Bruno Guiduli has 2 passions: soccer and sustainability.
They seem like separate worlds. But the 2022 Staples High School graduate has managed to meld them together.
In the process, he could be at the cutting edge of helping change the way the entire sports industry looks at the world.
Okay, that’s a bit lofty. But the Macalaster College senior has a knack for doing important things, in a big way.
As an 11th grader in 2021, Bruno raised $3,000 in one day for a national program for players with intellectual, physical or emotional challenges.
Bruno Guiduli, with young players at the fundraiser he organized.
At college in Minnesota — where he is majoring in international studies and French, and minoring in geography — he founded, and is president and coach of the club soccer team.
During a semester abroad in France he interned with an organization combating racism — and worked with the famed Paris St. Germain club to limit racism in their stadium by analyzing fan behavior.
Among Bruno Guiduli’s many accomplishments: He was an All-American runner for the Staples track team. He’s third from left, with (from left) Samir Mott, David Sedrak and Jalen St. Fort. (Photos/Barry Guiduli)
Most importantly – for this story at least — Bruno founded Macalester’s Green Athletics Club.
It’s one of the first college clubs in the country to combine environmental sustainability and athletics. They design initiatives, promote environmental awareness in sports, and bring the athletic and sustainability departments closer together.
Macalaster is “very progressive,” Bruno says. But there was a big gap between its sports programs, and the way the rest of the school operated.
For example, concession stands used plenty of non-recyclable materials. Bruno helped get the athletic director, facilities manager and head of the sustainability department together. For the first time they talked about how each operated, and looked at weak points in their systems.
The Green Athletics Club has advocated for the use of environmentally sustainable sports uniforms, and examined stadium management (to limit the use of lights, protect the grass, limit water runoff, and use compostable materials).
Bruno Guiduli, wearing — appropriately — a green jersey.
Bruno hopes to recruit one representative from every varsity and club sport as “green ambassadors.” So far, men’s and women’s rugby, golf, swimming and frisbee are on board.
Last fall, Macalaster hosted the Upper Midwest Sustainability Conference. Bruno has networked with like-minded activists at other schools, and sports organizations in the region.
Bruno’s club is part of the Minnesota Sustainability Sports & Events Coalition, which works with major Twin Cities facilities.
Club members have met with representatives from Minnesota United, the Vikings, Twins and Timberwolves to learn how they implement sustainability initiatives into their operations, and ways to improve them.
Bruno Guiduli urges Macalaster to recycle.
Bruno has learned that while the University of Minnesota is very green — their stadium is the first college one to be LEED-certified — the University of Wisconsin athletic department follows its own (not very sustainable) guidelines, apart from the rest of the school.
“Sports have a huge platform,” Bruno notes. “This is a great way to spread the message about sustainability. People want to get involved in the environment. This is a great opportunity to do it.”
“And athletes are role models. If kids see athletes doing a cleanup, they might want to do it too.”
Bruno graduates this spring. He’s figuring out what comes next. After his semester in France last year, he did environmental work in Portugal.
“I might like to do that with a soccer team there,” he says.
Bruno Guiduli can find sports connections all over the planet.
He just wants to make sure there is still a planet, in the future, for every sports team.
Very inspiring and brilliant! Thanks, Bruno!
Thanks for making an impact, Bruno! Sports are a huge opportunity for sustainability gains.
As Bruno’s Italian teacher at SHS, I’d like to add that he is also fluent in Italian and spent several weeks volunteering in Naples, Italy, working with the group of at-risk children our program has partnered with since 2016. Truly, is there anything this young man can’t do? Bravissimo, Bruno!
Great work, Bruno! I’d love to hear what you’ve learned from traveling and seeing (or not seeing!) other countries’ environmental practices in athletics. Also super interested to hear what you think about artificial turf?