COCONUT CREEK, Fla. -- Six years ago, Xavier Edwards and his father, Jovon, began brainstorming ideas to pay it forward to the South Florida community. Edwards, who had just been selected 38th overall by the Padres in the 2018 MLB Draft out of North Broward Prep, decided upon a free baseball skills camp.
Friday marked the sixth iteration of the camp -- and the first since Edwards made his Major League debut on May 2 for the hometown Marlins. Ballplayers aged 8-17 took turns practicing fundamentals (outfield, infield, hitting, throwing and rundowns) and speed testing under the supervision of 25-30 volunteers from the college, professional and independent league levels, at Edwards’ alma mater.
“Just find a way to give back, find a way to give, whether it be food, time, energy, whatever it is,” Edwards said. “We felt this is the best way we could give back to our community, us being baseball people. I spent a lot of time in the field. This place is near and dear to my heart, my alma mater. We thought about it a few years back. It started as 18 kids in my first year, and it's blossomed over the years, and now we're about 150-160. So it's steadily been growing.”
The camp, which receives support from the Players Alliance and PRIME drinks, among others, will continue for another 2 1/2 hours on Saturday. Most of the time will be spent competing in games and relay races. Afterwards, there will be a toy drive for the younger attendees, courtesy of Limitless Fitness. The older ballplayers will get to take part in a free pro-style showcase for college coaches.
While the vast majority of the kids are from South Florida, a few traveled from Maryland and Long Island, N.Y., where Edwards was born. Everyone received Marlins, MLB or Players Alliance caps as well as drawstring bags from HSS. Following the workout, they munched on pizza and snacks.
“It’s cool just to get around them, pass down what I've learned, what I know, what my friends know,” Edwards said. “We're kids ourselves, but we're also at the higher parts of baseball, whether it be college, professional, some guys independent ball. So all walks of baseball. It paints a clear picture for these kids that it's an attainable goal. It seems like reaching for the stars, but stars may be closer than you think.”
Among those joining Edwards were teammate Jesús Luzardo, Guardians right-hander Triston McKenzie, Marlins catching prospect Paul McIntosh and retired ballplayer Juan Pierre.
McKenzie has been helping out since the inaugural camp. His younger brother’s first tee-ball team featured Edwards, so the pair consider each other family. The 26-year-old McKenzie was popular with the campers, stopping to sign autographs, take photos and chat when he wasn’t offering advice.
“I've been to this camp years before, so a lot of these kids recognize me and they watch me on TV or play MLB The Show with me or whatever it is,” McKenzie said. “They know who I am, so it's good to just be able to interact with them on a more personal level and [so] they can see my face.”
Luzardo, who grew up in nearby Parkland, Fla., and attended Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, hosts his own camp in January. The 26-year-old left-hander remembers the lasting impact Pierre, a 2003 World Series champion, made on him during a camp he spent time at as a kid.
Both McKenzie and Luzardo hoped to do the same at the throwing station on Friday, when they taught simple mechanics, like stepping into one’s throw, to ensure arm health. The campers had the rare opportunity to learn from the pros, so the pitching duo wanted the kids to keep learning, ask questions and act like a sponge.
“If you guys want to take it seriously and be the best one [on your team], you’ve got to work at it at the end of the day,” Luzardo said to the campers. “Just a little bit of purpose behind every throw. Every time you're out, like I said, you put on your hat, you put on that belt, you put on the cleats, you know it's time to work.”