Bryce Harper opens up about missed family moments, reflects on sacrifices made by professional athletes

Bryce Harper has successfully transitioned into a second act as a family man while maintaining his passion for the game. Before his Philadelphia Phillies' loss to the Washington Nationals in the annual Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, Harper spoke candidly about juggling parenthood and the rigours of major league baseball.

Harper became vulnerable when talking about the price of baseball stardom on family time,

"[My kids are] the light of my life, man. They make me happy every day. They thrill me every day. People don't understand, though, you get taken away from them a lot," Harper said. "You get taken away from them a lot as they grow up...I'm missing them right now. As you guys know in the media, in professional sports, you're always on the road, always traveling, you miss their first steps, you miss the way they talk. I'm getting emotional. I just love my kids so much."

Bryce Harper - The perfect family man

Bryce and Kayla started dating after they graduated from high school. They tied the knot in 2016.

In 2014, Harper proposed to Kayla; in 2015, rumours surfaced of the couple's break up. However, they finally got married in 2016 and welcomed their first child, Krew, to the world in 2019. They had a second child, Brooklyn, in 2020.

Phillies Nationals Baseball

Harper earned the National League (NL) Rookie of the Year Award in 2012 and shared the NL lead in home runs in 2015. The Baseball Writers' Association of America unanimously selected him as the National League's Most Valuable Player for 2015; at 22, he created history by becoming the league's youngest-ever MVP.