From the Field to the Classroom: Drake Callender and Inter Miami CF Inspire the Next Generation Through Goalkeeper’s Newest Children’s Book

August 20, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS)
Inter Miami CF News Release

Inter Miami CF standout goalkeeper Drake Callender recognizes that a professional athlete’s impact has the power to transcend beyond the pitch. As one of the most active Club players in the community, Callender, in collaboration with Inter Miami, recently visited students from the Foundation of Community Assistance & Leadership (FOCAL) to inspire them personally. During his visit, he presented them with copies donated by the Club of his latest children’s book, *X Marks the Spot*, which he co-wrote with former teammate DeAndre Yedlin and which features illustrations by Aude Brisson. The first book in the Mindfulness Expedition Series, X Marks the Spot, is a story that welcomes the idea of mindfulness and the value that nature has on one’s mental health.

Earlier this summer, in celebration of Juneteenth, Callender visited the students from the FOCAL program to participate in a special book reading of X Marks the Spot. In celebration of the Club’s back to school initiative, he returned on Monday to reconnect with the students, hoping that the story of X will serve as a source of inspiration for them. The students were thrilled to welcome Callender back and eager to go on their own mindfulness journey.

“It is great to have a full circle moment with this initiative”, said Callender. “I did the reading in June for the kids during the summer program, and now that the kids are back in school, It means a lot to return to FOCAL and donate the books myself, as well as share the importance of education, learning, and reading. There is just so much work that went into this project, and to be able to give back in this way means a lot to me.”

FOCAL Miami’s mission is to provide educational, vocational, and social services to individuals and families of predominantly low-income communities. Special emphasis is placed on youth to ensure that each child has an opportunity to reach a level of independence and normalization in order to become a productive citizen.

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