About Orange Arrow
The mission of Orange Arrow Players Association is to coach student-athletes to aim for success off the field.
Why Orange Arrow Exists
Too many young people are not developing the social and emotional skills they need to successfully manage modern life.
This includes the ability to act independently and adjust to changes on-the-go, to communicate and work well with others, to be empathetic, creative, persistent, resist stress, think critically, exert self-control, demonstrate leadership, and more.
These social and emotional skills matter, directly affecting life outcomes.
This gap is real for the millions of student-athletes.
45 million youth ages 6-12 (Active Kids), eight million high schoolers, and nearly 500,000 college students (NCAA, 2019) participate in at least one organized sport.
Young athletes are experiencing the same challenges with social and emotional development, mental health, and peer group influence.
Gaps for athletes matter for everyone. Athletes influence adolescent peer culture, so social and emotional skill deficits among athletes manifest negatively for everyone.
This includes the ability to act independently and adjust to changes on-the-go, to communicate and work well with others, to be empathetic, creative, persistent, resist stress, think critically, exert self-control, demonstrate leadership, and more.
These social and emotional skills matter, directly affecting life outcomes.
Universities and employers are picking up the tab.
Less than half of employers rated recent college grads as proficient in areas like Professionalism/Work Ethic (42.5%), Oral/Written Communications (41.6%), Global/Intercultural Fluency (20.7%) and Leadership (33%) (NACE, 2018).
Colleges are spending significant time and resources on remediation, while also investing unprecedented amounts in non-academic and social and emotional support.
College athletic programs have been on the front lines of both of these challenges, adding psychologists (WSJ, 2018) and life skills support staff to their payrolls and seeking new solutions to supporting athletes on and off the field (NCAA, 2015)
Fortunately, great things are happening.
Traditional education organizations are now advocating for a more holistic approach that addresses social and emotional development.
New organizations are emerging to advance this agenda.
New tools and frameworks are available to help align approaches and assess progress.
Major universities are investing in support for athletes to help them develop the life skills and dispositions to succeed off the field.
This includes transition services, Life Skills programming, mental health services, and student-athlete success centers.
Sports-specific approaches to supporting grade school student-athletes are also emerging. Many organizations are researching, promoting and pursuing strategies including training coaches on social and emotional development and peer-to-peer mentoring. Organizations like the Positive Coaching Alliance and Aspen Institute are providing resources, connectivity, and thought leadership
Athletes are stepping up, and professional sports leagues are contributing. The NFL Foundation’s Inside Out Initiative is working to “redefine the role of interscholastic sports and help intentionally develop the educational, social and emotional well-being of each student-athlete”, and is now “funding statewide implementation” in nine states with plans for expansion. The US Soccer Foundation pursues a similar effort through Soccer for Success.
While there is great work happening to integrate social and emotional learning into sports, there is much less effort underway to integrate sports into social-emotional learning. That’s where OA fits in.
We are bringing a fresh new angle to this growing movement.
“This is the best program I have been to in my life.”
– Jaison
The History of Orange Arrow
Shawn Robinson understands the value of positive mindsets and transferable life skills. Orange Arrow’s founder was a highly ranked college football player, widely expected to go to the NFL when an injury derailed his football dream.
Thankfully Shawn had developed a transferable set of skills, habits, and social connections that enabled him to bounce back and find a new path to a fulfilling life. Since then, Shawn has been on a mission to make sure that ALL young athletes acquire the life skills to succeed off the field, and be prepared to win in the game of life.
He founded Orange Arrow in 2013 with this mission in mind. The pilot program connected the University of Pittsburgh student-athletes with grade school student-athletes in three Pittsburgh Public Schools.
Today, Orange Arrow has tested and refined its model with over 1,500 students in two cities, Pittsburgh and Miami. The vision for Orange Arrow is to partner with 15 Power 5 Universities by 2026 to implement a strategic approach to community engagement that increases the personal development of college and grade school student-athletes.
OA’s goal is to be operating successfully in 15 cities / towns at 15 Power 5 universities, and 105 grade schools in 2026.
“As a kid, I looked up to older student-athletes and I think I’m in a position now that I can be a role model. It’s very important for me to show those kids the right way and give them everything they can get out of me.”
– A. Kessman
The Orange Arrow Team
Shawn Robinson
First Quarter: Shawn is from Warren, OH and attended Warren G. Harding High School where he played football, basketball, and track.
