The PBATS PLAY Campaign continued its 2026 run with three more stops over a memorable late-July weekend, bringing young athletes from their communities onto major league fields for an experience that goes well beyond baseball. The Miami Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates hosted events on July 28th, with the Los Angeles Angels following on July 29th, and each stop delivered the kind of hands-on access that only the PLAY Campaign can offer.
At the heart of each event were the athletic trainers themselves. Stationed throughout the field in a series of rotating on-field stations, they walked young athletes through the same injury prevention techniques, taping and bracing fundamentals, flexibility work, and recovery protocols used by the major leaguers they watch on television. It is the kind of direct, professional mentorship that cannot be replicated in a classroom, and the kids at each event got it from some of the most experienced sports medicine professionals in the game.
Players from each club made the day even more memorable. Active roster members stopped by during each event to work alongside the kids at the on-field stations, then gathered for Q&A sessions that gave young athletes a rare chance to hear directly from the professionals they look up to. The combination of field access, expert instruction, and genuine player interaction is what sets the PLAY Campaign apart from any other youth outreach program in professional sports.
Miami Marlins — July 28th
At Marlins Park on July 28th, representatives from Song for Charlie and the Taylor Hooton Foundation joined the program to speak directly with the kids about the dangers of performance-enhancing substances and the pressures young athletes face. The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids also addressed the group, extending the event’s reach beyond physical training and into the broader choices young athletes will encounter as they develop in their sport.
The Marlins event was hosted by a sports medicine staff that collectively represents decades of professional baseball experience. Director of Medical Operations Corey Tremble led the group alongside Head Athletic Trainer LJ Petra, assistant athletic trainers Brad LaRosa, Jose Alvarez, Dru Scott, and Victor Scarpone. Between them, this staff has worked in organizations spanning nearly every corner of professional baseball, from Latin American winter leagues to spring training complexes, and that collective depth of experience was on full display throughout the day.
For the young athletes who walked through the gates at Marlins Park on July 28th, it was the kind of day they will be talking about for years. Getting onto a major league field is one thing. Getting to work side by side with Marlins players at on-field stations, learning the same warm-up routines, movement drills, and recovery techniques that their favorite players go through every day of the season, is something else entirely. Kids who came in as fans left with something more valuable: a real conversation with the professionals they look up to and a firsthand look at the dedication and discipline it takes to compete at the highest level of the game.
Pittsburgh Pirates — July 28th
At PNC Park the same morning, the Pittsburgh Pirates continued the momentum. Song for Charlie and the Taylor Hooton Foundation again took the stage to speak with attendees, reinforcing a message that resonated just as strongly in Pittsburgh as it had in Miami earlier in the day.
The Pirates event was hosted by Director of Sports Medicine Todd Tomczyk, who is now in his 15th season with the organization and his 28th in professional baseball overall. Tomczyk was joined by first-year Head Athletic Trainer Luke Novosel, Associate Head Athletic Trainer Joel Harris, and assistant athletic trainer Tyler Brooks.
While it was a rainy day in Pittsburgh which prevented the kids from stepping on the field like their favorite players — the day was filled with impactful educational materials for all attendees.
Los Angeles Angels — July 29th
The week closed on July 29th in Anaheim, where the Los Angeles Angels hosted the final stop of this three-city run. Song for Charlie representatives returned once again to speak with the youth group, capping a stretch in which their organization reached hundreds of young athletes across three cities in two days.
The Angels event was led by Director of Sports Medicine and Head Athletic Trainer Mike Frostad, who is in his fifth season with the club and his 31st overall in professional baseball. Frostad, a two-time Florida State League Athletic Trainer of the Year and a member of the 2021 World Series champion Atlanta Braves medical staff, was joined by Rick Smith, who is beginning his 51st year in professional baseball with the Angels organization, assistant athletic trainers Eric Munson and Robert Tarpey.
The kids who came out to Angel Stadium on July 29th got more than a tour of a major league ballpark. They got a full day on the field, working through stations led by the Angels athletic training staff, moving through the same drills and protocols the big leaguers run through before every game. When Angels players stepped in to work alongside them and then sat down for a Q&A, the atmosphere shifted into something genuinely memorable. For a lot of these kids, that conversation with a favorite player, on the actual field of a major league stadium, is the moment that sticks with them long after the day is over.
Three cities, three ballparks, and three more communities that now have a direct connection to the PLAY Campaign and the PBATS mission. The program continues to grow, and the athletic trainers carrying it forward are doing some of the most meaningful work in professional baseball.