Doing It Right: Orange County SC’s Kits Pay Homage to Health Care Workers
COVID-19 has hit all our communities hard and our health care workers are our new heroes. With the 2021 USL Season set to kick off this weekend, Orange County SC has released new uniforms that honor health care workers that have been serving its community over the past year. OCSC continues its partnership with Hoag health care network, which has been branded on the club’s uniforms in recent years.
USL Championship Soccer News: Recently, Orange County Soccer Club (OCSC) unveiled its 2021 kits that pay homage to the Hoag health care workers. It is great to see the Southern California USL Championship team paying it forward and honoring those who serve the greater good for all.
To celebrate their sacrifices during the pandemic, OCSC has invited Hoag employees to represent their workforce as official Hoag Community Champions this season. Hoag has been the shirt partner for OCSC since 2017.
OCSC hopes the kit launch brings attention to the tireless work by health care workers in the Orange County community.
“In sports we are taught to focus on the name on the front of the jersey and not the name on the back,” said Jeff Garner, Orange County Soccer Club President of Business Operations. “When looking back on the past year, we felt it was critically important to take this opportunity to honor our partner Hoag and their employees for all they have given to our community.”
Following Saturday’s preseason match against USL Championship rival LA Galaxy II, several Hoag Community Champion employees were invited to Championship Soccer Stadium for a special kit launch video shoot. Each of the participating Hoag employees will receive their own personalized OCSC kits and a signed ball at the OCSC home opener on Saturday, May 22nd. Orange County SC will continue to honor the Hoag Community Champions throughout the season as part of their commitment to all frontline workers.
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been an all-hands-on-deck commitment from a multi-disciplinary team of Hoag leaders and staff to care for our community,” said Marcy Brown, Senior Vice President and Chief Hospital Operations Officer at Hoag. “We are proud of the passion and commitment of our staff and honored to join the OC Soccer Club in celebrating both the start of their 2021 season and our health care heroes.”
As part of the kit reveal, OCSC sat down with the Hoag Community Champions to discuss their personal experiences of working in health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the discussion explored the excitement around life beginning to return to normal, including a new soccer season in Orange County.
The all-new Adidas kits will feature an orange jersey and black shorts for home games and black on black for away contests. New for 2021 is the alternate kit, featuring a blue jersey with white shorts and blue socks combo with orange lettering and stripes. The third kit is inspired by the club’s European partner Glasgow Rangers FC. Fans can purchase the uniforms here.
For each jersey sold, Orange County SC will provide two General Admission tickets to a Hoag health care worker this season. Supporters can donate to the Hoag Covid-19 Support Fund here.
Based on current state and league guidelines, Orange County SC will allow a limited number of fans at its 2021 home games. Currently, seating is limited to season ticket holders with single game tickets scheduled to go on sale Thursday, April 29th.
For more information on ticketing, please visit here.
