F
red and Tia Robbins started a
career and football development
youth camp in 2014 called The
Game Plan Camp where they
had over 65 9-12th grade student-athletes
participate from Escambia and Santa Rosa
schools. The Robbins quickly realized a
greater need for more ongoing services for
the youth they were serving so their reaction
was to establish Mr. Robbins Neighborhood
(MRN) as a 501(c)3 non-profi t organization
in 2015.
Pensacola is a hotbed for development of
professional athletes. One of these is former
Super Bowl champion and retired NFL
defensive tackle, Fred Robbins. He began
his 12-year football career drafted by the
Minnesota Vikings. He went on play for
the NY Giants and St Louis Rams until he
retired back to his hometown of Pensacola in
2012 with his wife and two children.
Although Pensacola has developed several
professional athletes, for every success story
there are many more stories of young and
talented athletes that have had their dreams
derailed with no alternate plan. Less than 1%
of high school athletes achieve a professional
sports dream. Many of these athletes were
not gaining a deeper perspective of success
outside of athletics and their academic
development was not fully cultivated. Mr.
Robbins Neighborhood was the solution
that Fred and Tia Robbins devised based
on their knowledge of navigating the sports
industry to help youth develop business
prowess for success both on and off the fi eld.
The organization is rooted in the effort to
broaden the landscape of what inspiration,
dreams, and goals can look like for the
youth of Pensacola by providing support in
athletics to allow them to achieve their full
potential as an athlete and a student. Tia
Robbins noted, “The overall vision of our
organization is to prepare student athletes
for future opportunities beyond sports. We
are passionate about our work.”
Currently, MRN holds a year round
academic and professional development
program for student athletes called
The Playbook, which is an extension of
their three-day Game Plan Camp. The
participants receive guidance on fi ve
foundational principles including ACT
Test prep, college readiness tools, activities
dedicated to academic, professional, and life
skills development. Jayde Herman, program
director for MRN stated, “The organization
has served over 125 students through both of
our programs to date.” She continues, “We
have brought awareness to the community
about the diffi culties that student-athletes
face. We encourage everyone to support
MRN and to get involved by making a
donation, attending our fundraisers, or by
becoming a guest speaker, tutor, mentor, or
volunteer.” Jayde further noted, “The future
for area student-athletes looks brighter
because of MRN and the way we have been
supported by the community. Future plans
include expanding our reach and growing
our programs to equip student-athletes with
a game plan for success on a national level.”
Visit www.mrrobbinsneighborhood.org for more
information, and for questions you may email
info@mrrobbinsneighborhood.org.
story by
Greg Alexander
photos provided by
Mr. Robbins Neighborhood
“Won’t you be my
neighbor --” is a line
from the old Mr.
Rogers Neighborhood
theme song that has
been taken literally
and put to good
use by a caring
and philanthropic
Pensacola husband
and wife team - Fred
and Tia Robbins.
Dr. Kuni Beasley
Founder & President
Beasley College Prep
Tia Robbins, Co-Founder & Volunteer Executive Director
and Fred Robbins, Co-Founder & President
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