Dayne St. Clair still remembers the mentors and role models who helped chart his path to MLS stardom with Minnesota United FC.
The Loons' All-Star goalkeeper hopes he can have the same impact for the next generation, acting on that cause through his work with Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities.
St. Clair has a longstanding relationship with BBBS Twin Cities, where he mentors "Littles" as part of the Game Changers program, among many other collaborative efforts. Now, Audi will be making a $50,000 contribution to BBBS Twin Cities through the Audi Goals Drive Progress fund in support of St. Clair’s work.
"It’s been incredibly rewarding, and I’ve done more events than I can remember," St. Clair wrote in a feature for The Players' Tribune.
"...I’m the first one to say that, without mentors, I’d be in a very different place."
Without his own mentor, St. Clair's goalkeeping talents may never have been discovered.
The 28-year-old was originally a defender as a youth player, until his coach, Gerry Pennant, suggested that 'keeper might actually be his best position.
St. Clair credits Pennant's belief and coaching for heavily influencing his ascent to Minnesota United and a rising talent for the Canadian men's national team.
"Technically, I was way behind other goalies my age, because I had decided so late, but Gerry took me under his wing," St. Clair recalled. "When I trained with the team, he’d tell us to write down our sessions in a notebook, which he would then grade like a high school teacher. He’d order us to catch shots with our bare hands so that we didn’t rely too much on our gloves."
St. Clair's affiliation with BBBS Twin Cities started in 2022, when he went to an event as a fill-in for a teammate.
He's since become a "Game Changer" ambassador for the Twin Cities branch and contributed through the club’s Bell Bank Man of the Match program, where BBBS Twin Cities receives $1,000 if he is voted Man of the Match following MNUFC games.
St. Clair has also hosted Bigs and Littles at Minnesota United games and training sessions, hosted an educational cooking event at BBBS Twin Cities’ Minneapolis location with a guest chef, and hosted a Match Hangout event at a local soccer coffee shop to practice some soccer drills with the Bigs and Littles.
"When a brand like Audi steps up for you, it shows these kids that they matter," St. Clair wrote. "On a personal level, I know there are so many players in MLS doing amazing things in their community, so to be highlighted like this is a real honor. I hope this kind of recognition will also make the organization more known, because we need more mentors.
"We have a long list of kids waiting for guidance – young people who need a role model, or the older sibling they never had. You don’t have to be perfect to be a mentor. You just have to be present."
