Many professional athletes are plant-based to ensure good health and peak performance, but a professional team in London is taking that theory a step forward. Their name, fittingly, is Forest Green Rovers and they are the world’s first vegan, carbon-neutral team. 

It all started when their funding was down, and a local, renewable energy company decided to make them a deal. The company’s owner, Dale Vince, is a lifelong vegan. His intentions were not to push his morals on the team, but after educating and having discussions with players and coaches, the whole team decided to make the switch to a plant-based diet. 

The team says veganism consists of delicious food, and they credit their performance improvement to their new diet as well. Their coach explains that he has noticed shorter recovery time between games and more energy during practices. It is scientifically proven that a vegan diet lowers blood sugar levels, improves kidney function, and lowers risk of heart disease and cancer. Specifically for athletes, a vegan diet reduces inflammation caused by muscle, ligament, or tendon damage, further caused by inflammatory properties in dairy and meat. Less inflammation means a quicker recovery. 

Margo Gramiak ‘22, who plays three varsity sports and has been vegan for over a year, comments on her life change, “I think I have definitely seen differences. I always say there’s no right way to describe it, but I feel better.” 

The team even stopped serving meat products at games, and fans do not seem to mind. When asked for a comment on whether or not forcing fans to eat vegan is right, Math teacher John Roskovensky said, “They’re certainly allowed to! I think it’s a good idea, because not only do they act themselves, but they make sure that while you’re enjoying the team play, you are also behaving in a similar manner. Even if you’re not vegan, you can at least take two hours to be vegan, and support the team that way. So I don’t think this should deter anyone from being a supporter.” After a few years of rough losses, the team has had a major comeback and is now playing in a higher division. It is clear that their lifestyle change has paid off!

It is not just the team’s diet that has changed, but the quality of their life. As being a carbon-neutral team, their home field is powered by solar panels and wind turbines and uses no fertilizers on the grass, just seaweed and recollected water from rain and runoff. 

Still, the Rovers are a professional team that travels and uses a lot of resources, but the team takes extra precautions to reduce their carbon footprint when possible. One example is that their current uniforms are made from bamboo, and their uniforms for next year will be made from coffee grounds. They also plan to build a new stadium for all their new fans, but it will be made from wood, not steel or concrete, which cannot be broken down. 

The Rovers believe that this is a personal choice, but they also hope to inspire others and to prove that carbon-neutrality and veganism is possible, even on a large scale. Climate advocate and varsity soccer player Rohan Mandayam ‘23 said, “If large clubs step up and really begin to take on this initiative and really publicly recognize the importance of this issue [climate change], I think it is possible that the soccer world will become carbon neutral.”