Having witnessed it all, from the club’s 2010 founding as Austin Aztex to present day, Orlando City UK caught up with the queen of Orlando City SC, Kay Rawlins.
Co-founder and co-owner of the club, plus Orlando City Foundation President, we spoke to Kay about that incredible MLS Cup Playoffs win over New York City FC, about community, plus her answers to a series of miscellaneous Lions questions covering the past 10 years.
2020 MLS Cup Playoffs – Orlando City SC vs New York City FC
Saturday’s victory was crazy and incredible. Describe your emotions at the end of the game.
I think confusion for a little while. But it was just so overwhelming because we’d won and then we didn’t, and then we won and then we didn’t. So even when we’d won, it was like did we? Is somebody going to take this away from us? The first time we won, there were tears and just so much emotion that came pouring out. It’s something we’ve been waiting for and building towards, and this has been such a difficult year for so many people.
So to have this (result) to hang onto, I think all the emotions came flooding out in that moment. And then it was, what’s happening now? We’ve won again and so we cried again! It was absolutely bonkers and just incredible. It feels amazing. You know what it feels like when a team is doing well and how it affects the community. Everyone’s talking about it as everyone’s excited, and I just love that aspect of it. For us in the United States, it’s been a difficult political climate as well. So to have a whole weekend of social media fun was just so great and wonderful.
When Ruan received red, did you still have faith Orlando City SC could win?
One hundred per cent! Taylor, you should know that I am the glass half full person. I think this season has shown us the grit and determination of this team, and the way they play for each other. I think the best example of why this team will run through a wall for this coach was Oscar Pareja tearing off down to the locker room to go and console Ruan because he knew he would be crying.
He knew how upset he would be and that he would feel like he let his team down. If we lost, it would’ve been partly his fault. And so our coach’s first thought is about Ruan. I mean, you’ve done an Exploria Stadium tour so you know how far that journey is to the locker room. All the way up the tunnel, all the way up that long strip and then into the locker room itself. And then our staff had to go and run after Oscar and shout “come back, it’s not finished yet!” I think this is the absolute perfect example of why Oscar Pareja is such a special coach and why these players are playing like they are.
And now we have a new hero – Rodrigo Schlegel. His Instagram on Sunday night gave me life! He was loving it and he was having the best time, as he should. Right now, everyone’s asking for a “Papi I can do that” shirt and there were just so many things to take away from that game. But for me, it was that team spirit that just shines through in everything. These players just love each other and want to help each other. They want each other to do well and succeed. This season really has been a joy.
It was funny on our senior staff WhatsApp this morning (November 23) because they were sending through all the social media figures that were off the charts! The growth in numbers and the percentage of people who watched things – it was off the charts. For me, once we got home, that was one of the fun things. When the other game (Columbus Crew vs New York Red Bulls) was on, we were drinking champagne and trying to keep up with all of the messages I’d been sent personally and then everything people were tagging me on, on social media. Then all the banter that was going on that was so much fun!
That’s when you realise why we love this sport because there’s such a connection. Because of social media, we’re all connected these days. We all shared that moment and everybody went through the same emotions, even if you weren’t at Exploria Stadium. People were standing up in their living rooms, running around, and just going crazy. That’s why I love this sport. It is global and we were all with each other in that moment. It was so great to be able to share the joy.
People were sending messages and obviously we were giving Miguel Gallardo a bit of stick about him being sent off in the 2011 USL Pro Playoffs Final. He came with us from Austin so I’ve known him since he was really young. I’ve loved watching his progression and just look at him now. He’s not only amazing at what he does for TV and the interviews, but he’s such a great ambassador for the Orlando City Foundation. He knows I have nothing but good things to say about him. It was fun to remind him about that moment though!
Does Oscar Pareja like being called “Papi”? And what special qualities does he have as a head coach and human being?
I don’t call Oscar Pareja “Papi” but I think the players do. As referenced by Rodrigo Schlegel on Saturday, he said “Papi I can do that”. That was an actual quote so I guess the players call him that.
I just think Oscar Pareja‘s man management is incredible – his understanding of each player and what each player needs. Some need an arm around them, some need a poke, and Oscar gets all of that. I also think those six weeks they spent together at the #MLSisBack Tournament in the Walt Disney World bubble was so important. Imagine Oscar Pareja trying to keep 20 odd guys entertained and amused! Oscar did so many things and one of them I love was the fact they did all of these quizzes. The quizzes would be about each other and they learned. Now they all know each other’s partners, and they know the names of each other’s kids. Oscar Pareja was on a Zoom call the other week and he said “did you know, Daryl Dike‘s sister played in the World Cup?” So the players know all this stuff about each other and I think that’s such a great thing that Oscar has brought to the team. He bonds them in so many small ways that all grow into one.
