James Berry 5/19/23 James Berry 5/19/23

NYC Footy's 5th Captain of the Match: Mateo Bonilla

Mateo is one of the best captains to grace the Footy field, bringing his own combination of intelligence and support to his team, the Best Team Evra.

Mateo makes sure that everyone, even his opponents, get to feel like they're part of the squad.

When he's not on the pitch, Mateo is working towards his Masters at NYU. He also volunteers at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a program he has volunteered with since 2016 when he was living in Ecuador.

Mateo has a passion for robot design, gaming, legos, as well as politics and economics.

We're fairly certain by 2040 he'll have created the first fully robotic soccer player, and we just hope that he'll let it sub for us.

Thank you so much Mateo for being our 5th Captain of the Match! We hope you enjoyed the game!

James Berry 4/29/23 James Berry 4/29/23

The Wonderful People of NYC Footy: Rory Brown

Meet Rory

J: Hey everyone, James Berry here with Rory Brown on behalf of NYC Footy in our first installment of The Wonderful People of NYC Footy. We’re really excited to kick this off, so Rory why don’t you just dive in and introduce yourself.

R: Hey everyone. I’m Rory. I moved to New York a year and a half ago from Colorado. I wasn’t born there, I was born in Alabama, but I was raised in Colorado because my family loves the mountains and loves to ski.

J: So what brought you to the city?

R: I got a job working at Discovery. I thought I was going to be able to work remotely and one day they just said: hey we’re moving back into the office, you have to come here. So I made one visit, saw five apartments, picked the last one I saw, and now I’m just here.

J: Whirlwind kind of move, but it seems like you settled in pretty well.

R: Yup. I love NY, it really feels like home.

J: So then what brought you to Footy, because I’ve heard why and I’ve got a feeling that a lot of people can relate to it.

R: When I first moved here my first friend at work who was training me, Matt, happened to be really really attractive and I had this huge crush on him and we were talking and he found out I played soccer at Cornell. He immediately asked me to join his Footy team with all of his friends from college because they needed girls, which seems to be a pretty common problem.

J: Are you and Matt dating now?

R: No. That would be a good ending, he has a girlfriend. But we’re friends though. His loss.

J: Kicking himself I’m sure.

R: Absolutely.

J: More importantly, are you better than him at soccer ?

R: I don’t know, he’s pretty good, his a ball hog thought. We’re different players, he scores a lot, but he never defends.

J: Got it. Pretty standard striker behavior.

R: Exactly.

J: And what position do you play?

R: I play left mid because I’m a leftie, sometimes center mid, but I was a left-back in college. My favorite thing is when there’s a big strong guy dribbling down the field and they don’t think that I’m gonna go in and I really tackle them. And then… you know. They find out.

J: Cool, note to self don’t test Rory. Got it. So you found Matt, or Matt found you. Had you been playing soccer in the city before then at all?

R: No, actually I had not touched a ball in 3+ years. The pandemic happened, but before that, I was so burnt out of soccer. I hated it. I had gotten two knee surgeries and when I tried to get back into playing, the pandemic happened right before I graduated. The Ivy League cancelled all games and practices, and my soccer dreams ended. I finished Cornell remotely. No more soccer. I told myself I was better off without soccer, and that I’d never play again. And then I moved to the city for a job and here’s, you know, hot Matt inviting me to play in NYC Footy, so how could I say no.

J: So Footy was your first time on the field in 3 years?

R: Well backing up, after that conversation with Matt, I didn’t hear from him for six months, and one day out of the blue he asked me ‘hey we have a game today can you come play’. I said sure and spent the this whole day getting ready and I was so nervous because I hadn’t touched a ball in so long and thought I was gonna suck, and had bad knees and I didn’t feel like the active Colorado girl that I once was. But I played in the game and I could tell NYC Footy was clearly different.

J: What was different about it?

R: Well, I didn’t know who or what Footy was to be honest, but I was immediately impressed that we got jerseys. The field (DeWitt Clinton) was nice and so scenic. There were refs who called the game with care for our well being, and the teams we played were all out there for the same reason we were, for the love of the game. We even wound up winning the championship! So we got photos and Champagne and the ref even saw us at the bar after and bought us a round. I was in awe you guys exceeded my expectations.

J: Championship on the first go, way to go. So you were in.

R: 100%. We joined another league in Chinatown right after. The turf wasn’t as nice, but it was such a unique and special experience. And the view! It made me feel so alive and present in the moment to see the bridges right there, and even these little funny NY moments like a lady coming through with a trash bag, pouring out and taking our water bottles mid game, or the net being a little loose and the ref laughing when he wasn’t sure if it was a goal or not, which strangely but really genuinely added to the whole experience because it was just about having fun and being around other people who had fun.

J: So you’d found your main team?

R: Well no, actually. So we won the Chinatown league as well. They bring the champagne out and take the photos. I’m loving it. I figured I was peaking in life at that point. But then the team sort of wasn’t saying anything and I figured I could figure this out myself. Other teams need girls.

J: So you went full hired gun.

R: Totally. And being a free agent is where I feel like I really started to break out and meet new people. I would just show up to a game as a sub, maybe score maybe not, but it would be easy from there. You know I can be nervous when I’m meeting someone or talking to someone, but when you play your guard goes down, which I really like.

J: How many teams are you on now?

R: Right now I’m on three free agent teams. I found all of them just randomly or on FootyHQ. Again, it was the best decision. I get to meet so many new people, but I know that they’re all people who enjoy soccer, are here for the love of the game, but also you know, have to go to work tomorrow. I can’t tell you how many friends I’ve made from NYC Footy since moving here. I literally can’t count them all.

J: Do you prefer being on a team or being a free agent more?

R: I really like both. I like being able to meet new people from the free agent side, but I like the team feeling from the other side. But the team I really like now is cool because nobody knew each other and now people are already becoming friends. And it’s a little motley crew, some people have kids, some people just graduated college, and there’s always an open invite to go to a nearby bar. I watched Rihanna’s half-time show with them, and if I hadn’t been with them I probably just would have been at home watching on my computer.

J: What do you think makes that community click?

R: I think the soccer is important; clicking on the field is big. The fact that we are all free agents makes everybody pretty open to hanging out, being welcoming, you know we’re playing on a Sunday, we might as well do something after too.

J: Has there been a highlight of playing in Footy so far?

R: The first time I scored, I just felt like I still got it.

J: Are you a soccer fan too?

R: I really like watching women’s soccer, women’s college soccer. My little sister plays at Pittsburg. Last season it was so fun watching her because they made it to the NCAA Playoffs, to the Sweet 16 I think, and it was just so exciting seeing her succeed and do that?

J: So are we gonna get her into Footy?

R: I’m already working on it I promise.

J: How about the She Believes Cup, did you see any of that this last round?

R: Yeah actually one of the players on USA, Mallory Swanson, we grew up playing together. She used to score 10 goals in our little peewee games, just wrecking people. Even when she went to college, I think she just saw that D1 wasn’t good enough for her so she just went pro after I think one year.
J: Is there anyone you really want to play with?

R: Abby Wombach. Meghan Rapinoe, Shannon Box. I feel like they’re kind of iconic. And they’re more than soccer. I feel like as a kid I was inspired by their mission so that would be a dream.

Rory, on the left, in her Real Colorado kit.

J: That’s a class list, you’ve clearly got some high standards for soccer. How’s Footy holding up? Is there anything about Footy you’d want to change?

R: The nets, some of the fields have old nets. It’s not even that bad but we have this joke on my team because when we won we kind of weren’t sure if the ball actually went in the net. It went through the back and we all just started celebrating and the ref was like, sure. Goal. But that’s also part of the charm. There were definitely some goals over the course of the season that we arbitrated with ref, and I’ve never seen this before in soccer but I like it.

J: We love a little bit of on the field litigation. Despite the reverse VAR, do you feel happy about joining Footy?

R: Absolutely, Footy has shaped a lot of my experience of exploring the city is through playing on different fieldsIt’s a cool way to get to know your city. Also I love my Sundays now. It’s not the Sunday scaries it’s the Sunday soccer.

J: Sunday is the holy day for soccer then.

R: No, everyday is.

J: Fair enough. Well before we wrap up, I’ve got ask is there a current on the field crush? Don’t worry, this will only go to the 20,000 or so newsletter subscribers.

R: There might be some cute guys, but I’ve got like no game. Like my plan is to just play really well and they’ll somehow figure it out.

J: From the way it sounds like you play I’m sure someone will figure it out pretty quickly.

R: Haha hopefully.

J: Is there anything else you wanna add? What days of the week you’re free to play maybe, what type of guy you’re into?

R: Haha none of that no. I just wanna thank NYC Footy. I really do look forward to it so much. It’s funny on my Gramercy team one guy on the team just had a baby, he’s not even from NY he was just visiting, but now he kinda of plays every week and he was saying how it’s just the highlight of his week. Last weekend I scored a header goal and I’ve always wanted to do that, those don’t come often and that whole day was just amazing afterwards. I think I texted my entire family. I could do really well at work, doesn’t matter. If I do well at soccer, it changes my whole week. It’s really the most special thing to me, so thank you.

J: That’s wonderful, yeah I feel the same way. Well Rory, thanks so much for joining us and being Footy’s first Wonderful Person, and I’m both looking forward to and dreading seeing you on the pitch depending on what team your on.

