New England Revolution and UnitedHealthcare Challenge Soccer Fans to Get MatchFit!

The New England Revolution and UnitedHealthcare invited soccer fans to participate in fun and educational health and wellness activities Sunday, June 2, at Gillette Stadium before the Revs’ nationally televised match against the LA Galaxy.

New England Revolution mascot Slyde plays goalie in a fans' 4-vs.-4 soccer match during halftime of the Revolution-LA Galaxy game Sunday, June 2. The halftime activities were part of MatchFit!, a new campaign by the New England Revolution and UnitedHealthcare aimed at helping soccer fans learn more about physical fitness and healthy eating, and improving their overall health and well-being (Photo: David Silverman).

Before the game, fans participated in healthy-cooking demonstrations, hosted by Gillette Stadium executive chef Brad Ozerdem, and collected Revs player trading cards and healthy-recipe cards. Revolution and UnitedHealthcare mascots Slyde and Health E. Hound were onsite to interact with the fans during the cooking demonstrations and samplings.

Halftime activities included 4-v-4 soccer matches, hosted by Slyde and Dr. Health E. Hound, and MatchFit! Move, a chance for fans to get up on their feet and move during the last two minutes of each half.

The activities were part of MatchFit!, a new campaign by the New England Revolution and UnitedHealthcare aimed at helping soccer fans learn more about physical fitness and healthy eating, and improve their overall health and well-being. MatchFit! focuses on three components of personal wellness – nutrition, fitness and weight management – encouraging fans to incorporate small, incremental changes into their everyday lives that will enhance their health and quality of life.

MatchFit! launched at the Revolution-LA Galaxy game and will run through the end of August. Each month will focus on a different topic. June will focus on nutrition, July on fitness and August on weight management. MatchFit! includes online, in-stadium and broadcast elements to promote healthier living to Revolution fans. Coupled with health and wellness resources from UnitedHealthcare, the Revolution will reinforce the messaging with custom digital content featuring Revs players, coaches and staff in videos, social media platforms and newsletters.

More information and resources can be found online at www.GetMatchFit.com. There, people can learn tips and facts about health and wellness including how players and Revs staff incorporate healthy choices into their own lives. Fans who engage with MatchFit! content will have the opportunity to win Revolution prizes and be featured in various content throughout the program.

“We’re very enthusiastic about our MatchFit! campaign with UnitedHealthcare,” said Brian Bilello, president of the New England Revolution. “Our No. 1 goal is to encourage our fans and communities to adopt healthier habits around nutritious food and physical fitness in a fun and engaging way. Small changes have big effects on our health, and we’re hoping that we can have an impact on our fans’ well-being. Personally, I’m very excited to incorporate some of the tips UnitedHealthcare is presenting to our fans.”

“UnitedHealthcare is grateful for the opportunity to partner with the New England Revolution and help make a positive impact on our communities’ health and well-being,” said Stephen Farrell, CEO, UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual of New England. “We encourage soccer fans and their friends and families to learn more about their health and enjoy some great soccer matches.”

NOTE TO EDITORS: b-roll footage of the event is available here.

About the New England Revolution

The New England Revolution is the Northeast region’s premier professional soccer team, owned and operated by the Kraft Family, which also owns and operates the New England Patriots of the National Football League, and the Revolution won the 2007 U.S. Open Cup and the 2008 SuperLiga title. The team’s roster includes such stars as Matt Reis, Jerry Bengtson, Lee Nguyen, Saer Sene, Kelyn Rowe and the up-and-coming local talent, Diego Fagundez, just 18 years old from Leominster, Mass. For up-to-the-minute information on the Revolution, visit the team’s official web site at revolutionsoccer.net, or on any of the team’s social platforms: Twitter (@NERevolution, #NERevs), Facebook (NERevolution), Google+ (+NERevolution), Instagram (NERevolution), Pinterest (NERevolution), Vine (NERevolution), YouTube (NERevolutionSoccer) and Flickr (NERevolution).

About UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with 780,000 physicians and care professionals and 5,900 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. UnitedHealthcare serves more than 40 million people in health benefits and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.

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