Free baseball camp to honor former DC player of the year

WASHINGTON — To play the game, well it can certainly help to be well equipped.

"Nice quality gloves," said Marlon Christie as some of the high school players he coaches unboxed baseball gloves in his garage. 

"Not those cheap ones you get for $19.99," he said of the 500 baseball gloves he'll give away on Saturday when he helps host a free baseball clinic for kids - to teach them the sport and share what the sport has taught him.

"This sport will really teach you about the ups and downs of life ups and downs of life," said the club coach. "There're going to be plenty of days where I want to quit. I'm not going to make it."

Marlon says he's had a lot of those days in the past nine months.

Last year, his son Ceph Christie was the D.C. high school baseball player of the year, with a college scholarship waiting for him.

"He wasn't, you know, a kid that was stuck on himself. He was joyful," Marlon said of his son.

In August, Ceph's body was pulled from the Potomac after what his family believes was a boating accident. Authorities say witness saw him struggling to make it to shore before going under.

"My son was my best friend...a big piece of my heart is broken [and] I don't know if that can ever be mended," Marlon said. 

Saturday, in his son's honor, Marlon hopes to host as many as 500 boys and girls for the free baseball camp in his son's honor from 5-9 p.m. at the Taft Recreation Center at 1800 Perry Street NE. 

His goal is to also equip the kids with some lessons for life, too.

"I used to be a guy that looked at things and say people who commit suicide or are in deep depression, that they were weak," Marlon said. "And then, I find myself in a state where I was sinking in the bed. I didn't want to get out. And then it made me realize...they're not weak....they don't have a support system."

Saturday, he hopes the camp can be a part of building that support. 

"We're doing what's supposed to be done for the young people. We have the young people in the families in mind," he said.