-James Berry

James Berry 4/27/23 James Berry 4/27/23

NYC Footy's 4th NYCFC Captain of the Match: Linda Saraguro

Linda is one of the most recent additions to the NYC Footy Captains club, having learned how to play soccer only one year ago.

Linda started her soccer journey through BetterPlayer, and after hopping around to a few free agent teams, secretly scouting the local talent, she formed Hardly Athletic FC!

Linda's passion for the game is contagious; even drawing people back to the game after more than ten years off the pitch.

Everyone on Hardly Athletic FC is inspired by and shares Linda's drive, competitiveness, and particularly her love for post-game analysis over half-off drinks.

When she's not playing, Linda is a software engineer of considerable pedigree.

Linda works at Giant Machines and took first place Essteem's 2019 Hackathon Challenge!

Her commitment to code and community goes even further, as shown during her time spent volunteering for Upperline Code, a program that teaches coding to underprivileged high school students.

We, and her teammates, are better for having Linda on the pitch. She represents how so much can happen and change in such a short amount of time if you really want it to.

Thank you Linda for being our 4th Captain of the Match!

James Berry 4/27/23 James Berry 4/27/23

NYC Footy's 3rd NYCFC Captain of the Match: Shimpei Shirafuji

Shimpei is all about using soccer to bring people from all walks of life together.

Whether it's bringing in new faces to join a team at NYC Footy or inviting someone to their first NYCFC or Gotham FC match, there is no better builder of community than Shimpei.

Shimpei is a fan of NYCFC, Gotham FC, Leeds United, the Japanese National Team, and of course, Unlucky Cats United.

It's through his passion for soccer that Shimpei has discovered great friendships and the love of his life.

When he's not in cleats, Shimpei is a professional photographer and retoucher. He loves to eat, practices yoga and Muay Thai (luckily he's also the kindest, most respectful soul you'll ever meet), and collects soccer jerseys.

His goal in life is to be playing soccer past the age of 80. Only 40 more years to go my friend :). Here's to hoping you spend many of those years with Footy, but all of them with people you love!

Fun Fact: The Unlucky Cats had their own custom jerseys made; of all the teams with custom jerseys, 80% of them are cat themed teams. This is not a joke, dog owners step it up.

James Berry 4/27/23 James Berry 4/27/23

NYC Footy's 2nd NYCFC Captain of the Match! Grisha Levine-Rozenvayn

Grisha has been a player in NYC Footy since it's inception in 2010, and is one of our longest tenured captains.

He's one of the special few who really knows how to balance fun and competition on the pitch.

Between his never-say-quit attitude on the field and his patented half-time white-board strategy meetings (which put Arteta's to shame) he's a cornerstone of every team that he plays on.

Though it's off the field that sets Greg apart.

His commitment to always learning and his unconditional love and deep respect for others (as well as the game), are what make him the quintessential captain, player, and friend.

As one example, Greg takes in and fosters stray cats, making sure they find homes filled with the same love, joy, and care he brings to his teams (anyone in need of a loving Cat? Find Greg on FootyHQ and ping him).

I can't tell you how lucky we are at NYC Footy as well as those around him that count him amongst their own, and how grateful we are as a community have him as a captain of Rottenham FC (with their sweet custom kits), and as a part of the bedrock of NYC Footy.

Thank you, Captain Grisha!

James Berry 4/27/23 James Berry 4/27/23

NYC Footy's 1st NYCFC Captain of the Match! Emily Li!

Emily is the captain of NoHands FC, a team which would not have existed if they all hadn't serendipitously joined a BetterPlayer practice together last year.

From day 1 it was clear that they all understood the assignment, that Footy, and BetterPlayer, are about doing something fun with people you love.

There is no better team that exemplifies that than NoHands and It's been amazing to watch them grow, in no small part because of Emily.

You can find the tight-knit but open to all NoHands FC all over the city, at Gov Cup, and Footy Fest (last year they even made an amazing documentary about it), with their patented pink kit and custom banner, all thanks to Emily's leadership.

When Emily is not wrangling NoHands players onto the pitch, she dances and volunteers.

She has two performance intensives coming up this spring, and volunteered with CAAAV doing public housing outreach and organizing of tenants in Mandarin, as well as with a program that helped formerly incarcerated folks learn how to code and transition back into the workforce while she was in school.

We're so proud that people like Emily are a part of our community, and who can create such a wonderful place for so many people to simply come, be together, and have fun.

Thank you, Captain Emily!

James Berry 3/29/23 James Berry 3/29/23

NYC Footy's New Partners: Gotham FC and NYCFC

NYC Footy’s groundbreaking partnership with NYCFC and Gotham FC

Gotham FC & NYCFC Partner with NYC Footy

This week marks one of the biggest moments not only for NYC Footy, but for soccer in NYC (maybe even in the United States).

NYC Footy is now partnered with two of New York’s major soccer teams, NYCFC and Gotham FC.

The partnerships spell a lots of integrating potential for our players. From standing ticket discounts, NYCFC’s Captain of the Match program (now powered by NYC Footy), Footy Days at their respective stadiums, in-stadium advertising, Footy tournament activations and so much more.

But beyond the tangible benefits, there is something unique and new within this partnership, the likes of which have not been seen here in NYC or, more broadly, the US.

Let’s meet our partners:

Gotham FC

Gotham FC was founded in 2006, under a different name, the Jersey Sky Blue, which would go on to become one of the founding members of the National Women’s Soccer League in 2013.

In their inaugural year in the first division of the league (they had spent 2006-2008 playing in the second division), the Sky Blue won the inaugural Women’s Professional Soccer Championship in what can only be described as one of the greatest all-time underdog stories in sports.

Over the next decade the Sky Blue battled in and out of the playoffs until 2021, when they changed their name to Gotham FC, landing on the new name, logo, and colors after extensive fan involvement.

The change has catapulted the team forward, allowing them to do a bit of restructuring post-Covid. Not only have they taken on new head coach Juan Carlos Amoros, who took Tottenham to the Women’s Super League in 2018, they’ve also grown their ownership team to include some really big names, like Sue Bird, Kevin Durant, and Eli Manning.

While primed for success in the 2023 season, Gotham FC represents more than just what they are able to accomplish on the field.

Through programs like Gotham FC Heroes, Gotham Kids, as well as their youth community clinics and community partners, Gotham FC is a team that enriches the lives of those around them. They understand what it means to belong to a community and how give back in a way that makes those around them thrive.

It’s for this reason, more than anything, that we’re proud to have them as a part of our community, and to be a part of theirs.

We can’t wait to see what we can achieve together!

NYCFC

NYCFC is New York’s biggest and best MLS program. A fact even more remarkable because the program is less than ten years old.

The inaugural season for the boys in blue was 2015, which technically makes their supporter group, The Third Rail, older than the team as the group was created the same day the club was announced!

Despite their age, NYCFC is one of the biggest names in the league, drawing thousands of fans for each home game, as well as the likes of superstars Andres Pirlo and David Villa to play on their roster.

The team has also enjoyed no small amount of success on the pitch, consistently breaking into the playoffs, going deep in the Eastern Conference Championships, and winning the MLS Cup in 2021!

Not bad for the new kid on the block.

Over the short amount of time NYCFC has been in the city, they have ingratiated themselves to the city of New York in ways that make me proud to be a fan.

They understand what it means to be a part of the sports culture of the greatest city on earth, and the expectations that come with that.

They have plans to build their own stadium in Queens, which is New York’s most populous and underserved sports borough, strangely enough as Queens has some of, if not the, most avid fans in the whole city.

Beyond their plans to build a stadium, NYCFC has also created programs, like the Healthy Hat Trick, Saturday Night Lights, and Soccer Bloc, that give back to New Yorkers off the field by supporting after school programs, violence prevention, and addressing the lack of free community programming in parks for the youth of New York City.

Our partnership with NYCFC means a lot of things. Beyond just the fun and excitement of getting our players to the games, and seeing NYCFC at our events and tournaments, it signals the opportunity to be a part of something greater, granting our players an opportunity to be a part of an instrument of positive change here in the city.

We’re proud to see what we can accomplish with NYCFC at our backs. Or more specifically on our chest.

NYC Footy

Founded in 2010, NYC Footy is a collection of thousands of creative humans from all walks of life, coming together on and off the pitch to enjoy the beautiful game, who over the years have turned Footy into the largest and most visible recreational soccer league in NYC and one of the largest leagues in the country.

It is not accident. There is something special, something even beyond soccer, about Footy. It is a place where people come to find not only fun, but family.

It’s something you have to experience for yourself, but I have simply lost count of how many people I know who have joined Footy to try to get a bit more exercise or just want to have fun, but wound up finding a second home and a group of friends that stick with them for the rest of their lives.

All of our leagues are mixed gender, a fact that we’ve prided ourselves on from the start, but are not content to rest on.

Through existing partnerships with organizations like Women In Soccer, our new partnership with Gotham FC, and how we build our programming (we’ve recently introduced ‘flip’ gender leagues, where instead of the traditional two-female-minimum, we’re placing a two-male-maximum on the pitch), we are striving to make soccer a more equitable place for women, and players from all walks of life.

So if you’ve never played, or you played in college, and anything in-between, come see what the fuss is all about.

We’ve got leagues year-round, indoor and out, as well as two incredible tournaments: Gov Cup, a two-day soccer palooza on Governor’s Island, and Footy Fest, a more relaxed, autumn jaunt in the Catskills.

