As part of the Miami Marlins’ celebration of Black History Month, the club hosted local youth from The Achievement Center, Boys & Girls Club of Palm Beach County, and Blanche Ely High School baseball team for a special Spring Training experience on Sunday, February 25. In addition to seeing what a day in the life of an MLB player looks like and being exposed to future possibilities, the kids left with memories and mementos that will last a lifetime.

The day began with the group heading onto the field at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium to watch Marlins players take batting practice ahead of their Grapefruit League matchup with the Washington Nationals. Their collective eyes lit up as they had a front-row view to watch their favorite players blast balls into the sunny South Florida sky.

While this was taking place, Marlins Radio & TV Analyst Rod Allen, who is former player and coach and now a veteran broadcaster, came over to talk to the group, take photos, and sign autographs.

“I grew up at a Boys & Girls Club, and I still remember the people that worked there to this day,” said Allen. “These people were very influential in my life and how I was raised. I just always love to give back to the Boys & Girls Club.”

He added, “You also have a baseball team here, and that’s just natural to go over and chop it up with those guys and make them feel special by talking to them about which positions they play. I also told them about what I do from a broadcasting standpoint to show if you really want to be in baseball, there’s a lot of different things that you can do.”

As Marlins players Josh Bell, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Jonathan Davis and Nick Gordon finished their respective batting practice sessions, they took time to drop by and interact with the kids. They shook hands, brought over baseballs, signed autographs, and took photos with the group.

“I didn’t really get the chance to meet any big leaguers when I was growing up, but I did end up meeting [former NBA player] Dirk Nowitzki and shook his hand when he was on his way onto the court,” said Bell. “I didn’t wash my hand for like three days. It’s one of those experiences that I’ll never forget, so I try to return the favor.”

Along with being an interaction that the kids will always remember, it also had an immediate impact.

Donnie, a 10-year-old from the Boys & Girls Club, began the day with zero desire to ever play baseball. But after watching batting practice up close and meeting Chisholm Jr., he changed his mind.

“I want to play baseball now because it’s more fun to be outside more, and you can throw and hit the ball as far as you want to,” said Donnie. “It was so cool meeting Jazz. He’s an awesome player.”

Donnie added that he’ll be wearing No. 2 when he plays the sport because “Jazz is the best player of all time.”

This was just part of why Chisholm Jr. took the time out of his pregame routine to interact with Donnie and the other kids in attendance.

“It’s important to show them that where you come from and what you see in your environment doesn’t have to be the final result,” said Chisholm Jr. “It has everything to do with your mindset, your work ethic, and what your plans are in life.”

For Bell, these interactions proved to be just as meaningful to himself as they were for the kids.

“Any time you see kids on the field with smiles on their faces and happy to be around a baseball game, it’s a pleasure to be a part of,” said Bell. “This is what it’s all about. I’m not going to be able to play forever, but some of these moments and memories are what’s going to last.”

Bell also takes great pride in serving as a figure for people to look up to and see themselves in.

“It’s special being on this team,” he said. “You got guys up and down the lineup that people like me can look at during a baseball game and see people that look like them. It goes a long way.”

Upon batting practice’s conclusion, the kids hung out by the Marlins clubhouse. They flocked to each player who walked by, asking them for autographs, pictures, and every piece of gear with them.

Ryan, a 14-year-old from Blanche Ely, decided to see if Dane Myers would be willing to part ways with his bat. To Ryan’s surprise and delight, Myers kindly obliged and even signed it.

“I just took a shot. I said, ‘Hey it might be a crazy question, but can I get that bat, please?’ And he was nice enough to give it to me,” said Ryan. “It means a lot. I love when players are nice to people, and I’m trying to become a professional baseball player myself. This just shows that if you’re nice to people, who knows, maybe something good will come back in return.”

After making Ryan’s day, Myers came back out to enjoy lunch with the kids, blending into the conversation as if he went to school with all of them. To Donnie and everyone else at the table, he was just a friend who happened to be larger than them.

Once lunch ended, Myers was joined by his teammate Xavier Edwards and Marlins Manager of Baseball Operations Jordan Jackson for a Q&A session.

The trio talked about their respective journeys before answering questions about baseball tips and life advice. They stressed how school comes before sports and that success in the classroom is related to success on the field.

“My goal today was to highlight the importance of having options and being able to choose your own fate or destiny,” said Jackson. “At a very basic level, especially at their age, the thing that I would’ve wanted someone to tell me was everything you want in life is on the other side of commitment, hard work, dedication, and focus. That all can start somewhere as simple as in your schoolwork.”

What Edwards, Jackson and Myers shared with the group resonated with an assistant coach from Blanche Ely.

“I think it was pretty cool for the kids to see and hear from athletes and people that have made it. It gives them a goal to shoot for,” he said. “Also, to hear a story from someone who didn’t make it to the big leagues as a player, but still loves the game and is doing something within baseball, that gives them another perspective.”

The group then went and watched the Marlins take on the Nationals. This special day was only part of a month-long effort by the Marlins organization to celebrate Black History Month with the community.

To set the stage for February, Edwards and Marlins Vice President of Ticket Sales & Service Andre Luck went to Poinciana Park Elementary School for a special visit centered around Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. They led the students in an educational game about Dr. King’s life before participating in an art activity related to his “I Have a Dream” speech.

Marlins prospects and staff later visited Jupiter Elementary School to lead students in similar activities.

Earlier in February, Marlins front office staff members dropped by Alpha Charter of Excellence to educate the students on Dr. King and Hank Aaron. The students played educational games revolving around these two integral figures.

For more on the Marlins’ commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, visit Marlins.com/DEI.