As an ESPN anchor Kevin Negandhi talks to a lot of pro athletes. But as a parent he knows that sometimes raising kids is as hard as training for the big leagues (seriously, science proves that kids energy levels surpass endurance athletes’ and parents are running after those kids).

Negandhi knows what it’s like to be face-to-face with athletes that so many people idolize, but he also knows that a parent can be more influential than any big league idol, and that’s why he’s working with Dove Men+Care SPORTCARE to put real dads in the spotlight.

“We have a platform to showcase what they do as everyday athletes, but also as everyday men, everyday fathers,” says Negandhi, who has three kids himself. He tells Motherly he tries to make sure he’s active with his kids—playing sports with them so that they understand the importance of staying active—but also staying active with the kids when the touch football ends and the real parenting endurance test begins. Like many modern fathers, Negandhi is committed to doing more childcare than his own father did.

“My mom did everything in our house,” he tells Motherly. “My dad worked, but my mom worked as well. And she did everything. She raised us. But at the same time she showed me another side. And many times growing up I said, ‘How can I be different than my father?'”

Being involved with his kids and doing more of the unpaid work in his household than his own dad did is how Negandhi is doing it, and he’s taking time to showcase three fellow dads who—while sharing their names with professional athletes—certainly don’t get as much credit as the pros.

That is actually something of a problem in media right now. According to a recent survey by Dove Men+Care, 70% of men wish regular guys who are athletes (but not professionals) got more attention in sports media. Because as much as winning the Superbowl or making it to the major leagues should be celebrated, being a dad who is physically active and active in raising his kids should be celebrated, too.

Research shows that when kids grow up seeing dads exercise they are healthier, and while these three men happen to share their names with famous athletes, they don’t get the same glory. So Negandhi and Dove Men+Care are giving these hard working dads some recognition.

Alvin Suarez

dove campaign celebrating regular dads 0 Motherly

Alvin Suarez is teaching his kids that having a disability doesn’t disqualify you from being an athlete. As a visually-impaired person, Alvin isn’t the standard athlete we see represented in media. He plays Goalball, a sport that relies on keen ear-hand coordination, and he is certainly a keen father, chasing after his twin girls.

Alvin says the difference between sports and fatherhood is that you can train for sports, while parenthood takes you by surprise. “I try to be a good role model for my daughters and I want everyone to know that everyone has potential and that there is no such thing as a nobody.”

Alvin has won championships as a Goalball player, but says holding his daughters in his arms for the first time was like winning a medal but multiplied by a million.

Sean Williams

dove campaign celebrating regular dads 1 Motherly

Sean Williams is committed to his community and his kids. He uses physical fitness to connect with his kids and to, literally, save lives. A volunteer firefighter, Sean keeps fit so that he can use his body and energy to maximum impact. He isn’t just changing the lives of people impacted by fires, but also his fellow dads.

The founder of The Dad Gang, an organization committed to celebrating and telling the real story of black fatherhood, Sean has created a space for dads to connect with their children and each other while staying active.

“One of the challenges we put out on social media is where you do pushups with our kids on our backs and that merges fatherhood and fitness,” he explains.

If there was a Super Bowl for community service, Sean would be wearing the ring.

Chris Paul

dove campaign celebrating regular dads 2 Motherly

A Marine Corps veteran, Chris needs a ton of energy to keep up with his blended family. It started out as an “all-girl Brady Bunch” he explains, as his wife and he had six daughters between them, but they’ve since added a boy to the family which now included seven kids. .

He’s basically got his own sports team at home so it makes sense that Chris is super committed to staying fit for them. The Marine turned realtor takes time to help other dads in his community stay fit and knows when to draw boundaries to protect his time with his kids.

He’s got some good endurance, but he’s not going to work 15 hours a day when his kids are waiting at home for him. Chris says in former times dads were often passive figures in their kids’ lives as the child rearing was done by others.

Like the other men, he’s changing that. “I’m an active participant and I want to make sure that I can contribute to my children’s lives.”

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