What the Partnership Represents:

In the last decade, soccer in the US has been on an exponential climb.

The sport has moved into the mainstream over that time, with larger and larger portions of people in the United States tuning in.

Not only the biggest events the sport has to offer (The World Cup, The Euros, The Champions League), but to the MLS and its more established geographical cousins in Europe (The Premier League, La Liga, and so on) have all found a steady foothold here in the United States after decades of wondering whether or not soccer would ever stick in the one place on earth it never seemed to.

During that time, Footy has continued to grow on its own, organic, intrinsic to the identity of soccer in New York City, and parallel to the growth we’ve seen in the sport around the country, becoming a microcosm of that growth we’ve seen on a national level.

A steady climb of interest and attention within a small, dedicated, wonderful community of soccer fans and players, that has erupted in the last few years.

This feeling of a gigantic swing forward was in no small part because of Covid.

The foggy and ominous peril of Covid as a virus, which sparked a wave of dislocation and isolation the likes of which the world, let alone NYC, had never seen, illustrated a few things.

First, when the world buckled, on the inside its own doorstep and unable to leave without some trepidation no less, it became clear how precious community is, and how invaluable doing things with people we care for can be.

That feels like such a blunted, obvious thing to say, but there were not only moments, but months, where for many that felt like it was not an option.

Second, we all realized how important it was to move and play.

Moving not to just shuffle from the fridge, back to the kitchen table 15 times before sunset, but the type of play that can take us out of our heads and grant us those moments of quiet freedom only unvarnished enthusiasm can provide us.

The type of unvarnished enthusiasm that soccer has garnered globally for many decades.

Footy was, for so many people, a perfect solution to the woes that Covid had brought upon them.

It gave them a chance to be a part of a community, be active, and be involved in something that took them out of themselves.

NYCFC and Gotham FC play the same role for so many more in NYC and around the country, providing the space for community, friendship, and enthusiastic participation, things that were taken away from everyone during the pandemic.

Beyond a shared solution to the personal blows dealt to everyone by the pandemic, Footy’s partnership with NYCFC and Gotham FC represents something fascinating and unique in the landscape of soccer in the US.

The tethering of two ends of the soccer spectrum, the professional and the recreational. It is the type of partnership that sets the groundwork to fill in the gaps of our national soccer programs and interest, gaps that has held us back for so long and which are finally beginning to fill in thanks to programs like Gotham FC, NYCFC, and NYC Footy.

These partnerships aim to build upon that growth and it’s our sincere and shared belief that it is one more step towards bringing soccer to more people, both on the pitch and in the stands, and ultimately reshaping the landscape of the sport in this city, and around the world.

-James Berry

Tarek Pertew 3/12/23 Tarek Pertew 3/12/23

NYC Footy Spring 2023 Mixed Gender Soccer Rule Changes

We are implementing some rule changes for this year, starting with our spring season.

The purpose behind these changes is to protect the experience of our players and ensure our members continue to receive a professional and consistent soccer experience.

Here we go:

1. Jerseys: You must wear your NYC Footy jersey during your game or gift your opponent one (1) goal for every player that takes the pitch without their assigned NYC Footy jersey.

Purpose: To decrease likelihood of non-rostered players. To decrease confusion. To ensure an organized consistent and professional operation.

If your team lost their jerseys or not having a jersey is a result of a failure on our part, then you must communicate this to us immediately to resolve the issue and get you back on the pitch.
Lost jerseys must be re-purchased.

2. Start Times: The clock starts at your scheduled game time. If teams are not ready, then the first half will feel shorter.

Purpose: To ensure all games start and end at their assigned times. To encourage teams (and referees) to be on the field and ready. To avoid delayed game starts and/or shortened game times for non-offending teams.
If a team is waiting for the requisite number of players to avoid a forfeit (e.g. 5 in a 7v7 league), then they may take the field without the requisite number of players and will have 5 minutes to field enough players to avoid a forfeit. If after 5 minutes a team does not have the requisite number of players to avoid a forfeit, a forfeit will be logged (the game, however, will still be played).

3. Female Minimums: In our non-flip leagues, if a team does not have the requisite number of female players to start the game, there will no longer be a negotiation between captains to allow a reduced minimum format. The referee will allow the team to decide if they want to play down a player or give the opposing team a 3 goal advantage.

Purpose: To motivate teams to work harder to field the appropriate number of female players. To prevent putting opposing teams in uncomfortable position of agreeing to an alternative format.
For example. If a team shows up ready to play but has only 1 female player and requires 2, they can play down a player or may field a team of 7 with just 1 female player, but the opponent will be credited with 3 goals. If they have 0 female players, then they either play down 2 or they can play with a team of 6, with 0 female players, but the opponent will be credited with 3 additional goals (you cannot give the opponent 6 goals and play with a team of 7 and 0 female players).
If a team agrees to credit the opponent with 3 goals, they cannot change their mind, even if they are later able to field the requisite number of female players (e.g. they show up late).
If a free agent team assembled by NYC Footy does not have the requisite number of female players on their roster, they will be labeled FAx ("x' signifies exception). In these games, to protect the free agent experience, referees will reduce the female minimum until the roster is satisfied.

4. Game balls: Each referee is required to have two (2) game balls with them at all times (at fields where the loss of a ball is possible, the referee will have more).

Purpose: To reduce delays and maximize game time.
If a game-ball gets kicked out of play at a distance, the referee will wait for a player (preferably the nearest substitute) to begin retrieving the ball and will immediately drop the second ball into play to minimize any stoppage of gameplay.
This does require a collective community effort (Thank you!)

REMINDER OF RULES RECENTLY IMPLEMENTED LAST YEAR:

A yellow card requires the offending player to sub out for a minimum of 2 minutes. A second yellow requires the player to sit out the remainder of the game. In both cases, the team CAN continue at full strength by subbing on a replacement player.
Captains must meet the referee at the center circle before the start of each game for a possession "coin toss"

Thank you and have a wonderful season!

James Berry 2/15/23 James Berry 2/15/23

NYC Footy: A home for everyone (18+. Sorry kids.)

At NYC Footy, we strive to continue to create more inclusive spaces for our community.

From the start, NYC Footy has always been a co-ed league. From year one, when we began getting requests for men’s leagues, we didn’t budge, despite the obvious growth that would come with making the change.

As we’ve grown and as the environment has changed, we began getting requests for women’s leagues as well. We continued to not budge.

But that doesn’t mean we haven’t evolved. For starters, we have recently moved away from co-ed and towards the more inclusive “mixed gender,” which, to be fair, is actually how it’s phrased in many other countries.

Despite mixed gender being core to our ethos here at Footy, we’re aware that soccer, and on a larger scale, the sports landscape more broadly, has been dominated by males. Inclusion is not only hard, but many times, an afterthought.

While the needle has started to move closer towards gender parity (many thanks to soccer and our very own USWNT), the general sense is that sports, and in our case, recreational sports, is still a male oriented space and one that still lives in the female/male binary.

For some people that’s not an issue. For others, it matters most.

That is why NYC Footy continues to evolve as a community and make changes within how we operate in order to reflect the needs of our community members.

There are already members of our community who have created these types of smaller communities, and have maintained them for a long time; communities and teams that reverse the gender norms of co-ed leagues and value inclusion above all else. One great example: EWAM (Exceptional Women, Average Men). Another, LFLD (Left-Footed Letdown) and a 3rd, an evolution from the early days: Headballaz (the longest running team in NYC Footy).

These teams, and many more throughout the league, disregard the gender requirements in favor of a more unbiased approach, going beyond the gender minimum requirements. While there might be a two female minimum on the field, more often than not there are 4,5 or 6 female players on the field, (read: two female minimum IS NOT two female maximum).

And just to dispel any lingering biases, EWAM has won an absurd amount of titles in Beginner through Intermediate/Advanced leagues over the years.

We will continue to be a community that fosters and supports these teams, drives the league towards more parity, and remains a welcoming place for all, binary or non-binary alike.

To the effect, there’s a couple things that we’ve taken it upon ourselves to do.

First, we're experimenting with increasing the minimum of women on each team by creating a reverse ratio league.

Instead of a 7v7 match where there is a two female minimum, there’s a two male maximum.

Honestly, we wish we trialed this sooner. But we’re here now and we expect this to be a growing staple of NYC Footy season in and season out.

If you’re interested in joining, you can find the registration page right below.

Footy's Reverse Ratio League

We believe that this new format is a way for more females and non-binary players to feel core to NYC Footy and not an after-thought by way of a small female-minimum.

Our goal with this flipped league is that people will enjoy it, which is always our goal, but also that Footy players will be able to find and create new communities they might not have thought available to them in NYC Footy.

Off the pitch, we’re creating more ways for our female and and non-binary players to connect, organizing watch parties and other events, and partnering with WIS (Women-In-Soccer), a community united by the inclusive spirit of soccer, who helped us to create our Ted Lasso Code of Conduct.

Moving on from “Co-ed”

Finally, we want to bring up the subject of language, specifically the term: co-ed.

The term co-ed reflects a dynamic that is inherently binary.

To prevent that term from being a boundary for anyone, a more accurate word/phrase than “co-ed” is “mixed-gender”. That’s why we’ve recently moved to this.

However you identify, you’re welcome in NYC Footy. Just be kind, understanding and respectful. Oh, and “keep it clean”.

We learn because of our experience, because of our partnerships, and most importantly because as our community grows and engages with us, we can tailor our efforts and understanding to you.

