'They're fighters:' Josh Hader spends time with kids of fallen service members at Camp Hometown Heroes

MILWAUKEE -- Josh Hader is one of the best known Milwaukee Brewers players, but he does some of his best work far away from the spotlight.

Hader has an appreciation for high-stakes situations. He is an All-Star relief pitcher for the Brewers, after all. On a recent game day morning, Hader and teammate Yasmani Grandal spent time with kids who know the pain of the highest stakes, as they lost a family member who served in the military.

"For me, it hit home. It hits home pretty strongly," said Hader. "I just, I have a lot of friends in the military, and for me to do what I'm able to do is because of those people, men and women out there protecting this country."

The two Brewers didn't just show up at Camp Hometown Heroes for a photo op. They got right into the spirit of things.

"Just being around here today has been amazing," said Hader. "It's an awesome experience, being able to watch those kids enjoy go up on top of the, I guess you could say, the climb around, I don't know what you'd call it, and then doing slingshots. It's just an amazing experience to enjoy with them, and I actually learned a new game called Frogger, so that was a good time. Every opportunity we get to do at this platform to help other people, being able to even be a guidance, and they've changed my life just as much as, hopefully, I was able to change theirs."

He may have a lightning bolt fastball, but Hader is a pretty unassuming guy who is wired to get his job done. Having the chance to meet with these kids resonated with him.

"It's definitely something that you really have to be full-hearted at," said Hader. "It's not about the attention. It's more so just being there for these kids, and trying to support them any way they can, because they're actually fighters as well."

It was one of Hader's most meaningful appearances.