I would just add, having Nani as captain is also key too. No one works harder than him and he’s such a role model for the younger players. There was video of him in the Swan and Dolphin Resort where they presented a gameday ball to two of the younger players who made their Lions debuts. Nani could’ve sat there but he wanted to stand up, speak and say how important they were to the team. I think it’s huge when you’ve got someone of Nani‘s stature, who is so in lockstep with the coach, then you’re onto a winner there. Between Oscar Pareja and Nani, they influence everyone so I think this has been a key piece. Together, they’re a great team because of the strengths they have and the way that they use them. It’s been a joy to watch them this year.
Community and the Orlando City Foundation
When the team first started out as Austin Aztex, did you ever see the club, and foundation, getting to the point it is now?
This is beyond our wildest dreams, absolutely. At the time, we were a minor league team and mostly, it was because Stoke City was looking for an affiliate. We couldn’t find what we thought they wanted and that was why we decided we’d just do our own thing. Growing up with Stoke City, they have really great community outreach that makes a big impact. So I always knew this was something that sports teams could do. For me, an Orlando City SC community program was always front and centre.
Through sport, we have a platform and let’s use it for good. I also think soccer is uniquely positioned to do that because men and women play, boys and girls, and you don’t have to be 7 ft tall or 250 lbs, or whatever. Everyone can play and you don’t need a lot of equipment. You also have all of these role models who look after their bodies and understand health and wellness. I can unleash our Orlando City SC and Orlando Pride players into the community and let them influence children to eat more healthily, drink more water, stay out of gangs, stay off cigarettes, and more. So community work was something I always wanted to do.
As we started to grow bigger and got more demands on us, we asked ourselves what else we could do? At the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013, this is how the Orlando City Foundation came to be. It’s grown and grown to a point where I feel like we’ve hit our sweet spot in that all of the things that we do now make sense. We build the mini-pitches and we bring them into urban areas where there isn’t room to put a full size field. We bring the programming which is free, we teach the coaches, and we give them all the equipment they could possibly need, including footwear for the kids. If kids turn up and they don’t have the right footwear, we have that too.
The third piece of the puzzle is the community gardens. This involves teaching kids about nutrition, supporting those who can’t afford fresh food and those with no idea where to buy it. This is when we started building community gardens and it’s been great. This morning (November 23), I just came back from the Orlando City Foundation’s Annual Turkey Giveaway, presented by Publix. We join with a lot of our partners like District 5 Commissioner Regina Hill, Publix, Orlando Health, City Furniture, and a lot of people want to join in. We gave away 650 turkeys with all of the “fixings” as they say here in the United States, so people can go home and have a Thanksgiving dinner. Even this year, Publix also gave a $20 gift certificate as well so you could even go and get your apple pie, pumpkin pie or whatever pie you want for dessert.
Which Orlando City Foundation project touched your heart the most?
I have a really vivid memory of 2012 when we were obviously still playing at the Citrus Bowl. We’d gone to a community centre and we’d done a clinic. We’d taken some of the players and funnily enough, one of the boys was chatting away with Kevin Molino and next thing I know, I see Kevin taking his boots off and he said, “he doesn’t have any and I remember what it was like for me growing up, very often playing barefoot”.
So Kevin Molino gave this kid his boots and we were like, we have to do something about this. Also, we had to go to a little park that wasn’t even attached to this place we were doing the clinic at. This was when we started thinking, let’s really focus on the soccer piece but use the health and wellness aspect of it, and it’s been great. It’s been so much fun and every time we open a mini-pitch, it’s the best.
The mini-pitch we opened this year was probably one of the best ones we did because we used the 2020 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge money. So remember when Nani, Chris Mueller and Jhegson Méndez won the $25,000, and then @FIFA_Abe won $5,000 because he won the eMLS Tournament? We put all if together and then added a bit more, and we were able to open a mini-pitch. All the kids were there and Nani recreated the kick that hit the cross-bar to win the 2020 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge.
How can fans support the work of the Orlando City Foundation?
We’ve had so many people ask us this over the years. We don’t always have enough volunteer projects. So this year, we’ve launched the “Kicking It Back Club”. A lot of foundations and non-profits have these giving circles where you pledge a certain amount of money per month for a certain number of years. But normally, the buy-in is about $1,000. We just know this figure is out of so many people’s reach. We have these levels if anybody wants to donate this much, which is awesome, but we decided to start it at $10 a month.
It’s been so lovely and we had Orlando City UK’s very own Charlotte Patterson as our very first overseas Kicking It Back Club member. But, it’s $10 a month and for us, we know that for a year, we know how much we can put in our budget and what to use it for. This year is the first year we’ve done swag too. We’ve never done a scarf, a pin, a patch or a magnet before. I love the magnet and I’ve got it on my car! So we put together some cool really fun things as a thank you for joining the club. It’s going really well and we’ve been really sensitive about this year too. We know that this has been such a tough year for so many people so we don’t want to be in everyone’s face. But the Kicking It Back Club is going to be around forever and you get your name on the website for signing up. We’re actually going to have a place at Exploria Stadium where we’re going to put every members’ name as well, so I’m excited to do that.
