It’s been two years since Rob Valentino earned his position as defender for the Orlando City Soccer Club, the premier professional soccer team scoring big in Central Florida. He’s seen a lot of wins since becoming a ‘Lion,’ including a roaring victory during the 2011 championship game. Thanks in part to the Orlando City Soccer Foundation, Rob and his teammates also contribute to off the field wins through charitable outreach programs and community initiatives. “I think we all feel a responsibility to give back. It’s not our right to play professionally; it’s a privilege,” Rob says. “We want to impact children and our community by sharing important messages. If I can positively influence just one kid, then I have done my job.”

According to Kay Rawlins, the team’s director of community relations, players are asked to fulfill 28 hours of community outreach per season. “All of the players either complete or exceed the recommendation and enjoy these endeavors,” declares Kay. Launched in 2012, the Orlando City Soccer Foundation’s main focus is, of course, wellness related. “There is a huge obesity problem in this country, so it’s definitely one of our key messages,” Kay says. “Soccer is a perfect sport for cardio. Many muscles are engaged while playing, but it’s a very simple sport to partake in because you just need a ball.” To that end, the Foundation works with numerous schools. “When students hear the athletes speak about healthy living they really listen, more so than if it came from their teachers or parents.”

Anthony Pulis, a Lion’s mid-fielder, is one of the players taking the healthy living concept into the classroom. “I talk about getting your five-a-day (of fruits/veggies), drinking plenty of water, and eating balanced meals,” says Anthony, a new dad. “I don’t say ‘never have treats’ but I do talk about moderation and the importance of physical activity. I try to help the kids see that staying fit will help them to be healthy and feel better about themselves.” Inevitably during such discussions, students often quiz Anthony about his personal diet and training regimen. “They are always amazed to hear how I treat my body; but I’m an athlete and I have to eat a specific way for what I do professionally. If I don’t eat and move, I won’t be able to play to the best of my ability. It’s important to make this connection for them; I start to see their eyes light up with understanding.”

Mid-fielder James O’Connor is another advocate of healthy living. In recent months, he participated in free soccer clinics and events to encourage physical activity, including one at Park Maitland School where he encouraged students to join him for the Dick Batchelor 5K run. “Professional athletes can be quite powerful as role models, and so I am always promoting the role of wellness,” explains James, a father of two.

Besides health and fitness, players champion causes such as literacy, the importance of staying in school, and applying for college. “There are many different messages that we communicate and appropriately tailor to schools or youth groups,” says Kay, who has fostered partnerships with ROCK, a Central Florida non-profit focused on reducing obesity in children, and Read to Succeed, which promotes the value of literacy. The Foundation also provides scholarships to youth soccer players in need of financial assistance and helps raise funds to distribute ‘indestructible’ soccer balls, both locally and globally, through the One World Futbol Project.

Rob Valentino also contributes to efforts surrounding anti-bullying, an issue close to his heart as a result of peer exclusion. “I was picked on when I moved from California to Arizona. For whatever reason, the other middle-schoolers just didn’t take kindly to me during this transition,” he recalls. That period of harassment stuck with him, and thus, has fuelled his commitment to combat bullying. “I want to get the word out that if everyone was kinder to one another, then there would be, of course, no bullying (or far less). I want to inspire the use of positive language,” says Rob, who has launched the TBK (To Be Kind) campaign at Lake Brantley High School.

Leveraging the players’ celebrity status has proven to be effective, but the Lions say that influencing Orlando’s families is not a chore. “I’m simply doing what I enjoy and I don’t see it as a job,” says Anthony. “I’m very lucky. Giving back is part of that!”