Our 8th Captain of the Match, Dhalia Eld
When she’s not playing in NYCFooty or practicing with BetterPlayer, Dahlia is an ER doctor, saving lives, and she extends that care to everyone she meets.
Her unbounded kindness, positive energy, and caring nature make Dhalia a fixture wherever she plays and NYC is a better place.
By far our most requested captain and an outrageously good soul.
Dhalia is captain of Sunset Park the Bus.
Between saving lives as an ER doctor, offering rides home to her teammates, and bringing snacks and drinks to everyone on the pitch (including the refs), Dhalia might actually be a living angel.
It’s impossible to express the gratitude we feel towards her and how lucky we are to have her as a member of the community, and our city.
Dhalia’s enthusiasm is unparalleled and her legend grows with each game and bag of orange slices she brings to the field. We should all be lucky enough to play with, or again, Captain Dhalia.
Our 9th Captain of the Match, Dygo Josefzoon!
Congatulations to our 9th NYCFC Captain of the Match, Dygo Josefzoon!
Dygo came to NYC from the Netherlands to pursue a career in soccer, finding his natural fit as a coach all across the city
He is a full-time youth coach for kids of ages 4-7 with Born Kickers and is a part-time coach with BetterPlayer.
If you want to find practices with Coach Dygo, you can do so right here.
He is hands down one of the kindest people you're likely to meet anywhere in NYC, on or off the soccer field. His calm, welcoming demeanor make him a perfect coach and player for youth and adults alike.
Don't let that kindness fool you though, Dygo is an accomplished player and a seasoned coach.
Outside of soccer, Dygo is passionate about his music as a singer and connects with people as easily as we've ever seen, making him a natural coach, community builder, and just a great person all around.
Side note, if you don't think those are two of the cutest photos you've seen in a Footy newsletter thus far, I'm not sure we can be friends.
Thank you Coach Dygo!a
Our 10th Captain of the Match, Mante Osei
We're proud to have Mante Osei as today's captain of the match.
Mante brings a spirit of inclusion, joy, and family everywhere he goes, particularly to the teams he captains.
You can find him playing at Pier 5 with NYC Footy each week alongside his beautiful wife Zimanta.
Immigrating from Ghana, Mante brought his passion for the game with him and has been playing every weekend for the last 11 years.
Mante has instilled that same passion for soccer, as well as anime, with his daughter Faith, who is already a lifelong Chelsea fan like her father.
A financial advisor who has built a life for himself here in New York City, Mante reminds us all how deeply sustaining and fruitful a life filled with soccer can be.
From all of those who have played with him over the past 11 years, to his family Zimanta and Faith, and us at NYC Footy, we all thank you Captain Mante!
Our 6th Captain of the Match, Patrick Kargol!
Patrick's passion for bringing people together and saving penalty kicks is matched only by his passion for motorcycles, which he inherited from his father.
HR professional, biker, goalkeeper, team captain; Patrick reminds us that everyone we meet on the field contains multitudes.
Don't be fooled by the rough, biker persona. Patrick is kind, organized, thoughtful, supportive, funny, and goes out of his way to organize carpools for his teammates.
Not to mention he's also a die hard Lord of the Rings fan, which means the most on any list of superlatives.
As captain of the Talking Headers, Patrick is one of NYC Footy's most beloved captains, even being one of it's newest.
Quick to lend a hand in support of his teammates and the community at large, Patrick is one of the special few who helps bring and hold people together effortlessly.
He's the best friend and captain we can hope for.
Thank you Captain Patrick!
Our 11th Captain of the Match, Sebastian Tuinder
Sebastian fell in love with soccer at an early age growing up in South Africa, a love he carries with him proudly today.
A documentary filmmaker and adjunct professor at Columbia University and Brooklyn College, Sebastian’s heart belongs to the outdoors and to his pups.
Captain of The Rough Cuts, Sebastian is easily recognizable by his beaming smile and his unerring positivity on and off the pitch and can be seen week in and week out seen doling out coaching tips, encouragement, and congratulations to teammates and opponents alike.
Sebastian goes out of his way to make sure everyone feels included, regardless of their race, gender, orientation, beliefs, nationality, background, or skill level, and that they are made to feel like they're part of the team.
Off the field, Sebastian has dedicated himself to the service of others. Through his professions as a journalist and professor he seeks to inform, to teach, and to inspire those around him.
Traits we're glad he carries with him on the field.
