O's host youth for PLAY Campaign clinic

BALTIMORE -- Long before the Orioles took the field on Tuesday night, there was something special happening at Camden Yards. The O's hosted youth from the Y in Central Maryland for the annual PLAY Campaign clinic that promotes the importance of children living a healthy lifestyle and disability inclusion.
Orioles outfielder Trey Mancini, along with head athletic trainer Brian Ebel and members of the O's training staff were on hand to help with the clinic, which included children from the National Down Syndrome Society. PLAY (Promoting a Lifetime of Activity for Youth) events run approximately two hours with participants divided into groups and rotated through a series of stations. These stations touch on everything from healthy eating, injury prevention, strength and conditioning and education about the dangers of illegal performance- and appearance-enhancing drugs.

In 2014, the PLAY Campaign became the first program in professional sports to include children with disabilities. It is funded with help from the Ruderman Family Foundation, Major League Baseball charities, the Taylor Hooton Foundation and the Henry Schein Cares Foundation.
Mancini is also the club's Hooton representative, which helps educate youth about the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs.
"They told me what the organization is all about and how it's an outlet for people to be drug free, so definitely something I was very interested in doing and something I believe in," Mancini said.
"Got big shoes to fill because [J.J. Hardy] was our rep before. So got to do him proud."