This past Monday, the three finalists for the 2026 Golden Spikes Award participated in a PLAY BALL event at Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club in Bronx, New York, where they played baseball and mentored kids in an unforgettable experience for those involved.

The Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club, which works to empower young people to achieve their full potential, hosted 25 children aged six to 18 in the indoor turf facility at the Lucile Palmaro Clubhouse, where they met the three biggest stars of the recently concluded college baseball season: Roch Cholowsky of UCLA, Landon Hairston from Arizona State, and Daniel Jackson of Georgia. The three athletes played games, signed autographs, and coached the young participants in a clinic before attending the live presentation of the Golden Spikes Award on MLB Network later that night.

For Jackson, fresh off a trip to the College World Series and the eventual winner of the top honor in college baseball, the PLAY BALL event represented his first opportunity to contribute to the Boys and Girls Club.

“I'm a really big fan of the Club now, and I'm a big supporter,” said Jackson after the event. “I love that they're finding ways to get these kids opportunities that, without the Boys and Girls Club, wouldn't be possible for them.”

Jackson, along with Cholowsky and Hairston, played a series of games with the kids that included air hockey, ping pong, MLB: The Show, and, of course, a miniature game of baseball. After the finalists played with the kids for half an hour, they sat down to sign autographs on a special poster featuring the trio. Laughs were shared and smiles abounded as each of the attendees came up to receive autographed mementos of the special day.

In addition to enjoying the fun, the players took the opportunity to impart wisdom on the kids and help them understand the traits that led them to such a prestigious standing in their careers. The event ended with each child receiving a bat and prize pack including coloring materials, baseball cards, and more.

For Cholowsky and Hairston, this was not their first time volunteering with the Boys and Girls Club. Hairston participated in a similar event with his father, Scott, while his dad was playing for the Washington Nationals. After a sophomore season that saw him win Big 12 Player of the Year, the younger Hairston now has the opportunity to give back as the superstar player that young fans look up to.

“All the kids were super social,” said Hairston, who played whiffle ball and threw pitches to some young hitters in the cages. “All the kids wanted to have fun, and they were honestly encouraging us to have some fun with them. It was super cool, seeing different ways of life, different kids and their personalities.”

Cholowsky, who led No. 1 UCLA to 52 wins and ranks No. 1 on MLB’s list of top draft prospects, shared similar sentiments about the young people he got to meet.

“They were super personable,” he said. “A lot of them were in the ages from six to 12, with some older kids too, but everyone was super welcoming. They were very personable, so it was fun to interact with them.”

All told, the afternoon served to showcase the overall positive contribution to the sport that the Golden Spikes Award seeks to recognize. By modeling to the kids of the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club how greatness as a student-athlete is achievable, Cholowsky, Hairston, and Jackson demonstrate the attributes that the award has recognized for almost 50 years.

Fortunately for the young boys and girls in attendance, the finalists had a parting message about what it takes to be like them:

“Keep working hard, and dreams can come true,” said Hairston. “Put your head down, and good things will happen. It's a lot of fun playing this game. You have to keep that in the forefront of your mind. It's always fun.”

“I was just telling them to have as much fun as they can,” said Cholowsky. “It's a fun game. They were in there having a lot of fun, and I just told them to keep having that.”

Jackson had perhaps the most advice to give, after his own winding journey from injury-plagued high-schooler to Wofford College recruit, to standout transfer at Georgia. When asked what advice he had to share, the 48th winner of the Golden Spikes Award had this to say:

“If they want something, they have to work hard to go and get it. Not everything's going to be easy either. There's going to be a lot of bumps in the road.”

In the end, Jackson says that his success comes down to a trait that every young person at the PLAY BALL event possesses.

“It's all about perseverance.”