He encourages his students and teammates in the same way, to go above and beyond for others, to report, play, and live with integrity, and to always have a bright attitude, no matter what.
Thank you Captain Sebastian!
Our 12th Captain of the Match, Joey Lafyatis!
Joey moved to New York ten years ago for work and like many before him accidentally fell in love with the city.
A fan of NYCFC since Patrick Vieria was the coach (they are both French), Joey and his partner now go to as many NYCFC games as possible.
Joey and his partner live together in Bedstuy with their dog, Freddie, where they spend their time cultivating a garden, biking the city's neighborhoods, and keeping Freddie out of trouble.
One of the highlights of Joey's week is when he gets to escape his apartment to play soccer with NYC Footy.
Joey started playing with Footy as a free agent a few years ago, using it as a way to explore new parks and parts of the city, as well as to meet new people.
Eventually, he decided to put a little extra work in and become a captain, bringing together people he had met throughout the years.
Joey focuses on building a social dynamic within the team that creates positive outcomes on and off the pitch, and does that by actively fostering an environment of inclusion and respect amongst the players.
In his own words:
"We all come from different backgrounds, we have different levels of competitiveness and extraversion, and sometimes we are either having a good day we want to bring to the team or a bad day we want to leave behind.
We all deserve to be fully welcomed every time into this group of friends: to be given equal playing time, to be picked up when we're down, and to celebrate our successes on the field and in our lives.
That type of culture flourishes with the active awareness, participation, and facilitation of a captain."
A truly beautiful sentiment, and one we couldn't have said better.
Thank you Captain Joey!
Our 13th Captain of the Match, Pat Seaward!
Pat hails from a small beach town in southern Maine, where he was introduced to soccer-making lifelong friends while traveling all over the seacoast for games and tournaments.
For Pat, there's nothing like playing soccer in the crisp New England air surrounded by the spectacular foliage.
While he played just about every sport growing up, his love of soccer always persisted.
When Pat first arrived in New York he worked in the Television and Film industry in the location department.
In addition to seeing so much of the city, it allowed Pat to meet and work with some incredibly talented people over the years.
Not to mention that he can personally attest, after working on "Somewhere In Queens", that everybody does in fact love Ray Romano.
A childhood friend of Pat's introduced him to NYC Footy in 2017 and from the very first game, he knew this was the league for him because of the warmth and the community he felt on and off the field.
Fast forward to 2023, Pat is now the captain of that team he joined back in 2017, and helps to create that same warmth and community that drew him to Footy in the first place.
As the years go on and teammates move, start families, go back to school, and change jobs, the friendships and the milestones Pat has been able to achieve and share with teammates and friends alike have remained.
Pat Seaward is one of those rare few people who brings a sense of ease, kindness, and humble grace with him wherever he goes-moment to moment, making the world a better place.
Pat: "I'm proud of my team and this league for being filled with wonderful people that I've spent sneakily 1/7th of my life with."
We're proud to have you as part of the NYC Footy family as well Pat. Cheers to the first 1/7th with Footy and here's to many more.
Thank you Captain Pat!
Our 15th Captain of the Match, Maria Arenas!
Maria's motto is to be kind to everyone.
When she's not at her 9-5 in PR, she spends most of her evenings on the pitch bringing people together.
For Maria, the only thing that beats the feeling of stopping shots as a goalkeeper is her daily face time with her niece and nephew.
Maria can also be found training as a goalkeeper with the BetterPlayer program, and knows that it takes more than just stopping shots to be a true goalkeeper.
It means being the backbone of your team and supporting everyone on and off the pitch, having your teammates backs, and picking them up when they make mistakes.
You can find Maria stopping shots with a smile all over Astoria on teams like Buds Unlimited, Vamos Equipo FC, and our favorite-Popcorn Shrimp FC.
In her personal life, Maria loves a good mystery novel and hanging out with her friends, all of whom count themselves lucky to know such a kind and wonderful person and player. As do we.
Thank you Captain Maria!
Our 14th Captain of the Match, Shela Qui
Shela Qiu grew up in Toronto, learning to love soccer from a young age.
A software engineer by trade and a community leader by passion, Shela now captains two teams in NYC Footy, bringing her own brand of encouragement, fun, and competition to the pitch.
Shela's athletic prowess extends beyond the soccer field as she dabbles in volleyball, tennis, badminton, and even spikeball.
When she's not playing Footy or other sports, Shela loves hanging out with scruffy dogs, hiking in the Catskills, scrapbooking her travels around the world, and reading great science fiction likeThe Three Body Problem.
