ANAHEIM -- Two hundred and fifty boys and girls, ranging from 8-18 years old, took the field at Angel Stadium on Saturday morning as part of the 2018 National PLAY Campaign, an initiative meant to promote the importance of children living a healthy and active lifestyle.
The participants rotated between stations to practice a wide range of baseball skills -- including hitting, catching and pitching -- and received tips from Angels right-handers Justin Anderson and Alex Meyer, as well as infielder David Fletcher. Catching and information coach Steve Soliz, strength and conditioning coach Lee Fiocchi and team trainers Adam Nevala and Eric Munson were also among the Angels personnel on hand for the event.
"It's a lot of fun to come out here and work with the kids, teach them a few things, let them ask you whatever questions they have," Anderson said. "I think it's good for them to just be able to come out to a big league field and work with us. They just look at us as superstars. Whether they know you or not, it's really cool."
The PLAY (Promoting a Lifetime of Activity for Youth) campaign was founded in 2004 by the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society (PBATS) to raise awareness about children's health issues and the obesity epidemic in the United States.

PLAY -- which is supported by the Ruderman Family Foundation, Major League Baseball Charities, the Taylor Hooton Foundation and the Henry Schein Cares Foundation -- has staged more than 300 events inside all 30 MLB ballparks since its inception. The program has helped expose thousands of young Americans to baseball, while also educating them about the importance of leading healthy and active lives.
"I think it's great," Meyer said. "For some kids that don't have the opportunity to maybe even play baseball, the fact that they get to do something here -- be an Angel for a day or whatever you want to call it -- it's something that you can't put a price on."