With spring training and the new Major League Baseball season rapidly approaching, baseball fans around the country are getting ready to fill the stadiums of their favorite teams once again. For many, baseball games serve as a nice break after a long week of work or a fun night out with their family, but for Matthew Lanzone ’26, the games represent something bigger, a chance to bring joy to others through simple gifts.
The tradition started over a decade ago, when Lanzone was just 14 years old. A die hard Los Angeles Angels fan, Lanzone grew up going to a number of games every season with his father. In addition to frequenting the Angels’ home stadium in Anaheim, Lanzone and his father had the goal of seeing the team play at all 30 MLB stadiums across the country. In 2016, they went on a cross country trip to watch the Angels play in Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Houston, and Dallas. At one of the first games in Philadelphia, Lanzone was fortunate enough to catch two foul balls. Not all of the fans in the stadium were so lucky. “Throughout the game, I kept seeing these kids running up and down the stairs trying to get a player to throw them a ball between innings,” he said. “I saw this one kid getting more and more discouraged as the game came to a close and he still hadn’t gotten a ball. He was bawling his eyes out and I knew what I had to do.” As fans began filing out of the stadium, Lanzone went back in and found the kid and gave him one of the balls he had caught. “I tapped his dad on the shoulder and told him, ‘I want your son to have this because I think it will mean even more to him than it does to me,’” he said.
I’ll never forget the sparkle in the kid’s eye and the smile on his face when I gave him the ball.
Lanzone told his own father what he had done that day in Philadelphia, and the two of them decided to turn it into a tradition. Lanzone and his father give away baseballs to young fans at each game they attend. “I’ve probably done it over 250 times now,” he said. “I’ll find a kid looking for a ball and ask them if they’re an Angels fan. When they say yes, I’ll ask them who their favorite player is, and they’ll almost always say Mike Trout, so I’ll tell them that Mike Trout asked me to give this ball to the biggest Angels fan in the stadium. It’s a little white lie, but if I can make a kid’s day, that’s all I need. It’s all about bringing joy.” In September 20205, after learning about Lanzone’s tradition, the Angels organization reached out to him with a special opportunity. Lanzone was invited to watch the Angels’ batting practice on the field before a game, and the team’s staff told him Mike Trout had seen his video and got the rest of the team to sign a case of 15 balls to give away to young fans. “Meeting Mike Trout and the rest of the team was surreal,” he said. “It was the same story I always told, but this time, Mike Trout had actually given me these signed balls and it meant that much more to me and the kids. I’m just happy this tradition has had such a positive response and it brings smiles to so many Angels fans.”
Lanzone’s goal to bring joy to others is not limited to the confines of Angel Stadium. As a student in APU’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, Lanzone plans to spend his career helping others recover from various accidents and injuries, as they joyously relearn how to use different body parts during their rehabilitation. Lanzone’s experience in APU’s DPT program has been highlighted by connection with faculty and other students in his cohort. “I’ve absolutely loved it,” he said. “APU’s program is very family oriented. Everyone is helpful and kind. We’re all there for the similar purpose of learning everything we can to bring it out into the world to help others in need.”
As Lanzone begins the final year of his three year doctoral program, he perseveres through the work with his end goal in mind.
Some of the stuff we’re learning is definitely challenging, but whenever I’m having a tough time, the faculty encourage me to remember my ‘why,’ why I started the physical therapy program in the first place, which is to help others.
As part of his program, Lanzone has completed several PT internship rotations at established practices. These experiences have helped show him different avenues his career could take. “I did an inpatient rotation last summer at HOAG Orthopedic Institute. I loved that experience, watching people come straight out of surgery with a hip replacement and start their rehab right away,” he said. “Because of that experience, I can definitely see going into sports medicine or orthopedics.” Lanzone plans to apply to an established local PT organization after he graduates, but he also aspires to open his own practice one day.
After attending a secular institution for his undergraduate studies, Lanzone is grateful to be part of a faith based program for his graduate degree. He grew up in a Christian home, but had never attended a Christian school before APU. “APU solidified my faith. I feel like I have a different perspective on life now,” he said. “The faculty pray with us before every exam, which I had never experienced before, but now I always do it. It helps calm me down and focus more on the exam. The faculty do such a good job of modeling their faith in everyday life.” When Lanzone graduates in December, he is confident that he will be equipped to help others as they recover from various injuries through their PT rehab. “Physical therapy is absolutely my calling and I can’t wait to use my skills to help others.”