She also has a quiet 1m+ score on the NYT mini crosswords.
Shela is one of those special captains who brings an infectious amount of joy and enthusiasm to everyone on both sides of the field.
Thank you for all your hard work and wonderful attitude Captain Shela!
Our 16th Captain of the Match, Daniel McCallum
Daniel captains a team called EWAM (Exceptional Women, Average Men), which promotes gender equality in mixed gender sports.
Daniel goes above and beyond what it means to be a captain.
He hosts an annual fundraiser for women's reproductive rights, which to date has raised over $22 thousand dollars, and is on the board of WeDoGoodWorks, a charity that furnishes the homes of New Yorkers in need.
Daniel grew up in Glasgow, where he learned to love football, Glasgow Celtic, and a pint... or two.
It was only after he moved to NYC, where he's lived for the last 13 years, that he came into his own as a footballer and as an exceptional captain and community leader.
Beyond the on-the-field championships and the off the field accolades, Daniel McCallum has brought together hundreds of people over the years under the umbrella of EWAM and NYC Footy.
More than anything, this is what it means to be a captain, to create a space through which people can come together.
It's through people like Daniel that we begin to see how far our actions and relationships can ripple and effect change.
Thank you Captain Daniel!
Our 17th and Final Captain of the Match: Ben Siegel
Ben Siegel is a born and raised New Yorker and the captain of Left Footed Letdown.
A superlative captain who, more than anything, epitomizes what it means to care; care for the game of soccer, care for his teammates, and above all care for his friends.
Ben has been working in tech and non-profits since he graduated from Northeastern.
Ben's passion for soccer is matched by his interest in history, fantasy, and most importantly food.
Ben now lives in Brooklyn with his partner Sarah, and their two adopted cats, Sir Maxwell and Nora.
Ben's emphatic attitude towards the things and people he cares deeply about are what set him apart as a captain and as a person.
We're so happy that he's been with Footy for so many years, and are looking forward to many more! Thank you captain Ben.
Neighborhood Spotlight: Chelsea Piers In Prospect Heights
Hello Footy,
NYC Footy’s Winter registration has officially begun so we’re going to be walking you through another one of our neighborhood spotlights.
This time, the brand new Chelsea Piers Field House in Downtown Brooklyn.
We fully expect this field to be our most popular winter location alongside Bedford Armory given it’s prime location and the fact that it’s on indoor turf. So without any delay, here’s are the details.
The Field
Chelsea Piers Field House, Prospect Heights
Chelsea Piers has been expanding their facilities all around the city, so when we heard that they were opening up a field house with an indoor turf field we had to get some field time right away.
Indoor turf is the best of both worlds in the winter, plus everything about the field space is just exceptional. The high walls and ceilings, the trim nets, clear lines, tight turf (sometimes indoor turf gets really loose over time), everything about the Chelsea Piers Field House sets it apart including, as you’ll see below, how easy it is to get to.
The Neighborhood:
The Field House is roughly two blocks from the Barclay’s Center, which means there’s 1001 things to do within walking distance of the facility plus every subway line you can imagine.
We’re going to skip the Chuck E Cheese and Buffalo Wild Wings that are right next door for now and are gonna stick with some of the neighborhood favorites so you and your teammates have places to pop into after the game.
Hanson Dry:
Just north of the fields, and right across from the A/C train station is Hanson Dry, a neighborhood favorite and for good reason.
They’ve got well priced cocktails, a warm, inviting, unpretentious vibe to the space, and a private backyard. It’s the perfect spot for you to hang up your cleats for a drink or two before you hop on the train.
Bilt Bar
Bilt Bar is your no-nonsense old school Brooklyn bar. They’ve got excellent cocktails, a friendly staff, and possibly the most important thing they’re right on the same block as the field, at 583 Vanderbilt Avenue.
Espescially when you don’t want to go very far for a bar in the winter, Bilt is the perfect choice.
Uncle Barry’s
To wrap up the list, we’ve got Uncle Barry’s just two blocks away from the field on the other side of Barclay’s.
Uncle Barry’s is another great spot, particularly if you want to carry on from your game with some fun, less active activities like trivia (every Wednesdays) and darts.
How To Get There:
Subway: Chelsea Piers is near one of the main locus of transportations in Brooklyn, Atlantic Ave. The stop is 4 blocks away from the field, meaning you can grab the 2, 3, B, D, 4, 5, N, Q, R, trains all from that same station.
