For me, knowing the back story of a player and getting a better understanding of who they are off the field, pushes me to root for them on the field. With the increasing amount of attention to the negative stories in sports, it’s become even more important to shine the spotlight on the (many) good guys. Last week, I was able to catch up with Yankees’ utility player, Rob Refsnyder, for a conversation about his game on the field and all the positive things he is doing off the field.
While I won’t go into all the details of our (45-minute) conversation, I will tell you that after listening/watching you will know the following: Where Rob grew up, the important values he was taught by his parents, why he has many East Coast ties, the first time he beat his dad in a sport, who thinks they are the funniest guy in the Yankee clubhouse, if Boston fans gave back his first home run ball, his pregame hype music, what position he didn’t play until he was a pro, Tupac or Biggie, who’s the best athlete in his family, the player who has mentored him most on the Yankees, and much more.
We’ve all seen what he can do on the field, and how he has embraced his utility role on the Yankees. Off the field, Rob is in the final stretch of a month-long campaign that has raised money and awareness for a charity that has become very important to him. A Kid’s Place of Tampa provides foster care and a loving home for abused, neglected, or abandoned children. Having been adopted from South Korea when he was just a baby, there is a very personal connection for Rob to A Kid’s Place, and being in Tampa where he spends much of the off-season, it was a perfect fit. Refsnyder partnered with Athletes Brand to design and sell a tee shirt that embodied a positive message for the campaign fundraiser. The Overachieve tee was born.
I will continue to root for Refsnyder on the field, but after talking with him and getting to know him better as a person, it’s his off-the-field contributions and how he carries himself as a man that I admire most.
Support Rob and his Overachieve Campaign
The following Kobe Bryant quote sparked the design idea for Rob:
“To think of me as a person that’s overachieved, that would mean a lot to me. That means I put a lot of work in and squeezed every ounce of juice out of this orange that I could.”
To overachieve, you have to do more than the bare minimum and more than what is expected of you.
Where to buy the shirt: athletesbrand.com/refsnyder
When: The fundraiser ends this week, so jump on these tees while you can!
Contest Time: Rob is giving away a signed glove among other signed items by his Yankees’ teammates to a select number of fans who buy a tee + give a tee to an Overachiever in their life.
Details on the Contest
Challenge: Buy 1 T for yourself, and Buy 1 T to honor an Overachiever in your life (somebody who has gone above and beyond expectations of them; ex. family, cancer survivor, teacher, coach, teammate, service man or woman, etc). We want to pay tribute to all of those that are beating the odds, that do more than what is expected of them, that inspire us to work harder and go farther. Proceeds from every sale go to help feed and shelter abandoned, neglected, and abused kids at A Kid’s Place of Tampa Bay.
How to Win: Purchase 2 or more Overachieve T’s, screenshot your receipt or purchased screen and DM to @AthletesBrand on Instagram or Facebook, and share your story on social media of who you are honoring and why and be sure to tag @AthletesBrand in your post and challenge others to do the same!