To learn more about the Orlando City Foundation and to sign up, the website is orlandocityfoundation.org.
Stoke City or Orlando City SC? Who’s your number one?
I’d say Orlando City SC are number one. Stoke City were my absolute first love and I think I was 7 when I first went. My friend’s parents first took me and I loved it from the get-go. The mum who was this prim and proper Stoke mum just lost her mind at the game. She was swearing and yelling at players, and I was like who is this person? So I followed Stoke City for a long time, and I had a season ticket for years and years and years.
But Orlando City SC is my baby. I grew it and so they are absolutely my first love now. Obviously, I still love Stoke City but Orlando City SC is number one in my heart for so many reasons. The biggest reason is seeing something grow from an idea on a piece of paper on the table to 62,500 people turning up at the Citrus Bowl, to a brand-new beautiful stadium right in the heart of Parramore. And then all of the stuff that we do with the Orlando City Foundation and the players. So yeah, Orlando City SC is my number one. So many of our Orlando City SC fans will tell you that the club is their family, and that the people they’ve met through the club are like family now.
Miscellaneous Orlando City SC questions
Favourite Orlando City SC tifo over the years?
I still think the first one (“Our Reign Starts Now”) in the Citrus Bowl.
That one made me cry and it was phenomenal. I love what our supporters groups do and it’s such a great thing to see.
Why red and white stripes to purple?
When we moved from Austin to Orlando, we worked with a design company on the new (USL) logo. I think we needed a fresh start and they did this logo for us that had the three lion heads. There was red and purple and gold in it. We just went, nobody else plays in purple, or very few anyway! That’s the colour and that’s what we should have.
The first year, we couldn’t muster enough purple for the team to wear and to sell as merchandise too. That’s why the first year, we played in red. Red home kits and white away. Then we changed to purple the next season. You could create a whole podcast about this kit situation, let me tell you! But I love the Orlando City SC purple nowadays because everybody knows it’s us.
Favourite place to sit (or stand) at Exploria Stadium?
I have lots! This season has been hard for me in some ways and good in another. I’ve been trying to set a good example. So I go to my seat in club level and I stay there. But on gameday, I do traverse around a little bit. On the club level, there’s a rail that you can stand at. I always stood in the Boothen End at Stoke City growing up. I never sat down at a football game ever. My second favourite place obviously is The Wall. I love going up there and hanging with everybody. That’s always a really fun thing to do.
How difficult is it keeping the beat with The Wall drumline?
Im okay – I’ve done it enough times now. I always stand next to someone like Jenny who is great with me. She’s my tutor and tells me I have better rhythm than Kaká! Drumming is a fun thing to do and it adds so much to the atmosphere.
What is your most prized football possession?
I have so much stuff and one day, I will do a big yard sale! I have one of the limited edition prints that they did of the 62,500 #FillTheBowl photograph. Also, I have a signed one by all the team, coach and everybody. I also have one of the groundbreaking shovels (from when we started construction on the Exploria Stadium site) with the lion painted on the shovel, as well as my very own purple Orlando City SC construction hat. I have so much stuff and a lot of paper stuff as well like programmes and newspaper cuttings.
Best Orlando City SC dancer from the Orlando City Foundation balls?
This year was the best ever because pretty much everybody came on the dance floor. I’d have to give a shoutout to Benji Michel, and Júnior Urso as well – awesome dancers! Also a special shoutout to Miguel Gallardo who is always a good dancer. They were the best.
How many Stoke City fans have you converted to Orlando City SC?
Oh my gosh, I couldn’t even tell you! Once I did finally calm down on Saturday (after the New York City FC penalty shootout win), my phone was inundated with messages. We’ve got a family group that has got my brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, kids and everybody on there. Everyone was watching the game and it took me ages to read about 500 comments on there of people going WTF!, and all the rest of it. I love that so many people watch.
What UK food or drink do you miss most? Do you import anything over?
Oatcakes. Staffordshire oatcakes. They’re the ones that look like a pancake and you put cheese and bacon on them, and then roll them up. Oh my god – the best things ever! But I have a British shop really close to my house so I actually get British bacon, Irish sausages, Cornish pasties, and they have all of the British chocolate as well.
I still miss fish and chips, and I love good Indian food as well. I’ve found good Indian food places here but you really have to search for them. But Staffordshire oatcakes – that’s what I miss 100% of the time. When my youngest brother visits, he brings literally a suitcase full of oatcakes! We whack them all in the freezer and then me and my son who lives here try and spread them out across the season before we get a chance to go back to Stoke to get some more.
*THIS INTERVIEW WAS EXCLUSIVELY CONDUCTED BY ORLANDO CITY UK ON NOVEMBER 23RD 2020*