Just two more blocks and you can also find a stops for the G and C.
Bus: If you’re looking to get there by bus, you’re going to want to get either the B69 or the B52.
Bike: There’s also a CitiBike station on the corner next to the facility.
And there’s Chelsea Piers Filed House in Prospect Heights! Until next time.
Ever,
James B
Neighborhood Spotlight: Riverbank State Park, The Gem of the Hudson
Hey all, it’s been quite some time since we’ve been able to bring you a neighborhood spotlight, but this field is just so over the top with good qualities we couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
So without further ado, introducing Riverbank State Park!
Riverbank State Park, Harlem, NYC
Riverbank State Park was originally designed to mirror Japanese urban rooftop designs, making it a one-of-a-kind facility in the city.
Before we get to the pitch itself, we just have to touch on the depth of offerings Riverbank has beyond just soccer.
The facility includes an olympic sized pool, an 800 seat theater, a 2,500 seat athletic complex, an ice rink in the winter that doubles as a roller rink in the summer, playgrounds for kids, four tennis courts, four paddleball courts, four basketball courts, an educational greenhouse (for all of you who continue, despite your best efforts, to kill your houseplants), a softball field, a running track, a carousel, an amazing bar and restaurant, and all of it with a spectacular view of the Hudson River and the Palisades.
It’s the first time that we’ve been able to run a league here at Riverbank, and so we want to make sure you’ve got everything you need so that you feel like even though it’s your first time, that you’re well situated.
The Field:
The most important detail of any league you play in is the pitch. How’s the turf? what are the sidelines like? Are there bleachers for your adoring fans?
Riverbank has you covered on all fronts.
The field is a regulation, 11v11 sized pitch, surrounded by a running track, so you don’t have to worry about any walls or fences, just the occasional incensed jogger, but that’s NYC up and down anyways.
The turf was recently redone so you can expect a flat, even, experience when you’re playing. Unfortunately that means you’ll have to wait a few years to be able to reliably blame your mistakes on the field.
Since we’re running both 11v11 and 7v7 leagues here, you can expect fields of different sizes, 11v11 running the length of the entire field, and 7v7 splitting the field into two halves for a more reasonable game size given the numbers.
Plus, there are places for friends and fans alike to sit all around the facility.
The Neighborhood:
The footbridge to Riverbank State Park comes right off of 145th street and Riverside Drive. If you walk just a little bit further into Manhattan (read: one block), you’ll find an area full of bars, restaurants, and life.
Or if you’d rather, you can stick to the edge on Riverside Park, enjoy the green trees, open spaces, and long bike path that can take you all the way up and down the island.
As is the format, we’ll give you our three top recommendations for after game watering holes, but this is a great area to explore around it.
Harlem Public
Something about Harlem Public’s “Do Work, Sip Brews” resonates with us. And as it turns out, it resonates with their 60k+ followers on Instagram too.
Between their classic American fare, a great and shifting craft beer selection, tons of specials throughout the week, and heaps of charisma and charm, you can go wrong here, but if you do it’s probably on you.
Sofrito
If you, like I am, are a person of class and taste and all you want from like is a good margarita within walking distance from your soccer field, well you’re in luck.
Not only is Sofrito inside of the Riverbank park facility and stocked to handle all your margarita desires, they also are known for some incredible Puerto Rican food.
If you’re looking for the perfect balance of convenience and choice, with outdoor seating and even a little snack bar on the side if all you want is a bite on your way back home, this is it.
Hamilton’s:
If you’re looking for something that hits right in the middle, Hamilton’s is it.
Your cozy daytime cafe that becomes a relaxed bar with live jazz at night, and only 3 blocks away from the field (and only one away from the subway), Hamilton’s is great on any day of the week at any time.
The space is warm, open, and inviting and so are the staff. If you’re looking for somewhere to rest your legs and have some drinks and some laughs with your teammates after the game, Hamilton’s is great.
How To Get There:
Subway: The 1 train will let you off at 145th street, which is exactly one block from the facility. Just three blocks beyond that, the A, B, C, and D trains all stop at 145th street as well. So traveling by train is by far your best bet.
Bike: Biking up the Hudson River is honestly one of the most pleasurable and calming experiences NYC has to offer. Not to mention, if you work in midtown it’s only a 30 minute ride, which is going to be faster than any taxi. There
Sadly, there aren’t any ferry stops near by.
