With a 2-0 victory over Nova Southeastern University on October 29, the Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) men’s soccer team captured the Sunshine State Conference regular season championship and moved on to enter the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Regional Tournament. But the team’s hard work goes beyond the field.
Civic Engagement
Between practices and winning the closing matches of the Sunshine State Conference regular season, the team dedicated time on November 4, NCAA Civic Engagement Day, to serve their community. Their service doubled as a Workship project—PBA’s distinct community service program that has been responding to human needs with Christ-like action since 1968—which took them to Woodlawn Cemetery. With only five employees on the cemetery staff, the soccer team’s extra hands weeding around headstones and removing litter made a visible impact.
Sophomore Livio Von Holzen shared how combining classes, soccer, and work is not always easy. Throughout the season, the team practiced at 6 a.m. every day before heading to class. Some players, including Holzen, also worked part-time jobs. Despite the demands on their time, they commit to participating in Workship events together each semester, and some athletes volunteer individually in their home communities.
“Through consistent discipline, we become successful,” Van Holzen says. “Sometimes it is intense to manage all those different [responsibilities], but we learn and grow from those experiences. It is important to represent PBA well on and off the field.”
A Lifelong Impact
Head Coach Lucas Martorana explained that participating in the NCAA Division II is meaningful for college athletes because it emphasizes the whole person, not just the student or athlete. PBA’s men’s soccer program aligns with that mission.
“We work hard to instill values that go beyond the field; putting others first, having a positive impact, and using our abilities to serve wherever possible,” Martorana says. “Community service isn’t just an occasional event; it’s a habit and a lifestyle that shapes character. We strive to honor God by making community service part of our experience.”
Incorporating Workship into the life of a student-athlete can be challenging, Martorana goes on to say, but practicing service instills lifelong skills that will benefit the athletes beyond their time at PBA and soccer careers.
“Community service builds perspective, humility, and gratitude,” Martorana says. “It teaches our players that leadership is about serving others, not just achieving personal or team goals. Those lessons translate directly to the field, where teamwork, sacrifice, and character matter, and into life after soccer.”
PBA students complete a minimum of 45 hours of Workship each year and have served more than 4 million hours since the program began in 1968. To learn more about Workship at PBA, visit pba.edu/campus-life/christian-community/workship.