Please keep making NYC Footy special. Please continue helping us grow and evolve, and if you have any thoughts at all on how we can make Footy a better home, you know where to find us.

Love Always,
James

James Berry 2/9/23 James Berry 2/9/23

What Makes Footy Fest Special

For us, Footy Fest is a special thing.

It’s an opportunity to do what we can’t while we’re in the city.

To play on real grass, breathe fresh air, enjoy the sport of football somewhere the trees outnumber the buildings and pedestrians.

It’s an opportunity for the NYC Footy community to get together once a year, around what is really meaningful to all of us, around friends, family, and football, and try something different.

That’s the ethos we started Footy Fest with and it’s been a privilege to see it grow over the years into what it is now, a tournament where over 500 players come up to the Catskills and enjoy the quiet side of life for a weekend.

Last year we made a video about the experience of Footy Fest, with the intention of creating a sizzle reel for the upcoming year.

The video turned out to be anything but that. It really captures the soul of Footy Fest, in ways that I can’t hope to do here in this short blog post.

So if you haven’t gone before and want to understand what Footy Fest is about, or you have and know that how spending 5 minutes day-dreaming about it is time well spent, watch this video.

And if you’ve got any friends who might like to come, feel free to pass it on to them too.

Ever,

James

Tarek Pertew 1/22/23 Tarek Pertew 1/22/23

A message from NYC Footy. Reflecting on a challenging year.

Hi Footy Friend,

This is our year in review email. It's a once-a-year narrative and it's quite long.

You don't have to read this (and if you don't, at least scroll to the second to last image).

But, if you're curious what it's like to run a soccer league, then grab a comfort drink and settle in.

It's consistent with my random emails over the years that explain, in detail, what the hell is going on at Footy. Last year was the most intense year in our history and I don't think it's a stretch to say that, at moments, the entire operation was at risk.

Here's what went down.

TLDR: 2022 asked a lot from us, to a point where I was genuinely concerned about our future (and my health). But monumental efforts from a growing team helped right the wrongs, re-wire some circuits, launch new, helpful initiatives and set NYC Footy up for lots of new in 2023.

*Summer 2011. First ever season of Footy. 2/3 founders can be found in this photo.*

For years NYC Footy was such a small, manageable operation that we knew damn near every player in the league. It was pretty easy to get the "vibe" we were pushing because we played in basically all of the leagues and tournaments we offered.

Our original vision for Footy was one league in Williamsburg where we could set the standard and play weekly. Turns out quite a few folks liked the type of league we created for ourselves and it started to grow.

*1st season at BBP. Again 2/3 founders in this photo.*

Things changed first in 2013 when we got our first permit at BBP. But a larger inflection point was probably 2018 when we finally landed a permit in Manhattan (it took 7 years).

*Our 1st season in Manhattan. Battery Park changed the game for Footy.*

The biggest change, however, may have been the ripples of COVID in NYC. Creating migration patterns that welcomed many new New Yorkers, but also an acute need for activity and, more importantly, connection.

Footy B.C. (Before Covid) was a strong, steady, wonderful, and not necessarily small community of players in NYC. Since then, the community has nearly tripled.

Suddenly, things get far more complicated.

I am pretty focused on ensuring everyone in this league understands how important this operation is to us. Many of you don't fancy my long-winded emails explaining every decision we make. But others really appreciate it. I tend to fall in the latter category myself, which is why I over-index a bit on TMI.

2022 was far and away the most challenging professional year of my life. The year began without anyone working exclusively full time at NYC Footy. For me, it had been a full-time job already, but I was (and still am) running my other company (Uncubed). Gerardo and Joe also had other serious obligations. G managing a band that went gangbusters and Joe operating the most iconic hardware store in NYC.

At the start of last year, it became very clear that we could no longer run NYC Footy as we had for the previous decade. Everyone in the community deserved better.

Help is on the way.

I began seeing the demand was outweighing our abilities, no matter how many hours I worked. Fortunately, a few faces began to show up to help, starting with Grace, Gianluca and Kristin, all of whom came on board in part time capacities to support the overwhelming workload.

*That's Grace. We met when she pointed out her jersey had a backwards "3" (jersey not pictured).*

Last year there were, quite literally, thousands of brand new players. Far more than any previous year. For a league that is desperate to maintain the culture we've created, this is a massive opportunity to expand that, but also a real challenge to ensure so many new faces catch the drift of our operation and understood that Footy is a league built upon community more than anything.

The customer experience is at risk

With my declining success in responding to these new faces, we started to feel the bolts loosen on the operation. By now, I was downright failing on the attentive, quick-to-respond customer service standard we had set.

We also began seeing more league disruption. It wasn't a lot, but for our small team, it was the largest contributor to our stress. Perhaps a referee didn't show up on time (or at all). Or maybe goals were destroyed or we couldn't get into our storage box. Embarrassing stuff and we couldn't catch up because we didn't have enough resources.

The hight of this stress was the summer of this past year. I was living in Portugal for 3 months, working from 8am to 3am with no end in sight. To top it off, we suddenly lost one of our keystone contributors for 3 weeks that summer. That's about when I had to see a cardiologist because my heart started doing very unusual things (all checked out, thankfully).

There's light at the end of the tunnel

Fortunately, Grace came on board full time to support Kristin, who joined us full time a couple months earlier. Then, our first full time customer service hire started, Zimanta. "Zee' for short. This changed the game, as she began taking over the customer service tasks that helped all of us focus on ensuring we solved any potential league disruptions while continuing to meet the demands of players living all over this great city.

We started to see light at the end of the tunnel when G, my co-founder, reworked his schedule to commit a near full-time effort to Field Operations and ensuring we right sized the issues we were having with jerseys being delayed, goals being broken, and refs being unprepared.

Soon after, Gianluca committed a meaningful PT effort to his FT role at BetterPlayer to support field operations and our referee manager, Markus. His top priority: recruitment and training of new refs.

Finally, as we entered Q4, the referee shortage we'd been experiencing all year, causing the majority of our league disruptions and staff stress, was beginning to wane. We're not fully there (just this morning, we had a ref emergency at 3 fields), but we are a long way from 6 months ago. And I'm not going to bed at 3am anymore.

In October, just after the Footy Fest, the event that truly culminated an extraordinary year, Federico joined full time to direct our customer efforts and focus on player retention and happiness (this will be a never-ending job).

We rounded off the year by making a full-time offer to James, who started this year as our manager of marketing and communications. He's the fella that now preps these emails for me (and why you're starting to see some more consistency).

This also does not highlight the part-time help we continue to get from the likes of Ashley, Amanda, Thais, Markus and many more that keep our social media flowing, our designs original and our refs scheduled at the right field!

A general idea of what our team looks like now (minus our referees).

Meet the team.

I would love for you to meet this team and, as of yesterday, we have a number of faces up on our about page here.

This is a work in progress, because there are far more faces than these that help make NYC Footy what it is. For starters, the dozens of referees that have such a critical role in your experience (soon their faces will be up on our site as well).

So that's the story in a nutshell, but if you're interested in getting a more specific idea of the good, the bad and the go-forward, then read on.

A Lens Into The Good & The Bad

Lots of good. Here's a sample of what we're proud of this year.

As you might have noticed, Footy grew multiplicatively in 2022, welcoming more new faces in 2022 then in the first 9 years combined. This meant we had to expand current offerings and, where we couldn't expand, get creative.

Tournaments: Governors Cup became the largest soccer tournament in the city, spanning two days in June. The Footy Fest welcomed 500 players, turning it into one of the largest single-day gatherings of city slickers in upstate New York.

Sunset Leagues: We launched leagues that required players to kick off at 5pm on a weeknight. An experiment that was so successful, it will open way more doors for us this year.

New Locations: Thanks to an effort led by Kristin, we added dozens of new locations last year to accommodate the many New Yorkers that can't be bothered commuting anywhere!

Vampire Leagues: Nearly all of our vampire leagues (10pm to midnight) were full. Another exciting opportunity moving forward.

We Won a Small Business Award: We won the Mastercard City Assist Award for our contributions to the NYC community as a small business.

Sponsors & Partners: We welcomed NYCFC, Umbro, Pumpkin Pie and NY Orthopedics as league sponsors and partners, culminating in a Footy Day out at Yankee Stadium where 1,000 Footy players attended.

Return of In-Person Events: We came back with a bang with our 1st-timers happy hour, Champion's League Final (over 500 of you attended) and World Cup Viewing Parties.

Growing Online Community: We launched a new online community to help teams and players connect, fill rosters, avoid forfeits, play pickup and more. To date, more than 1K of you have joined.

There's more where that came from, but this email is already far too long!

Things we need(ed) to do better on

None of the above was possible without lots of opportunities to learn.

We had more moments than any of us are comfortable sharing where we...well I'll just use the metaphor...dropped the ball. The frequency was enough that we created a "league disruption form" to track these issues and ensure we took care of our players appropriately.

Condition of one of our fields after a concert

Field Changes: We had a field closed due to poor field conditions, a natural grass field destroyed after hosting a concert and a new field that came online a full month later than promised. In all scenarios, teams were re-located to different locations and different times.

No Ref: There were times when players showed up to a field and there was no ref.

No Equipment: Players showed up and our refs couldn't get into our storage box. Playing games with cones as goals.

Customer Service Delays: Before Zimanta joined, my biggest nightmare began to manifest. Customers not getting a response, or getting it so delayed that it no longer mattered.