This is all we’ve got for you today! Stay tuned for the next spotlight!
NYC Footy: Managing Meeting Gender Requirements for Free Agent Teams
At NYC Footy, we have very intentionally focused on fostering and building a vibrant and inclusive soccer community by offering leagues that are and always have been mixed gender.
A meaningful part of our community, season in and season out, is made up of individuals and small groups that go on to join teams of total strangers for the joy of the beautiful game. Our mixed gender format is designed to create an environment where everyone can play, compete, and build connections.
At NYC Footy, we have very intentionally focused on fostering and building a vibrant and inclusive soccer community by offering leagues that are and always have been mixed gender.
A meaningful part of our community, season in and season out, is made up of individuals and small groups that go on to join teams of total strangers for the joy of the beautiful game. Our mixed gender format is designed to create an environment where everyone can play, compete, and build connections.
As we continue to grow, we are committed to maintaining the integrity of our league while addressing challenges related to gender balance within teams. As organizers and players, we know that ensuring a balanced gender composition is crucial to providing a positive and enjoyable experience for all participants whilst fulfilling our vision of a competitive but not ridiculous soccer experience for New Yorkers. That is why we have established certain gender minimums for each team, such as having a specified number of female players on the pitch at all times.
However, we recognize that, despite our concerted efforts, assembling teams with sufficient female players can sometimes be a challenge. We want to be transparent about the options available to free agent teams that find themselves in this situation, ensuring that they can navigate the situation with clarity and collaboration.
If registered players made up of individuals and small groups do not, collectively, create appropriately gender balanced free agent teams, and NYC Footy’s additional outreach efforts do not fulfill this need, we have provided the following options for Free Agent Teams without sufficient female players:
[Ongoing] Female Player Referral Program: NYC Footy has a standing referral program that provides a 50% off discount for any new female player introduced to our community by an existing member. That member, agnostic of gender, will receive $50 in NYC Footy credits per new female player introduced to our community (up to $1,500 in credits).
Reduced Female Minimum Grace Period: When registering as an individual or part of a small group, NYC Footy groups you with others to form a free agent team. If your team doesn't meet the required gender minimums before the season begins, we will add an "FAx" qualifier to your team name for the first two weeks. This qualifier temporarily reduces the female minimum by one (1) female for games in divisions where two (2) or more female players are required. After the initial two weeks, “FAx” teams will be expected to meet the standard female minimum by leveraging the following resources:
FootyHQ Player Forum: Each free agent team will have an assigned captain who can access our FootyHQ community forum. In this forum, captains can actively recruit female players for the entire season or for individual games.
Captain's WhatsApp Chat: Captains also have access to the "captain's chat" for their division. This feature allows them to collaborate with other captains and explore the possibility of borrowing female players from other teams..
Female Recruitment Discount Code: NYC Footy provides a discount code to FAx teams, enabling existing roster players to invite female players to join the league at a reduced rate (usually $20 for a full season).
Beyond these tools, we are heavily motivated to explore partnerships and support from female-focused organizations, student bodies, and other communities to encourage female player participation, which strengthens the diversity of our Footy family and ensures our free agent teams are experiencing NYC Footy as it was intended.
At NYC Footy, we value the passion and enthusiasm our participants bring to the field. We understand that challenges can arise, and we appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we collectively work towards strengthening our community and the player experience as a whole.
The Wonderful People of NYC Footy: Debbie Tasioudis
This is Debbie’s Story, her battle through Covid and breast cancer, and finding strength through soccer.
J: James Berry here again with our second Wonderful Person of NYC Footy, Debbie Tasioudis. Debbie, good to see you, why don’t you tell everyone a little bit about yourself?
D: Hey James, sure. Well my name is Debbie Tasioudis, I’m from Atlanta, but I live in Brooklyn now. I work for the NYC for the schools and I joined Footy in I think 2021, spring or summer of 2021 sounds right.
J: Did you have friends that played already?
D: No, I actually joined as a free agent, but we sort of coalesced afterwards and have come together and are now our own team.
J: That’s great. What’s the team name?
D: Heat Strokes (hey everyone!), but I’m also playing on FA Weah Behind Schedule. I think we’re currently number six in the league right now.
J: Out of?
D: Out of seven.
J: It’s a rebuilding season then.
D: Exactly. No, we’d like to be good, but it’s not really about winning for us, it’s just about, you know, getting out there and having fun.
J: As it should be. Where do you guys play?
