The next time you bend down to tie the laces of your favorite running shoes, Natalie Spilger is hoping you’ll take a minute to consider your footprint — your carbon footprint, that is.

While it may seem counter-intuitive, Spilger, a defender for the Chicago Red Stars women’s professional soccer team, says athletes, both amateur and professional, can be particularly hard on the environment.



“There’s a lot of waste in sports, from the fuel used in traveling to and from venues, to non-recyclable waxed cups of Gatorade they give you, to the plastic water bottles, to the stretchy, Styrofoam wrap we use to wrap our knees, for our shin guards, or tie our hair back,” she explains. “All together, athletes can be pretty carbon intensive as a group.”

And as a self-described “huge fan of the planet,” and a lifelong, dedicated athlete herself, this bothered Spilger a lot.

After attending a lecture by famed environmentalist, journalist, activist and author Paul Hawken, Spilger had an epiphany. “There were a couple of hundred people at the lecture, and at one point, Paul asked the crowd, ‘Who is going to be the ecological hero this planet needs?’ The answer was, we all have to be that hero. I have to be that hero.”

So Spilger founded GreenLaces, a non-profit outreach organization that targets athletes and their fans to encourage them to become more eco-conscious. “We need a healthy planet to be professional athletes. We need clean air, clean water, nutritious food. And if athletes don’t care for the environment, who will?”




Participating athletes like Olympic gold and silver medalist Cat Osterman pledge on the GreenLaces site to “green up their game” by eschewing plastic water bottles or walking instead of driving. And as a symbol of and a reward for their commitment, they receive a pair of green shoelaces.

“Professional sports is almost like grown-up Halloween,” Spilger explains. “What we wear on the field, our uniforms, are a huge part of our image and our identities as athletes. Wearing green laces in our shoes may be a small gesture, but it’s a visible one.”


Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones is counting on that visibility, even though it’s probably going to result in a hefty fine.

Jones, who met Spilger earlier this year when the two appeared as panelists at Middlebury College’s “Jocks and Treehuggers” forum, resonated instantly with GreenLaces’ mission.

“As athletes, we have a tremendous platform to reach out and motivate hundreds of thousands of people,” he explains. “And when you have that kind of platform, sometimes you have to do a little more.”

Despite the fact that the uniform infraction could cost him $10,000 in league penalties, Jones plans on sporting his green laces at an upcoming game.

“I don’t intend this to be disrespectful of the [National Football League] in any way, but in the same way that by wearing my uniform, I’m making a statement for my team, by wearing my green laces in a game, I’ll be making a statement for the planet.”

Spilger is hoping that many, many more athletes will follow Jones’ lead and make their own “GreenLaces” statement. “We want to inspire all athletes, at every level, to be environmental heros.”




Spilger has worked with others in her organization to produce an activity guide for schools, “Green Your Game,” a five-day program that teaches K-8 students “how to become fans of the planet,” she says.

The program features environmental athletic games that address water, energy, waste and transportation. “The idea is to make eco-friendliness cool and fun,” she says. The games are designed to help children identify symbols, phrases, and practices that are good for the environment, as well as help teach how families can benefit from sustainable practices.

Interested in having an athlete come to your school during the school year for a "Green Your Game" session? Athletes are currently available for onsite visits in many states. Contact Green Laces now.

• Visit the Green Laces website.

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