That doesn't scratch the surface with internal challenges that made decision making and transfer of information seamless and efficient.

When we fail players, it's stomach churning. It creates more work for us, a growing number of "nastigrams" (some justifiable) and the need to dig ourselves out of a hole that should not have been there in the first place.

What I can say is this: league disruptions declined meaningfully between summer and fall, and have become almost non-existent this winter. That is very much credit to our laser focus on these issues and a committed team determined to solve them.

And The Footy (Changes)

In order to continue being the place where you can come hang, play and form the kinds of relationships that made us start this league in the first place, we're making changes that are frankly long overdue.

The first thing will be the least popular.

Generally speaking, prices are going up (with shades of grey).

Starting this spring, we are going to do something we've only every done once before. Raise prices. In fact, the average price for a team captain or free agent is less today than it was at any point in our history.

We've delayed this as long as possible, but it's clear with our nearly universal increase in costs, coupled with building a team that can maintain (if not improve) our standard, we have to. More to come on that in a separate email (cause we'll also have more opportunities to save).

We've increased our number of referees.

Over the last few months, we've increased the number of refs we have to over 50, and have implemented a new ref training program so that every ref who steps onto the field is fully prepared to best represent Footy.

Reducing waste.

We're looking to reduce our jersey waste by implementing return programs and making custom jerseys easier to make.

Get more out of our partners & sponsors for our community.

We've continued to grow our relationships with existing sponsors, and have made connections to new sponsors.

This means that things like getting tickets to NYCFC games and joining us for World Cup Viewing parties will not only continue, but will continue to grow as we add more programming in the year to come.

Doing more for team captains.

We some of the plans we have in store, we're hoping that by the end of this year, everyone will want to be a captain.

Here's to 2023.

We have a feeling you're going to love what's coming your way in 2023.

And if you don't. Tell us.

We have always thought of ourselves as a league for players, by players (every full timer here at Footy was a community member first), so your feedback on what we can do better is extremely useful to us.

Critical feedback, big ideas, funky requests, etc. All are welcome. Just be nice.

We apologize for the abnormally bulky, dry, text ridden email. We wanted to make sure that as we go into 2023, we did so with our intentions clear so that you can continue to get the soccer and community experience you deserve, and which is so vital and needed in the world we live in today.

With love, always,

Tarek and the Footy Fam

P.S. Enjoy the best email from 2022 👇

*This email had me laughing for a week straight*

James Berry 1/12/23 James Berry 1/12/23

The Art of Recovery

Hey everyone,

We’re just about entering the third week of the new year. That means many of us are both mid season, focused on sticking to our New Year’s resolutions, and the regretful, albeit healthy, fad known as dry January.

This post is going to be a small introduction into how to stay healthy over the course of the year, and specifically how to recover.

Unless you grew up with a nutritionist, a doctor, or you’ve done considerable research on your own, you may not really know what to do with yourself when you reach your limit except to keep hitting that wall until you collapse, or to stop completely, neither of which are conducive to a healthy, sustained athletic life (or any kind of life).

It’s a fairly common thing for players to hit the ground running in the new year and not be able to sustain their exercise or soccer goals simply because they don’t think about recovery, so that’s what we’re going to go over here to today.

This post is going to contain pretty generalized advice. While it will get into specifics in certain circumstances, and we will be diving into more detail in subsequent posts, know that your body is different and while all of these factors are important facets in healthy recovery, how much they effect you individually will vary from person to person. So it’s best that you think about them as slices of a pie, and as you train and learn you augment how big a slice each part gets.

Before I get into my unsolicited, unprofessional, generalized advice that I’ve gained over a few decades of coaching and playing sports at a high level, I’m going to point you in the direction of my betters.

Specifically NYOrthopedics. If you ever get injured they should be your first stop on the road to recovery.

NY Orthopedics

NYOrthopedics has been serving the NYC area for over twenty years now, and is one of our sponsors at NYC Footy, a partnership that we’re really happy to have, especially as we get older and more injury prone. You may have seen them at Gov Cup, massaging strains, icing bruises, and just generally giving care where it was needed.

I have first hand experience with them and I can tell you that the care is excellent. Most, if not all, of the doctors there are athletes so they understand what it means to recover as an athlete.

Not only do they have experience on both sides of the coin, both as athletes and doctors, but as an institution they do a lot to make you feel like you’re being handled by people and not like you’re a cog in the medical meat grinder.

Signing up for appointments is incredibly easy, which can be done online in seconds.

They have a very comprehensive recovery program which will give you detailed instructions on what to do day in and day out in order to recovery in the most effective way right on your phone.

Finally, and maybe most importantly, while they take most insurances, if you’re uninsured they will go a long way to help out to make sure your health doesn’t suffer for the fear of the bill.

You can find their facilities all over the NYC area, and while I hope you don’t actually need to go visit them, should you get injured I wouldn’t really recommend you going anywhere else.

The rest of today’s post is going to be focused on the three main ways you can avoid going to see them, and how to take care of yourself through the year in very practical, no-nonsense way.

Let’s start it off with inarguably the most important way to recover.

Sleep and rest.

You can think of sleeping like investing in Apple 30 years ago. No matter how hard you work (how much stretching, icing, compression you do), nothing you do will net you the same return as just sleeping well.

This extends not only to sleep, but also to resting while you are awake. If you exercise 7 days a week without any time for your body to rest, you will see diminishing returns on the exercise that you do.

Resting and allowing your body to recover is the bedrock of what allows your body to take action and if you don’t do it, your performance, on the pitch, in the gym, running, wherever, will dwindle over time and you will inevitably hit a wall, rendering a lot of your hard work moot.

Sleep and rest represent the best and worst things about recovery.

The best thing is that your body is complex, highly intuitive, and it will repair itself without you needing to ‘learn’ what to do.

The downside is that to a certain extent you have to let go of control and allow your body take its course towards recovery. And if you try to speed up that recovery process, you’re going to inevitably add weeks, if not months or years, onto what could have been a fairly minor injury.

All of this is in service of saying, protect your sleep, let your body recover, and take rest days. It is as important than the exercise you do.

While rest and sleep do make a huge difference and are vital to your recovery, there is a lot you can do outside of your exercise routine that will ensure you stay active and healthy for the long run, sticking to those resolutions for months to come (or to throwing them out the window like the rest of us, but in a way that lets you still feel and stay healthy).

Nutrition

You are what you eat is just very real. What you put into your body will become your body. I don’t think a scientist would ever say it that way, but in essence that’s what happening.

There are certain stipulations within that. Obviously if you eat incredibly well and you sit on your couch all day, what you eat will make less of a difference if it is incredibly healthy or not.

I’m sure none of this is news to you at this point, but it bears repeating because what we eat and drink is a question that we’re faced with probably dozens of times a day and so it bears creating a little bit of a plan around.

I’m going to lay out three easy tips for how to becoming more nutritionally aware and healthy. This isn’t a diet plan. Not only does everyone’s body absorb nutrients differently, the amount of exercise each person does is different, but also people’s ability to spend money on food will be drastically different and a lot of ‘healthy’ food is simply more expensive and so is unavailable to some people. Therefore my suggestions are all tailored towards everyone, regardless of your diet, exercise plan, or food budget.

#1, plan your weekly activities: Thinking about how you’re active should be a big part about how you want to eat.

You should eat differently on a day when you exercise (carbs early in the day, even some sugars close to when you exercise) as opposed to a rest day (cheese, mostly cheese). Sincerely though, your body will take in and use nutrients different in activity versus rest, so take 10 minutes every Sunday, mark each day you are going to be active, and then adjust what you eat that day accordingly.

#2, avoid food fads. There are a ton of fads around nutrition that just aren’t real and are really a marketing gimmick.

The best example I can give is actually making a resurgence right now, which is cottage cheese. Yes. Cottage cheese, the food that sounds the most like a clogged artery, was marketed as a health food in the 80s, and is once again being lauded as a health food.

Without getting incredibly bogged down in the details, while cottage cheese is high in protein, it is also fairly dense in fat and cholesterol (less cholesterol than other cheeses, but when cheese is the comparison it’s not a great thing).

I bring this up only to say, don’t take these fad foods and diets at face value and don’t let them push you towards drastic changes in your diet all at once. Fad diets tend not to work and more often than not, they create a situation where you rubber-band back to the old eating habits you were trying to grow out of in the first place.

Is it ok to incorporate them into your diet? Of course it is, but don’t let them become the basis for everything you deem healthy. Instead, build around health foods you enjoy eating and cooking at home where you can control the ingredients, flavors, and cost.

#3, become nutritionally literate.

More than anything, this is going to help you make healthy choices about what you put in your body. Start by just learning how to read the labels on your food. Do you know the difference between unsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fats? It really is not a high bar, I promise.

From there, if you want to, you can move on to learning how your body processes carbs, proteins, and fats, but even if you stop at being able to read a label, it will help you so much in terms of putting a plan in place that suits your lifestyle so you can ignore people like me.

Warm-ups and Active Recovery

The final major block in the foundation of general healthiness is warming up and active recovery.
I’m talking about active recovery and warming up in the most basic senses, referring to jogging and stretching before the game, and stretching a bit after.

Warming-up is pretty self-explanatory and should be pretty obviously good idea. I see maybe 99% of players walk on and off the field in Footy without stretching, warming up, or cooling down (shout out to my friend Randy, who is 42 and still plays at a high level, because he stretches and warms up).