D: I’m a bit all over, I play at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Sternberg, and also in Ridgewood, and I can’t really figure out which one I like more. BBP has that amazing view, but Ridgewood and Sternberg are just kind of like home I guess. I love them all.
J: Yeah it’s hard to pick just one, I feel like having a home field is a really special thing though, so I’m glad you’ve got 2. How did you end up finding Footy in the first place?
D: I played in one season of NYC Soccer and I just didn’t find it to be very social. It was like you show up, you play the game, you leave. I was asking around about more social leagues and someone recommended Footy, so I looked into Footy and I’ve found a really nice community of players.
J: I think that’s the most important thing about Footy right, the community.
D: Exactly. And Heat Strokes are definitely such a solid group now, it’s just really good.
J: That’s incredible. So you and I have talked a bit, but could you just tell us about your story, and what happened to you right at the beginning of Covid?
D: Absolutely, so in 2020-I work for the NYC schools, we shut down our school system on March 23rd- we opened maybe 50 schools just for kids of first responders, and I had the privilege of leading one those schools. While I was doing that, I got Covid. Probably not at school, but yeah.
So I was home with Covid in April and had to wait a little to go to the doctor, but when I did, I discovered that I had stage 2 breast cancer. All of the hospitals were closed and I had to wait until June to get surgery. That led to another surgery in July, 16 weeks of chemo, and almost 30 rounds of daily radiation. That was tough.
That ended around February 2021. I was feeling really grateful to be at a place where there was no evidence of disease. I made it through the difficulties of chemo, made it through the slow but difficult consequences of radiation. I went home for a month, worked remotely and tried to focus on feeling healthy again.
Sometime in there, I realized that I hadn’t been working out in the way that I normally do and I hadn’t been active enough. I came back to NY and for example I was scared to be on the train, not because of issues on the train, but because my body was scared to be around a lot of people. And I started taking a protective stance in crowds, in the grocery store.
It took me a while to realize that this wasn’t a Covid thing, this was a cancer thing after all the things that happened to my body.
So I decided that I couldn’t walk around afraid all the time. I had to find a way to find some body confidence, to not be scared. So the first thing that came to me was getting back on the soccer field.
I had played soccer in high-school, I played a little co-ed in college, and I played in my mid-twenties when I moved back to NY, but I hadn’t played in a long time.
To me it seemed like a good way to get confident again because, you know, it’s a good way to get hit, but in a safe way. You intend to throw your body in front of another person, you intend to throw your body in front of the ball.
So I very cautiously made my way to a P5 NYC Footy team. I gotta say my first season was very tough.
I had some muscle memory about the game, but the ball would come towards me and I would scream a high-pitched scream I don’t normally use and run from the ball or cower. I was reluctant to run into anyone. But every game it got a little better and a little better.
I really felt like I had to tell my teammates why I was there and why I was excited to be on the field but sometimes afraid of the ball.
So I told a couple of my teammates, I told the captain, ‘I’m here. I just finished cancer treatment. I’m trying to get some body confidence back. Get myself back to feeling normal and strong.’ My teammates were so open, responsive, and supportive.
J: Can you speak to what it felt like to get to that point? To feel like you were able to get your body back.
D: A thing happens when you have a couple surgeries, radiation. You’re still in your body, but your body is a different body than it was before. So there’s a lot to that.
I’m part of a group called The Breasties. It’s this incredible network of pre-vivors-people who don’t have cancer, but have a genetic disposition- survivors, caregivers, and thrivers-people who are living with on-going cancer.
They’ve got really great resources, like on how to do a self-exam, I literally wouldn’t be here if I didn’t do a self-exam, and so much more. But through this network, I spoke with others about how to get comfortable in my bodies again and things that I could do intentionally to get comfortable.
Things like looking in the mirror everyday. Outfit of the day. Exercising. Finding strength. I think that was some of my motivation.
I also have a regular barre practice. When the studio re-opened in person I started going back there again. That got me feeling strong and confident again, but that’s a singular practice I was doing.
There’s a difference in soccer because it’s a thing your body does with other people.
The people on your team, and the people you play against, it’s more of a full-contact sport and that’s what was missing for me and I found on the soccer field; the physical movement, remembering that I can do hard things, I can run for a 20 minute half, I can take a hit, I can take the ball from someone.
Then there’s also a mental thing that happens on the field. You and your teammates develop a language together and it’s a really encouraging environment. Particularly on the teams I’ve been on.
