Fil-Am Yankees player Anthony Volpe holds youth baseball camp in PH

January 4 ------ New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe made his first visit to the Philippines extra special by giving back to young Filipino athletes through a free baseball camp in Taguig.

Volpe, 24, is in town for a family wedding. What began as a personal trip, however, turned into a meaningful opportunity as he and his family decided to organize the camp for aspiring Filipino players.

The young Yankees star wound up giving tips to 200 young players in the free camp, held at the Felino Marcelino Sr. Baseball Stadium in Barangay Ususan. "It's incredible! The weather is great. I got to come with the whole family, so everybody is just pumped, and this is definitely the highlight so far," said Volpe, whose mother is Filipino.

He credited his family for making the camp possible, particularly his Filipino relatives who helped coordinate the effort. "My ninangs helped a lot, but it's definitely special to do something like this. We're already talking about doing this as much as we can," he said.

Volpe also took pride in connecting to his roots for the first time -- especially as he saw young players who look up to him. "My whole childhood, there was a lot of support and a lot of my family around, so you get exposed to that. But now to be here, from all the stories they tell and where they grew up, to actually see it and be in it, it's really special," he said. "It really puts everything in perspective. I always say I was just like them, I had a dream, and I had people to look up to. I just want to have fun, keep playing, and work really, really hard. I'm sure you can accomplish everything you want to do."

Volpe is set to stay in the Philippines until January 7 before returning to New York City to prepare for the upcoming Major League Baseball season, which begins in March 2026.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com