GLEN BURNIE, Md — The first stop on the Orioles Birdland Caravan tour this winter was at Glendale Elementary School.
Hundreds of kids were greeted by the presence of Orioles pitcher Chayce McDermott and first baseman Ryan O'Hearn on Thursday.
Students got to hear advice from the athletes, learn about what it takes to become a professional baseball player, and even got the chance to compete with the major leaguers.
Oh, and if you were wondering, yes, the Oriole Bird was there and was often the main attraction in the eyes of the kids.
Nonetheless, it was a special time for faculty and staff and McDermott to see the kids light up Thursday afternoon.
"Just to see the joy on their faces, we try to make learning fun, but once in a while events like this just bring it over the top," says Glendale Elementary principal Lauren Wickline.
"I don't know what kind of dreams they have, but now they can dream that I wanna be a baseball player one day, and they saw how crazy it was, and we love crazy; we love chaos, and we bring the fun, and I think it's really important to build something that that is just an experience for every single student here," says Kelly Leary, a PE teacher at Glendale.
"They had a lot of fun, and they made it fun for us, and just getting interact with them kind of shows that the new generation of the game of baseball," says McDermott.
He says seeing professional athletes up close can be a huge inspiration for young children.
"I know for me growing up in Indiana. I don't have that connection, so it always seem a little little bit farther away, but when you kind of see the person in front of you, it makes it attainable."
The Birdland Caravan continues through February 1. You can learn more about their next stops here.