On Heat Strokes for example, we’re very encouraging on each other when we’re on the field, and then in our chat as well. I get confidence from that, from being a part of a team and seeing your skills improve over time.
J: There are people, while many or most might not come from a situation as dire as cancer, come into this league coming off of a serious injury, or with a feeling of feeling isolated in their own body, or even detached from their own body. Can you speak more to what made you feel like it was time to take that space back in yourself? What led to that decision and what it felt like to be doing that?
D: You know when I first came to NY I think I played one season of soccer. Through a dating situation I played softball. It’s not really an athletic sport. It’s a lot of standing around. But I got tackled once-
J: You got tackled in softball?
D: Correct. In softball. By a drunk 250 pound guy who didn’t even have the ball and I wound up tearing my my gastroc muscle. You could hear it pop. So I was reluctant after that. I was in a boot for maybe 8 weeks or something.
But it goes back to the cancer thing, the injury thing, you cannot be afraid forever. There’s so much good that happens in a 50 minute game.
I always play outside. Just being outside, not thinking about work, not thinking about your personal relationships. It’s you, your teammates, and the game. It’s such a privilege to move your body.
That is first and foremost something I learned: you never know what’s going to happen and once you find yourself in a situation, through injury or cancer, you realize what a gift it is to move your body every day and so you want to keep doing that.
It’s also not the world cup. It’s a Wednesday rec league, or a Sunday rec league, you don’t have to be perfect. Just go out there and try to play well, try to be better every game.
J: When someone close to you tells you they have cancer, there’s a lack of understanding of how to respond to that. How do people who are around someone diagnosed with cancer, or any serious illness, how can they help. There’s almost this feeling of not wanting to burden them more, or wanting to give them space. What were the things that were most helpful for you to receive from the people around you and what might you offer to people who may be needing that kind of help in their own recovery, whether they can ask for it, or find it from their teammates, friends, and family?
D: I think the single most important thing for me in survivorship in that time after active treatment ends is an understanding that when active cancer treatment ends it’s not over, survivorship is a lifetime of ongoing appointments, check-ins scans, tests, and it’s terrifying every time.
Your body remembers what it’s like to go to the place where you got chemotherapy, where you got surgery, where your body got radiated. Even if you feel comfortable, your body can feel resistant.
I think that’s something people don’t realize, I think people think that cancer treatment’s over, she doesn’t have cancer anymore. It’s done. But there really isn’t a finish line. There are benchmarks.
You can make it to 5, 10 years, and you’re probably not going to get it again, but you’re always looking over your shoulder. You’re always trying to learn how to live in your body. And you’re putting yourself in a situation where you’re doing everything you can to not get cancer again.
I think the awareness that it doesn’t end when the treatment ends and just listening, making space, and checking in. Just saying “how are you? How are things going?” I think there’s a lot of assumptions and just listening and understanding for me is the the most important thing in my survivorship.
I think also every cancer survivor I know can talk about people who they told they had cancer to and then never heard from them again. It happens all the time. People have their own trauma around cancer, their own stories. Or they just don’t know what to say, they get overwhelmed.
I don’t think I need someone to reach out and say ‘hey how’s your cancer’, just ‘hey how are you?’ For a lot of us, we just want to know that people care. That we’re not just our cancer diagnosis, that we’re complex beings.
J: You’ve got such an incredible story, and just hearing you talk about it with such confidence is really magnificent and awesome, is there anything you want add that I might have missed?
D: Yeah. I love my barre practice, I love my regular workouts, that’s what keeps me injury friend when I’m not on the field. But there’s something so wonderful about being a part of a team, having this amazing game to focus on every week.
It is the highlight of my week. If it’s raining or snowing, I’m learning to love it. I’m grateful for Footy, you don’t have to be great at this game, you just have to get out there.
The other thing I would say, you’re never too young to get breast cancer and I would encourage people to get to know your own body, and learn how to perform a self-exam.
Anybody can get breast cancer. Some people say “Feel it on the first”, just make a routine, get to know how your breast is supposed to feel. I’m alive today because I found the lump myself.
And one final note, when I got back I got hit in the breast, nearly immediately, with a soccer ball and I thought, “oh my god I have breast cancer again” but, pro-tip from my breast oncologist, you cannot get breast cancer from getting hit with a soccer ball.
J: Hahaha that’s great to know. Debbie this has been so inspiring and thank you for taking the time to come down and share your story with me and all of us here in the Footy community.
