This week’s Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Rob Smith, the founder and organizer of the Orange County Adult Soccer League — the largest adult soccer league in the western Triangle.

“He recognized that there were really good options for youth soccer, but not so much for competitive adult play,” said David Kaminsky, the chair of the league’s board of directors. “So his thought was it would be great to have soccer that anybody can participate in regardless of their age, their skill level, that they would have a chance to play.”

Now, the OCASL is an all-year league with multiple divisions and up to 500 players each season. Participants range from ages 16 to 80. OCASL is even open to people who aren’t able to pay for the league.

“He provides scholarships, no questions asked,” said Kaminsky.

Benefit tournaments put on by OCASL go towards the OCASL Foundation, which provides people who want to play any sport, not just soccer, and other foundations that provide sports opportunities for those that wouldn’t have them otherwise.

To save money and keep costs low, Smith buys uniforms and personally puts the numbers on the uniforms with an iron.

“One of the founding principles of the league was that he’ll run it, but it’ll run it the way the players want it to be run,” said Kaminsky.

Visit OCASL’s website for dates and more information on how to sign up for a league.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

Related Stories
‹
Photo Gallery: The 2023 Hometown Heroes Luncheon
Each week, 97.9 The Hill WCHL celebrates a Hometown Hero for the work they do — big and small — to help others in our community. On February 4, the Hometown Heroes nominated from 2022 gathered for a special luncheon to continue celebrating their altruism and efforts. The event was held at the Blue Hill […]
Hometown Hero: Meg McGurk from the Town of Chapel Hill
This week’s Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Meg McGurk from the Town of Chapel Hill. McGurk has served as the town’s community safety planner since 2018 and has been essential in Chapel Hill’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, she’s served as planning section chief and manager of emergency operations. “Meg has […]
Hometown Hero: Brian Link from East Chapel Hill High School
This week’s Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Brian Link from East Chapel Hill High School — who was recently named the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools’ Teacher of the Year. The award is the highest honor given to a CHCCS educator by the school district. Link is a social studies teacher at East Chapel […]
Hometown Hero: Kelly Drayton from the Town of Chapel Hill
This week’s Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Kelly Drayton — the emergency management coordinator for the Town of Chapel Hill. During the pandemic, Drayton also took over as the manager for the emergency operation center within the town. “She has led the charge for the emergency operation center that began with opening up […]
Hometown Hero: Zoe Dehmer from Carrboro United
This week’s Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Zoe Dehmer — a co-founder of Carrboro United. Carrboro United is a local food hub that launched at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic that has since helped dozens of local restaurants and food providers and hundreds of people in the local community who make their […]
Hometown Hero: Women of Chapel Hill's Documentary 'I Was Still Singing'
This week’s Hometown Heroes, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, are the 28 women recently featured in Chapel Hill’s digital history project, “I Was Still Singing,” highlighting the role that women played in the civil rights movement here in Chapel Hill. “Women have played such a tremendous part,” said Danita Mason Hogans, the creative director for the […]
Hometown Hero: Lili Engelhardt
This week’s Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Lili Engelhardt, who was instrumental in staging this year’s Touch a Truck event in Chapel Hill — a very popular event put on by UNC Children’s Hospital and Troop 39 of the Boy Scouts of America. The event showcases many vehicles — from emergency, construction, and […]
Hometown Hero: Eutie Wilson, Ike McKinney, Peter LaPlaca and Other UNC Medical Center Shuttle Drivers
This week’s Hometown Heroes are UNC medical center shuttle drivers — which includes folks like Eutie Wilson, Ike McKinney and Peter LaPlaca. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the drivers that take patients and their families from parking decks and the Ronald McDonald House to UNC Medical Centers have been of critical importance. “They’re […]
Hometown Hero: Eugenia Floyd from Mary Scroggs Elementary
This week’s Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Eugenia Floyd — a fourth-grade teacher at Mary Scroggs Elementary in Chapel Hill who was recently named the 2021 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year. Floyd, a graduate of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School System at East Chapel Hill High School, said in a release […]
Hometown Hero: Ali and Brian Evans
This week’s Hometown Heroes, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, are 97.9 The Hill’s own Ali Evans and her husband, Brian — who stepped up to help when they came upon a car accident. Ali and Brian were the first people on the scene at a car accident on I-54 west of Carrboro, according to Orange County […]
›