Young athletes and their families unite for their beloved community after the Eaton Fire. Watch the report from the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025.
Young athletes learning difficult lessons about life's challenges both on and off the field and their families were among those who lost homes in the devastating Eaton Fire in Altadena.
Together, they are applying some of those lessons in the aftermath of one of the most destructive wildfires on record.
"Probably 90% of what we teach on the field is sacrifice for one another bond together as a team is sacrifice for one another, so we're actually seeing that in reality," said Robert Milton, president of Alta Pasa Fastpitch Pasadena Girls Softball and Cal Thunder Milton Softball. "So, it's not just us saying it on the field. They're seeing it, so I don't even think we really want to shield them from it. We want them to be able to go through it and know that they have that strength the rest of their lives."
Milton had dropped off his family after his own home burned on the first terrifying night of the fire. He returned to the neighborhood with his brother, also a coach, and began helping others.
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They saved a home that belongs to a family of one of the softball players in the Alta Pasa program.
Established in 2018, Alta Pasa Fastpitch is an independent youth sports organization that trains young athletes in the cities of Pasadena and Altadena. The organization is a stepping stone for aspiring athletes pursuing collegiate competition that includes recruiting camps, evaluations and contact with college programs.
In 2024, the organization included seven baseball teams, 17 softball teams with nearly 300 boys and girls participating.
After the Eaton Fire started Jan. 7 in the community northeast of Los Angeles, flames fanned by a Santa Ana windstorm destroyed entire neighborhoods in Altadena. The Eaton Fire destroyed more than 9,400 structures, including 6,000 homes, and damaged nearly 650 homes, according to the most recent damage assessments.
Homes owned by families involved in the athletic program were among those burned to the ground. Many of their owners have family who have been part of Altadena for generations.
Abi Milton is one of the young members of the community whose family lost their house in the fire.
"For me, honestly, I did not think that my house is going to be taken by the fire," Abi said. "I saw the fire, but I thought that they were going to be able to handle it. Driving away, I was really feeling what was happening. Wow, my house is probably gone. I live next door to my uncle (Robert Milton) and my grandparents and all their kids and all my siblings in my house. It's just, I'm not going to live next door to my family anymore. What's going to happen? It was just it was kind of overwhelming. I didn't know how to feel."
As part of that effort, Alta Pasa Fastpitch is raising funds for scholarships for every participant who lost a home in the Eaton Fire. The goal is to cover participation costs moving forward, including registration, dues and equipment.
Click here for details about supporting the fire victims.
"They'll remember this and they'll really realize how strong they were then and how strong they're going to be," said Matthew Milton, a coach in the organization. "Through it and all the ones going to college next year, this is something they can remember. It's a stepping stone realizing, when in the classroom, I can fight through something else. I can grind through something else. The little ones they can look up to them.
"I think that's so important. They can look up to the parents to see how strong they are through this process of trying to find somewhere to live, trying to make sure there's food on the table. This is a grind that a lot of us haven't been through before."
This month, NBCLA's "Altadena: Roots and Resilience" will explore Altadena's rich history and the challenges the community faces after one of the most destructive wildfires on record in California.