For the love of God, touch your toes, bend your knees, and swing your arms a little bit before you go full tilt on the pitch.

If you wonder why you hit a wall about 3-5 minutes into the game, it’s not because you don’t have the energy to play longer, it’s because your body wasn’t ready to dive into the deep end so quickly and it needs a little bit of time to establish a rhythm.

My view on warming up is that it’s like an on/off ramp to a highway. You have to build up your speed as you enter the highway, and reduce your speed as you come off. You don’t just go 0-60-0 when getting on and off.

If you sit at home or in an office for 6-8 hours, then get over to the soccer field and start sprinting immediately, you’re body is going to hate you and you’re just asking to pull a muscle.

Active recovery is the same framework as warming-up just on the back end. Stretch a little bit after your game while everyone is taking off their shinguards and cleats. It will help your body re-situate to not being as active

There is so much more that I want to talk about in terms of recovery, but as this is a brief introduction and overview, I’m going to cut it off here for today.

Don’t worry though, as this is just the first of an on-going series that will be rolling out this year, that focuses on how we can help you take care of your bodies as you strive towards whatever your fitness and Footy goals are.

-James

James Berry 12/6/22 James Berry 12/6/22

Neighborhood Spotlight: LIU Brooklyn

Hey All,

We’re back with another neighborhood spotlight, and this one comes to us right in the middle of Downtown Brooklyn.

With tons of new NYC Footy leagues springing up around the city as we roll into winter, I want to take this moment to point out one of our best looking new locations, LIU Brooklyn.

Those of you who have played with us during the winter before this year, and those of you who call Pier 5 home, probably were familiar with the gym at St. Francis. Sadly, this space is no longer available as the whole building got sold.

While it’s always sad to see a field go, especially one with so much connection to Footy, this makes LIU all the more special.

The gym at LIU is only a short walk from where St. Francis used to be, so those of you who live in Downtown Brooklyn or who covet a short walk from the subway to the gym won’t have to sacrifice a thing.

This is the LIU Brooklyn Spotlight!

The Pitch:

The gym is incredibly well maintained and as you can see above is gigantic.

We’ll be running a two games on the floor side by side so there will be a lot more soccer for you and your friends to play, especially for those of you who like to stick around and sub for the games after yours.

This also means there is plenty more space on the side where you can keep your stuff, change, and sub without worrying about an errant ball (or human) flying towards you.

It may seem like a small luxury, but most indoor fields are fairly tight on space and this is one of the few locations where you’ll have the entire large area at your disposal.

Indoor seasons are a great way to get into shape in the ‘off season’ as there’s always a way to be active on the smaller field, so LIU is a perfect chance for you to kick off those resolutions strong and stay in shape for the spring and summer seasons.

The Neighborhood:

Downtown Brooklyn is chock full of post game parlors for you and your team.

I’m going to point you towards a few of my favorite recommendations. If you’re someone who likes to explore on their own both Fulton St. and Lafayette Ave are littered with bars, restaurants, and coffee shops, and rest just a block away from LIU to the south.

On the other end, the Dekalb Market Hall is just a block to the west, so there’s plenty around you in any direction.

Wherever you go, if you have your friends, it’ll be a great place!

Up First: Alibi

Alibi is this lists no no-nonsense dive, and it just so happens to have landed the #2 spot on GrubStreets list of the Top 50 Dive Bars in New York (you can check out the full article right here: Grub Streets 50 best dives).

Alibi is located just a few blocks up Lafayette Ave. If you’re looking for somewhere dimly lit, with draft beers, and a dart board this is the place for you.

The bartenders are incredibly jovial and warm, so your kindness towards them goes a long way.

IF you get up here and find that it’s not to your liking or is a little too packed, there are four other bars on this one block of Lafayette Ave, so just keep calm and mosey on.

Up Next: Fancy Free

Good bar food, drink specials all the time, a friendly staff, not to mention it’s two blocks away from the field and sits directly in front of the subway.

As you can see, there’s plenty of outdoor space (with space heaters in the winter of course), and the indoor goes deep into the back and is filled with long tables so even if you come in with your whole team, you won’t have to worry about accommodations.

Perfect if you’re looking for that “ok fine but only one because I have stuff to do” drink.

Up Next: Walter’s

Walter’s falls more on the sit down and eat category than quick post-game drink, but if you’re playing on a weekend afternoon and want to spend some more time with your wonderful teammates, Walter’s is perfect.

They serve elevated American fare, have great drinks and brunch specials at your pleasure.

Additionally, they’re right across the street from Ft. Greene Park, so on those rare, crisp but comfortable winter days you can spend some time lounging among the trees or walking through the farmer’s market that pops up right across the street on weekends.

And Lastly: Rockwell

Rockwell is a great bar, serving beer, cocktails, small and large bites in a really nice space complete with a front street patio.

While all of this is well and good (and I do mean that sincerely) the real reason Rockwell finds itself on this list is because it is right across the street from the gym. Really, right across the street.

So if you and your friends are trying to make a quick exit from the gym and want to land back inside within 60 seconds or less, Rockwell is your place.

Directions:

LIU sits near the heart of Downtown Brooklyn, so there are about fifty different ways you can get to the field easily.

Subway: The G, 2, 3, B, D, 4, 5, F, N, R, W all have stations in close proximity to the field making it one of the most easily accessible locations around.

Bike: There are two Citibike stations on both sides of the gym, so if you’re biking (in the winter no less, bless your heart) you’ll find it super easy.

Bus: You can also use the B54 which runs along Myrtle Ave and will drop you right in front of the location.

As always, it’s been a pleasure to write for y’all and share what I can. I hope you take some notes and have a great season!

-James

James Berry 11/9/22 James Berry 11/9/22

Neighborhood Spotlight: Sofive Brooklyn

This week we’re bringing you one of the best indoor soccer facilities in the city, Sofive Brooklyn.

I’ve had the good fortune to play at a handful of tournaments at this location, which are hosted at Sofive regularly just because of how amazing the facility is. But now I’m happy to announce that for the first time, NYC Footy is hosting leagues at Sofive Brooklyn!

The Location:

As you can see, Sofive is an incredible facility, with ten top of the line indoor turf fields ready to be used by all of our Footy players.

I personally love playing on this type of field, a tight indoor turf space with walls, as the games are always quicker and the action stays consistent throughout the game.

Everything about the location is top notch, the lines are clean, the goals are stable and the appropriate size, it’s easy to find the right field (see the giant numbers on the wall), and getting on and off the field for substitutions is super easy as each field has a door in the corner.

If you’re interested in playing at Sofive with NYC Footy, which you should be, we’re running two leagues on Tuesday nights this coming winter! You can register for either division by clicking the links below.

Just to reiterate, I cannot stress enough how excellent a facility this is. It is the type of place that a footballer would dream up if they were given a whole city block and just told to “build the best facility you can, don’t worry about the cost”. Trust me, it’s worth checking out.

The Neighborhood:

If there is one downside to Sofive, it’s that it is wedged between New Lots and Ocean Hill (specifically on 2015 Pitkin Ave in Brooklyn), which puts it fairly deep out there.

That being said, it’s NYC and there are a handful of simple ways to get out to the field as well as plenty of good options for post-game celebrations or commiserations, and this is no different at Sofive.

The first location I want to talk about regarding your post-game libations is actually Sofive itself!

Sofive is one of the few places in the city that has a fully functional beer tap (along with a grill and other great bar grub) inside the facility. This makes it by far the best location for any team that “wins at the bar”, because you’ve only got a paltry 20 steps between the pitch and the pitcher.

The bar area has a ton of seating, from high tables where everyone can sit together around a pitcher, to comfortable cushioned chairs where you can relax and watch one of the numerous flat screens dotted around the facility, which you can be certain will be playing Premier League, Champions League, and World Cup games and highlights throughout the day. Like I alluded to before, Sofive is really the one-stop-shop for all of your Footy desires.

Next up is Nowadays

Nowadays is one of my favorite venues in all of Brooklyn. They’ve cultivated a warm, welcoming, and open atmosphere in their large outdoor space, which is basically a small park. If you haven’t been before, make it a point to go, you won’t regret it.

Nowadays has a number of bars littered around their large venue space, so you’re never have to wait long for whatever you’re drinking. They also come well prepared with a food truck inside the park, ping pong tables as well as other games, and they frequently host musical guests and other events.

If you roll off the field and feel like you want to go out, this would be my recommendation.

Directions:

Train: The two nearest trains stations to Sofive are the L train stop at Sutter Ave and the A and C trains at the Liberty Ave stop. The facility is less than five blocks from both train stations.

Bus: The B14 runs up and down Sutter Ave (parallel to Pitkin Ave) and will drop you off two blocks from the field.

Bike: The nearest Citibike station is five blocks away (on Atlantic Ave), so I would suggest taking the subway. But if you’re committed to the ride, the station is right next to the Atlantic Ave L train stop.

As always, thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time!

-James

Tarek Pertew 11/3/22 Tarek Pertew 11/3/22

JOINING AN NYC FOOTY LEAGUE WITH A GROUP OF FRIENDS

If you do not have enough players to register a full team, but you want to ensure your group of friends plays together, then be sure to “register as a small group”.

Here’s how to do it:

Choose your Desired League.

The most important step is knowing where and when you want to play. NYC Footy has leagues all over New York City, every day of the week. You can find leagues by clicking “Leagues (By Location)” in the navigation and selecting your desired neighborhood. Or, you can select “Leagues (By Skill)” if you’d prefer to only see available leagues by skill level.

