirates are on a winning streak lately at 67-44, Walker encouraged children to understand that even when trying their hardest, everyone falls short sometimes and that's okay. 

"Baseball is such an unbelievable game of failure," Walker said. 

He added baseball players only get a hit 30-percent of the time. 

"It's easy to want to feel bad for yourself if you don't get a hit. But you have to remember that this game is very, very difficult and the only thing you can do is hit the ball hard and run hard," he said. "When you have the support of your teammates it makes it all better." 


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