Second Quarter: He attended the University of Pittsburgh where he played football. He graduated with Bachelor of Arts in Communication & Rhetoric and a minor in Sociology, and later obtained his Master of Business Administration from Strayer University.
Third Quarter: Shawn is a part of Orange Arrow because ultimately he aspires to make a difference. Shawn is the recipient of the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award, an award established by President George W. Bush, and the City of Pittsburgh declared December 4, 2018 “Shawn Robinson Day” for his service to the community through Orange Arrow.
Fourth Quarter: Deion Sanders is his favorite athlete of all time.
Dvonya Sedlacko
Coordinator, Human Resources & Volunteers
First Quarter: Dvonya is from Latrobe, PA and attended Latrobe High School where she played basketball.
Second Quarter: She attended the University of Pittsburgh and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, and later obtained a Master of Professional Writing from Chatham University.
Third Quarter: Dvonya is a part of Orange Arrow because she wants to make a difference and see young athletes have a future and have the skill sets necessary to make them elite. She says there is a world of opportunity for our youth, but not everyone has the support needed to be able to obtain their dreams, but, with Orange Arrow, we can help them to succeed and hopefully one day make those dreams a reality.
Fourth Quarter: Michael Jordan is her favorite athlete of all time.
Ron Idoko
Coach and Consultant
First Quarter: Ron is from the Bronx, NY and attended John F. Kennedy High School where he played football.
Second Quarter: He attended the University of Pittsburgh, was a member of the football team, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. He later went on to obtain his Master of Public Administration in Urban and Regional Affairs.
Third Quarter: Ron is a part of Orange Arrow because he loves the impact it has on young student-athletes and he truly believes that Orange Arrow represents the new-age model of social skills development.
Fourth Quarter: Michael Jordan is his favorite athlete of all time.
Lucas Tucci
Coach Consultant
First Quarter: Lucas is from Verona, PA and attended Penn Hills High School where he played volleyball.
Second Quarter: He attended the University of Pittsburgh where he played volleyball and graduated with a degree in Media and Professional Communications.
Third Quarter: Lucas is a part of Orange Arrow because he wants to help inspire student-athletes. He wants to be a voice and reason behind why youth grow up to be young adults who have a clear vision of what success is and to know that they have the skill set needed to be successful in life. He also wants to show them that there are so many ways to live a successful life and sports are great, but that shouldn’t be your only option for the future.
Fourth Quarter: Steve Nash is his favorite athlete of all time.
Hannah Smith
Team Manager
First Quarter: Hannah is from Hollidaysburg, PA and attended Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School where she played soccer for an indoor club team.
Second Quarter: She attended the University of Pittsburgh and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with minors in Political Science and History.
Third Quarter: Hannah is a part of Orange Arrow because it steps in at a crucial time and helps student-athletes to broaden their horizons and learn about all of the opportunities for growth outside of sports.
Fourth Quarter: Wayne Gretzky is her favorite athlete of all time.
Monica McNeil
Consultant, Special Projects
Monica graduated from Pitt twice with a Bachelor’s in Rehab Science in 2021 and a Master’s in Higher Education in 2023. During her undergraduate years, she was a member of the Pitt Track and Field team where she ran the 400m, 800m, and 4×4 relay. She also was a member of SAAC and served as the DEI chair. During grad school, she worked in the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and was also an intern with ASSSA where she now works.
Monica currently resides in Pittsburgh.
Dr. Amy Raslevich
Coach and Consultant
Dr. Amy is located in Pittsburgh. She has spent 35 years in the healthcare sector and has significant experience with public and private, for- and not-for-profit organizations in strategic analysis, planning and implementation, and management of analytical and operational functions, including decision support, budgeting, and compliance. She also served for five years as Executive Director of Child Watch of Pittsburgh (now Allies for Children). She earned her doctorate of Health Services Research and Policy at the School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh where her work on racial health equity was honored with the William T. Green Award in Public Health Studies and for which she was named a Health Justice Scholar.
Rafael Araujo-Lopes
Coach and Consultant
First Quarter: Rafael is from Kissimmee, FL and attended Winter Park High School where he played football and ran track.
Second Quarter: He attended the University of Pittsburgh where he played football and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Public Service with a focus in Nonprofit Management.
Third Quarter: Rafael is a part of Orange Arrow because he believes OA create a dynamic space where grade school student athletes and college athletes can foster authentic relationships. He considers this to be an important factor in developing life and social skills.
Fourth Quarter: Adrian Peterson is his favorite athlete of all time.
“Helps me learn how I can aim for success.”
– Charles
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