Once you and your friends decide on the best league, you’ll start the registration process.

Click “Register” and Select “Small Group Member”

Once you have found your desired league, you’ll click on the blue “Register” button. From here, you’ll see a little pop-up window like this:

Create or Join a Small Group

Once you select “Small Group Member,” you will begin entering your registration details.

If you are the first in your group to register, then you will select “I want to create new Small Group.” You’ll then be prompted to give your Small Group a name.

If a small group has already been created, then you will select “I want to join existing Small Group” whereby you’ll click on the dropdown and select the appropriate small group that your group will be joining.

Complete the Registration Process

The rest of the process is straight forward and applies to all players. You’ll fill out the rest of your registration details, pay the league fee and you’ll be all set.

In the days leading up to the season kickoff, NYC Footy staff will ensure your small group is together on a team and additional players will be added to complete the roster. Additional players may be made up of other small groups, or individual players.

Now that you know how to register for a small group, take a look at our available leagues here.

James Berry 11/3/22 James Berry 11/3/22

Neighborhood Spotlight: The Aula

Nowhere feels quite as much like New York City than Soho. Brooklyn, Queens, and uptown Manhattan are all amazing. But Soho, and by extension downtown Manhattan, is what makes the city The City, which is why we’re so happy to have brought in The Aula Gym to our repertoire of locations for this upcoming winter season.

The Location:

The Aula Gym, located on 268 Mulberry Street, is outfitted for tight, fast-paced, 5v5 games. The court itself is fairly wide, so you don’t have to worry about running into the walls unless you have poor self-control like yours truly.

If you’ve never played indoor of any kind, it’s much more action packed than playing outdoors. There is no position on the field that isn’t active at any one time. So if you’re looking to get (or stay) in shape during the winter, any indoor league is a great way to do so!

Personally, I love playing indoor during the winter (goalie here), because of the fact that there’s way more action, it’s much easier to field a team of 5 than it is to field a team of 8 or 11, and, obviously, I get to be inside. All of which is available for the first time with NYC Footy at The Aula!

The aula

The Neighborhood:

I’m going to lead this section off by saying that there is almost no way I will be able to do the neighborhood justice and the treasure trove of bars and restaurants justice. That being said, here are a handful of places that you can start with with your friends after the game.

Up first is Momoya Soho

Momoyo is an absolute stunner of a restaurant, serving exquisite Japanese fare in the perfect location, just across the street from The Aula Gym.

Apart from the staples of sushi, sashimi, and tempura, all of which are incredible, they have a brunch menu so you and your friends can savor some sangria alongside your sashimi right after your game!

If you’re looking to start the weekend off correctly (getting brunch drunk and eating delicious Japanese food at a classy restaurant immediately after your Footy game), this is the place to do it.

Second is Botanica Bar

If you and your team are looking for a dive bar that’s not far, look no further. Botanica Bar is directly across the street from the gym and is one of Mulberry St.’s staples.

Botanica’s has everything you might expect (and want) from your local dive bar: beer and shot combos, great happy hour deals, the good kind of good-bad frozen margaritas (read sweet and boozy), and year-round outdoor seating equipped with heat lamps.

If there’s one drawback to Botanica’s Bar, it’s that the no longer serve food. That being said, they’re incredibly happy for you to bring your own. Whether that’s a zippy filled with goldfish and cheerios, or a pie from Prince Street Pizza just one block away is up to you.

Third and lastly is Sláinte Bar

I would be remiss if I didn’t round out this section with Sláinte Bar, as it’s probably one of the best bars to watch football in the city. Apologies to any long serving patrons for blowing up your spot.

They’ve got football on the TV basically all hours of the day, and you can be sure that come World Cup season this winter, they’ll be serving hordes of fair-weather football fans, myself included, day in and day out.

This being the case, it might behoove you to get in before the crowd and make friends with the staff so that when they’re scanning the hordes of Americans praying for the Welsh to beat the British because we goose-egged against Iran, they’ll recognize your wonderful, smiling face, and serve you that Stella you’ve been waiting for.

Again, this list is just scratching the surface of the bars, restaurants, and everything else available to you in Soho. If you’ve got recommendations of your own that you think should be added to the list, feel free to fire back some ideas at our instagram @nycfootyofficial!

Directions:

Subway: The gym is about two-blocks from the J, Z (Bowery Stop), 6 (Spring St Stop), B,D,F,M (Broadway Lafayette), and the R, W (Prince St. Station), which means if you’re having trouble finding a train to the gym, you’re probably in Jersey.

Bike: The gym is a short distance from the Williamsburg Bridge, which means that it’s both easy to get to from BK, and that there are dozens of CitiBike stations around the gym.

Bus: The M21 runs up and down Houston St. very frequently, so if you find yourself downtown, but way over on the West Side, it’s a very easy trip.

And that’s it. As always, thanks for reading and I hope to see some of you at the Aula very soon!

-James

James Berry 10/29/22 James Berry 10/29/22

Neighborhood Spotlight: Sternberg Park

Sternberg Park Spotlight:

Hey All,

I want to introduce you to my favorite field in NYC, Sternberg Park. While it may not have the skyline views, or the most space, and might even have a gentle and humbling slant in one direction, it holds a special place in my heart.

The reason Sternberg is such a special field, is that it was the field that helped me to escape the pandemic when it was at it’s most suppressive, and which in turn led me to NYC Footy.

In the midst of Covid’s early stages, where nobody really knew anything, toilet paper was worth more than Ethereum, people were sanitizing Amazon packages with lysol wipes, and the only people who were holding were essential workers, who in reality are always holding us together, I had to good fortune of running into a few friends of mine who were going to a field to play some pick-up soccer.

They brought me to a field (Sternberg) where we slipped through a fence that may or may not have been inversely repaired by a good samaritan in the neighborhood and found ourselves on a huge and empty pitch. We proceeded to play a small pickup game for hours entirely unperturbed.

Over the next couple of weeks, we bought nets, made a group chat (the first of what would be far far too many soccer group chats) and grew into a community. Or as everyone called them at the beginning of the pandemic, a pod.

It might seem like an exaggerated thing to say, but without this field, without that community and that experience, I don’t know where I would be right now. When everything else was collapsing, these pickup soccer games at Sternberg Park were far and away the best thing. Admittedly, it was the only game in town, but the point still holds true.

Sternberg was the place where I, and a group of what started as 6 and that snowballed into a group of over 60, could go to get away from everything during a time when that was needed the most. It is also where I met the people who would make up my soccer tribe (shout out to Left Footed Letdown).

Sternberg became a second home in the city, somewhere I felt always welcome and surrounded by friends and loved ones.

The reason I bring this all up, is that as the world and the city transitioned out of peak Covid, and as things opened up and Sternberg Park became slightly less vital and specific resource, NYC Footy became that chamber of community for me as I believe it is and has been for so many others.

Many of us have such a field. A place where, week in and week out, people spend those preciously important hours with their friends, their self-selected communities, their homes away from home and I’m incredibly happy to selfishly be able to share mine with you all.

NYCFooty holds leagues at Sternberg Park year round, and BetterPlayer holds practices there year round as well! So whether you’re a seasoned veteran, or you’re just looking to get started, this is the place for you.

Welcome to Sternberg Park.

The Field: Sternberg Park was renovated by the NYC Parks department during peak Covid (2020) so the turf is new and very clean.

No bumps or divots to blame your bad passes on. Apart from the ever so slight tilt towards one end of the pitch, it’s a field in perfect condition.

The fence outside of the field is even high enough that only the most misguided of shots will make it over.

We typically play three 7v7 games side by side, for which there’s plenty of room. And we hold BetterPlayer practices there in the AM, so if you live in the neighborhood you should come check it out.

The Neighborhood: Sternberg Park is located in East Williamsburg, roughly speaking, and so the list of bars and restaurants you can find within throwing distance of the field is very high.

That being said, there are a few places of note that I want to put in front of your face, just so you feel like you’ve got somewhere to start.

First is Duck Duck

Duck Duck is bar that is almost synonymous with Sternberg Park. On any given game-day, you’re liable to find 20-30 Footy players perusing this warm bar, decorated (tastefully) with toy ducks.

They’ve got a healthy list of draft beers, craft beers, and most any sort of liquid delight you could want. The barroom itself has a ton of seating, including a huge bar, tables everywhere, a cozy seating area.

If there’s one drawback, it’s that the bar is cash only. But it’s a small mark against it, as they do have an ATM inside the bar.

If you’re at Sternberg park and you’re looking for a warm drink, or to meet more of the Footy community, head to Duck Duck.

Extra Credit: Duck Duck happens to sit directly across the street from the Win Son Bakery, which is an amazing Taiwanese joint that serves everything from breakfast sandwiches, friend chicken, and more traditional Taiwanese bites.

Second is The Graham

The Graham is a personal favorite of mine; a tavern that sits just a quick walk away from the field and who proudly states that “The soup of the day is tequila”.

Recently, The Graham has begun to pivot itself to a more upscale type of scene during the day. But at night, it remains the same warm tavern with good food, outdoor space that runs half the bucket, buckets of beer, and year round frozen margs. It’s the kind of place you won’t mind going to for a quick drink after your game, only to realize you’ve been there for 2 hours and you still don’t want to leave.

Extra Credit: They have heat lamps.