D: Of course, I’m happy to do it.
The Best Field You've Never Heard Of: Bush Terminal Park
Hugging the water on the west shoulder of Sunset Park, in an area that remains what Williamsburg was like 20 years ago (soon to be overrun), sits the greatest park in NYC you’ve never played on. Bush Terminal Park.
The Field: Bush Terminal Park is one of those rare places that has Perfect turf, clear field lines, tons of space, high fences, and an incredible view of both the city to the north and of the Manhattan Sound, which the field is situated right alongside.
Fresh Cut Turf!
A sanctuary of Footy
Bush Terminal Park is just waiting to become the next Bushwick Inlet Park, or even the next Pier 5.
I say that in large part because of what is around the field, which I will get into later in the post, but also because of the opportunity the field presents.
Bush Terminal Park, for all of it’s beauty and serenity, has remained largely un-chartered territory by leagues because of how far south it is. It’s parallel with the southern part of Prospect Park.
But that distance, which as any New Yorker will tell you grows smaller every year, has framed Bush Terminal Park as one of the ideal fields in the city.
A field in relative isolation, surrounded by good food, good bars, and good views, that you and a dozen of your friends can make your own, to retreat to every weekend or week night, curl your backs to the city, and just play.
There’s a Field of Dream’s quality to the place and believe me it won’t stay like that forever.
If the field itself wasn’t enough to convince you, let’s take a look at what’s going on nearby.
The Neighborhood:
Up first, we’ve got somewhere you’ve undoubtedly heard of.
Industry City - Sunset Park
Located a ten minute walk from the pitch, this massive indoor-outdoor facility has everything you could ever imagine inside.
More bars than you could realistically go to in a season of Footy (but we won’t stop you), artist pop-ups, dozens of incredible restaurants, game and leisure spaces at every turn, event spaces, comic book shops (shout out to St. Marks Comics), as well as tons more I’m running out of space to list.
It’s a place designed to foster community and you can feel that in and out at every new area you walk into.
My recommendations would be to set up a little cocktail crawl or a wine waddle, and see where you and your team like it best.
Keep an eye out for the Gun Hill Publick House, as they’re notoriously kind to people wearing NYC Footy jerseys.
Up Next, we’ve got a Footy Favorite: The Five Boroughs Brewing Co.
The Five Boroughs Brewing Co.
With more types of beer than you can shake a stick at, a great space that happens to be only 2 blocks from the field, some of the kindest staff and brewers on site, a bar room full of games and other activities, and a healthy balance of numerous, yet avoidable if unwanted TV’s, there’s not much more one could hope for when looking for an after game haunt.
Except a standing discount for NYC Footy players… which there also is.
If you and your friends are looking for the nearest, and possibly best place to drink after your games at Bush Terminal Park, look no further.
But, if you’re looking for something a little different, with a little more Sunset Park flavor, head to the last place on our list, Judy’s.
Judy’s - Sunset Park
If you’re looking for a wholesome joint that wants nothing more than you to feel welcome, have a drink, relax, and be apart of it’s community, Judy’s is it.
Judy’s (which has made this list for other fields) is the perfect balance of coffee shop meets bar, sliding from one to the other seamlessly around 5PM everyday (although everything is served all the time).
The outdoor space is comfortable, the drinks are affordable, the snacks are great, the pastries are from The Good Batch Bakery, and if nothing on menu is to your liking, the staff will literally help you find a place nearby to order or grab food from which you’re more than welcome to eat at the bar.
If that doesn’t illustrate what type of establishment this is, I’m not sure what will.
The Transportation:
Most people’s big complaint for this field is that it’s too far away. But I’m here to help you find your way here so you can discover the most underserved field in the city.
Trains: The D train stops at 45st and is only a 10 minute walk from the field.
Bikes: Biking remains (as is true of most of Brooklyn) the best way to get to this field. With easy bike lines along the waterfront and a Citi Bike station right at 43rd street and 2nd avenue (one block from the entrance to the park), this is by far the simplest way to get here.
Car: One of the very rare occasions that I’ll bring up driving here because the parking is actually incredibly sound in this area. Not to mention the field happens to be right off of the Belt Parkway, making it super convenient for any car commuting folk.
Bus: The B37 is your best bet, as it runs straight down 3rd avenue and drops you off 2 blocks from the field.
That’s all we’ve got for this field, we’re looking forward to seeing you out there soon!
-James Berry
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!
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
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!
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.
