Tampa Bay Sun FC Hosts Inclusive Soccer Event With Pros & Pals for Youth With Disabilities

Tampa Bay Sun FC will host its annual Pros & Pals event on Sunday, Jan. 18. Pro soccer players and youth with disabilities will spend a free morning playing together. Activities run from 10 a.m. to noon at an outdoor field.

Kids can join skill stations and mini games. Pro players lead the activities. Trained volunteers called the Foundation's Sunshine Squad help out too. Families must register beforehand, but attendance won't cost a penny.

The Tampa Bay Sun Foundation runs this event through its charitable programs, with Dick's Sporting Goods presenting. Pros & Pals: Connection Through Soccer creates a space where children with physical and developmental disabilities play alongside pro athletes.

"Pros & Pals is community magic in action," said Rachel Jolley, Program & Marketing Director of the Tampa Bay Sun Foundation, according to That's So Tampa. "There's nothing better than when we team up and come together for one goal."

The foundation builds connection through soccer. Young athletes grow confidence. They meet pro role models who inspire them. The program values play over winning and community bonds over scorelines.

Working with the club, the foundation offers free-to-play opportunities across Tampa Bay. Soccer should be accessible and welcoming. Every kid deserves a chance to play.

Activities celebrate the sport while building bridges between players and young fans. The event is part of the Sun's regular work serving local families and kids who need opportunities to connect.

Interested families can register online through the foundation's registration page. The outdoor field location will be sent to registered participants before Jan. 18.