Third is Blinky’s

If you’re looking for a bar that you could picture yourself going to on a Friday or Saturday night (or a Tuesday afternoon, live your life), Blinky’s is an excellent choice. Between it’s Miami Vice color scheme, the spacious backyard, excellent cocktails and cheap beer. I promise you’ll enjoy yourself one way or another.

Extra Credit: If you get to Blinky’s and it’s too full, the good news is that you’re now on Grand St., which has more bars than Williamsburg knows what to do with. I’d recommend scuttling over to The Whisky on Grand, which is a sports bar with tons of room, as well as bar games like ping pong, shuttle board, and darts.

Directions:

The field is incredibly easy to access from almost any way you choose.

Subway: The field sits a five minute walk from both the G (Broadway) and L (Montrose Ave) trains, as well as the J and M (Lorimer St.), making it incredibly accessible from nearly everywhere.

Bus: The B46 and the B48, which run along Broadway, both stop a block away from the field.

Bike: There are a handful of CitiBike terminals littered on every side of the field. You can pick a random direction, start walking, and you will find one.

Thank all for listening and until next time!

-James

James Berry 7/30/22 James Berry 7/30/22

Neighborhood Spotlight: Astoria (Upper 90 Rooftop)

Hey Footy Family,

Many of you may already been familiar with Upper 90, as it’s one of the best soccer stores in the city, but some may not know that they also have four beautiful futsal sized fields in their Astoria location.

Between the two fields inside on the ground-floor and two more on the roof, there is soccer going on all the time here and the fields are incredibly nice. There is something wonderful and uniquely metropolitan about playing soccer on a rooftop

The store is usually open when games start as well in case you need to grab any last minute supplies like shin guards or goalie gloves, not to mention there's a small little bar wedged between it all where you can pick up snacks, gatorade, a quick post game beer.

Up Next: Astoria

The Field:

All of the fields are made for 4 on 4 games, 5 on 5 if you include the goalies in your count. If you're unfamiliar with how futsal fields are designed, the entire field is wrapped in a wall, with nets covering everything above chest height on the upstairs fields, and walls going all the way to the roof on the downstairs fields. The goals are also designed lower, only about 3 feet high, so make sure you keep the ball low when you shoot.

Since the field is so compact and there's effectively no out of bounds games are incredibly action packed. Even though there are only four field players out on the field at a time, make sure you have a deep roster as everyone is moving all the time on a pitch of this size. If you're looking to join a fun, exciting, fast pace league, register for NYC Footy here. If you're a beginner looking to get into soccer, you've haven't played in years, or are just looking for some extra touches during the week, sign up for our Better Player program!

Remember that cleats aren't fit for this field so bring turf shoes!!!

The Neighborhood:

Sek'end Sun: A laid back cocktail bar right in the heart of Astoria and just a short walk from the field, that hits just the right spot between upscale and laid back. Sek'end Sun features an excellent roster of cocktails, a solid beer list, great food, and a super friendly staff. The bar has a ton of space and a big backyard. The bar itself is dressed down with warm, welcoming lighting, so feel free to come as you are, however you are.

Oliver's: I've been told on "good" authority (shout out to No Hand's) that Oliver's is one of the go to bars for Footy Teams that play at U90. A tap house with a welcoming, warm atmosphere on the inside and heaps of space out front, you'll find everything you could want here and probably a bit more. Cocktails, taco Tuesdays, and trivia nights, pop in if you're looking for a solid time or to get in with a little bit more of the Footy crowd. I’ll also give a quick shout out to Las Margaritas, which is right across the street and serves great pitches of frozen margs if that is more you speed.

Cronin's and Phelan's: If you're looking for a classic Irish pub, just a block away from the field, look no further than Cronin's. What is best described as another great good place, they've been serving Astoria for over 100 years, so rest assured they know what they're doing. They've got knockout pub fare, more whiskey then you can, or should, shake a stick at, and karaoke nights, this might just become your second Footy home. Did I mention, their head bartender is also a magician?

Directions:

Train: Both the M and R trains stop right underneath the facility at Steinway St. and the N and W trains will drop you off about 5-10 minutes away at 36av

Bus: The Q101 will drop you off right where the Steinway subway stop is and the Q66 only a block further away, so either one will get you right next to the fields.

Bike: There's a city bike station right on the corner where the facility is and if you're coming from Brooklyn or Queens, it's a fairly straightforward trip.

Thanks for listening.

- James

James Berry 7/30/22 James Berry 7/30/22

Neighborhood Spotlight: Peter's Field (Gramercy)

Hey Footy Family,

The next field we are adding to our ever-expanding repertoire of NYC locations is Peter's Field in Gramercy. The field was only set down less than a year ago and every league we've had here fills up incredibly quickly. Make sure to keep this one on your radar!

Up next: Peter's Field (Gramercy)

The Field:

Peter's Field in Gramercy Park looks fairly innocuous. You've probably passed it by if you ever bike through the city as the second avenue bike path runs right alongside it.

When the city laid down new turf over what used to be just concrete, in October of 21', they quietly turned the field into one of the best places to play in lower Manhattan.

It's a city field through and through. While I love idyllic open fields and wide open spaces, I think there is something beautiful about playing soccer right in the midst of all of the hustle and bustle of NYC. It's a reminder that you don't have to get away from the city, but you can disappear on one of these small but invaluable plots of land around the city, and that's where you can really make the city yours, which is exactly why we love this field.

The Neighborhood:

I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that most of you have already been out drinking on or around the Lower East Side, but there are still a few bars I would like to recommend at least to put on your radar.

Barfly NY: Just a block away from the field, Barfly fits the bill for your classic sports bar/pub to a T. They've got a pool table, darts, happy hour specials, and a bartender who, if you spend some time warming up to them over your season, might supply you with one or two free rounds of shots.

The Winslow: Right on 14th street, the Winslow is one of the few proper gin bars in the city that was created to be like a British-style pub and eatery. Don't be intimidated though, The Winslow is an incredibly friendly, warm environment. They regularly have trivia nights, happy hours until 8PM, live music, and will even educate you on how their gin is made.

Taproom 307: If you or your team are looking for some craft beers after your game, look no further. Taproom 307 has dozens of craft beers, which they rotate season to season, and great bar food including flatbread pizzas, and cocktails. They're always airing movies or sports on their giant wall projector too, so rest assured you will be entertained.

Directions:

Train: If you're coming from Brooklyn or the West side, I recommend taking the L and walking up. Otherwise, I recommend taking the 4, 5, or 6 to 23rd street, which is just a five-minute walk away from the field.

Bike: As per usual, the field is incredibly easy to get to by bike, as the 2nd avenue bike path runs right alongside it.

Bus: The M15 runs downtown along 2nd avenue and uptown along1st and will drop you either right next to the field or only a block away.

Thanks for listening.

- James

James Berry 7/30/22 James Berry 7/30/22

Neighborhood Spotlight: Sunset Park

Hey Footy Fam,

We’re here to tell you about another one of our amazing fields, this one’s in Sunset Park, right along the water.

The Field:

What on the surface seems like just another field in a typical NYC park, Sunset Park is anything but. The whole park sits on top of a hill, the tallest in the surrounding area for miles, which gives you a breathtaking view of the city skyline. Sunset or high-noon, it doesn’t matter.

The field itself is in good condition. It’s all turf with goals at the field, good lines, and a fairly tall fence so even the most misguided shots won’t dovetail into some poor family’s picnic. If you’ve been playing for any amount of time in NYC, the field should be a familiar sight.

The Neighborhood:

Down below the Red Hook inlet, Sunset Park is surrounded by quiet streets, on the border of where the city goes from urban to suburban, but with the best of both worlds. No crowds, low noise, beautiful parks, and easy parking side by side with great bars, easy public transportation, and some of the best food around.

To start it off, let me tell you about one of my favorite spots, Judy’s

Judy’s: You know that one friend you have that seems to be able to do twelve different things, exceptionally well, without batting an eye and still being a genuinely (read frustratingly) kind person. That’s Judy’s.

Judy’s is a bar, coffee shop, and a small shop wrapped into one. They serve and sell everything. all day, but the vibe switches from coffee shop during the day, to bar at night. During the day they have freshly made pastries and at night they make their own pizza. They’ve got sidewalk seating, indoor seating, and a patio with a roof. Judy’s alone makes the trip worthwhile. Did I mention it’s across the street from the field?

L’wren: Don’t be fooled by the sleek interior or the french name, L’wren is a wonderful and incredibly friendly bar. They’ve got an assortment of amazing food, from tacos to table popcorn, excellent cocktails, and if you like what you taste, you can even order 35oz of freshly made margarita to take home with you in a bottle if you want. They have outdoor space on both ends, a great atmosphere, and are located just across the street from the park.

Minnie’s: Female owned. Check. Let’s you order pizza from table 87 to the bar. Check. Has nothing to do with Minnie the Mouse. Check. Minnie’s is your fun, easy, casual bar that you and your team will find it hard not to become regulars at. They’ve got boardgames, a great backyard, and five dollar beers, don’t think too hard. This place is a catch.

Directions:

Trains: The quickest and easiest way to get to Sunset Park is on the R and N Trains, which stops at 45th, only 1 block away from the field. The D train also stops five blocks away from the field at 36th.

Bike: There are Citi bike stations on two corners of the park and the park itself is an easy bike ride from anywhere in the city.

As always, thanks for listening.

-James