'A kind soul' | Youth baseball camp honors star DC high school athlete killed in boating accident last summer

WASHINGTON — Hundreds of kids gathered at the Dwight A. Moseley Field in Northeast D.C. Saturday to practice some baseball. They were there for the first-ever "Ceph Christie Baseball Camp," held in honor of a 17-year-old star athlete that died last August. 

Family, friends, and teammates were there to celebrate their loved one's legacy, and to spread the game he loved to the next generation. 

Former teammate Michael Baez said that his friend was an incredible athlete who would go to center field before every game to do a back flip. 

"On the field, he was different from everyone else," he said. 

But Baez said it wasn't just Christie's dominance on the diamond. He said the 17-year-old was also a "kind soul" off the field. 

"If he saw you needed something, he was like ‘bro I got you. Don’t worry about it,’" said Baez.

Over 300 kids registered for the free event. It was paid for by the Perfect Game Cares Foundation, which puts on camps across the country. When organizers heard about Ceph's death, they contacted his father, Marlon Christie, to ask if the family was interested in bringing the camp to D.C. 

Christie said yes immediately, hoping that this camp could become his son's lasting legacy. 

“I’m smiling in and out," he said, as he looked at the hundreds of kids playing on Saturday. "Because this was Ceph. Ceph was one of these young people.”

The camps, which cost approximately $50,000 each, according to the foundation, bring MLB athletes to talk to the kids. Former professionals such as Dimitri Young and Luis Gonzalez were there at the D.C. event. 

"Through their loss, they’re providing something for other kids," said Gonzalez. "And it’s very inspiring to see what their family is doing to be out here and be a part of this.”

Another one of Ceph's teammates, Kydese Queen Jr., said the 17-year-old would have been proud of the camp. 

"He would love it," he said. "He'd probably be out here running around, doing his thing. As good as he was, he'd definitely be teaching the kids." 

Baez said it's bittersweet seeing all the kids laughing and having a great time at a camp dedicated to their teammate. 

“I’m happy these kids get to the chance to do stuff like that," he said. "And you know - have fun. But it’s kinda sad that he’s not here to enjoy it.”

Christie's dad said he wants this to become an annual tradition. Eventually, he hopes thousands of kids will attend this camp.

“We want to touch the kids," he said. "Touch the kids in a positive way. Introduce them to the game. And keep them away from negativity.”