Bryce Harper Field @Bharper3407 is open in Takoma in NWDC. More today @WTOP pic.twitter.com/YXgWqxayBq
— John Domen (@JDDsays) May 5, 2018
WASHINGTON — Hundreds of kids on Little League teams from around the District gathered at the Takoma Community Center in Northwest D.C. on Saturday to celebrate the newest Little League Baseball diamond in the region: Bryce Harper Field.
Bryce Harper Field is the latest Little League field that the city and the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation came together to build. In 2016, Ryan Zimmerman Field opened blocks away from Nationals Park in Southwest D.C.
The new field’s Takoma location is only a few blocks away from where Nationals owner Ted Lerner grew up.
Harper attended the celebration, trading fist bumps and high-fives with the little kids.
He admitted it was “pretty cool” to have his own name on a Little League diamond.
“It means a lot. This is my second home. This is somewhere that I love to be,” Harper said.
As Harper addressed the crowd from near the pitcher’s mound, he had a piece of advice for the kids and their parents — especially the ones who let their kids focus on a single sport early in life: Do more than just play baseball.
Harper said looking up and seeing “a football field over here, tennis courts over here, I think that all kids need to play every single sport that they can.”
“I take a little time off as well and watch a lot of football,” Harper said. “I really support families and parents who let their kids play other sports because that’s what it’s all about. Don’t get stuck on baseball.”
And he shared some advice for off the field, too.
“Get good grades. Listen to your parents. Always listen to your mom, because I know if I didn’t listen to my mom, my dad was going to beat the crap out of me,” Harper said before the crowd erupted in laughter.
Harper ended his speech with some motivating words.
“Have fun. Enjoy it, enjoy the process of playing baseball every single day,” said Harper. “Whatever you do, boy and girl, do everything you can to exceed your expectations. Have fun, enjoy it, and I hope you guys have fun on Bryce Harper Field.”
