BKFC CEO Mack Mansfield made it clear that the US Men’s National Team striker’s investment was in the community and not just the team or for marketing purposes, stating, “In addition to achieving excellence on the pitch, Tim is deeply committed to joining us in our mission to give back to Brooklyn communities and further grow the sport that has given us so much. Tim’s journey from Brooklyn to the biggest stages in international and club football inspires all New York footballers and further helps us instill an elite winning culture across all our men’s, women’s, and academy programs. We look forward to competing for championships at Maimonides Park this coming season and beyond.”
This is important for the USL and US soccer in general. Brooklyn supports a fully funded academy. Meaning, there are kids playing there that may not have the opportunity to play if they had to pay the thousands of dollars it cost for young players to play in majority of America. The MLS can only serve so many cities and communities. With professional clubs come subsidized academies, which help kids of all backgrounds get the opportunity to develop into potential professional players, collegiate players, and soccer professionals.
Who better to help BKFC create a true grassroots club than someone who has experienced the youth soccer system in both environments and currently plays at the highest level? The Brooklyn-based club not only supports a subsidized/free-to-play academy but also a men’s USL Championship team and a women’s USL Super League team.
The US National Team striker explained, “I am grateful for the opportunity to join Brooklyn Football Club’s ownership team and strengthen our connection to the people of New York, the borough I was born in, and the city I love… BKFC is a grassroots-oriented club, focused on providing not only top-level professional football but new pathways and opportunities for women and men off the pitch as well.”
The USL continues to grow, with several American athletes and investors like Weah putting their money and brand into teams across America. The US’ official second division supports a massive number of youth, men’s, and women’s teams. To overlook the USL is a disservice to American soccer. Pay-to-play is one of the largest stumbling blocks in American soccer.
Every city should have at least one club that provides a subsidized or free option for kids to showcase their talent, and in some cases, a club that offers them an opportunity to earn a living playing soccer. With the USL and the MLS, we may not reach every city, but with every addition of a free-to-play academy and a professional pathway, we take another step in the right direction. Tim Weah puts opportunities and eyes on those players.
FBD | Tony DesRois
