What Brooklyn Italians Soccer Club does

Brooklyn Italians Soccer Club is a not-for-profit youth soccer organization founded in 1949 by Italian immigrant John DeVivo and headquartered in Borough Park, Brooklyn. The club serves youth players across the U7 through U19+ age range in Brooklyn and the greater Tri-State area, operating a tiered player development pathway that begins with the Scuola Calcio grassroots program (delivered in partnership with the Federation of Italian American Organizations), progresses through the New York Red Bulls Academy Affiliate Program for U7-U12 players, and culminates in the Brooklyn Italians Academy Elite Pathway for U13-U19 players competing in the USL Academy League. The club holds exclusive Brooklyn affiliate status with the New York Red Bulls MLS Academy, a partnership originally established in 2021 and extended for three additional years in 2024, and added college recruitment services through a January 2026 partnership with FirstPoint USA.

The organization's product portfolio is structured around player development programming and competitive tournament hosting. Annual tournaments include the Columbus Cup (NYC's most historic youth soccer tournament) and the Brooklyn Cup, both featuring 100+ teams across U8 to U14 age brackets. The club also operates coaching education programs, including USSF National D License courses, and runs an Annual Gala for fundraising. Technical infrastructure is minimal: the website is built on Squarespace, the core technology is described as soccer coaching and player development methodology, and there are no proprietary digital products, apps, or AI capabilities disclosed.

The revenue model combines three streams: (1) recurring annual player registration and program fees across travel, academy, and recreational tiers, (2) transaction-based tournament entry fees from participating teams, and (3) community donations supporting the non-profit mission of equitable access regardless of financial background. Specific pricing is not publicly disclosed and scholarships are routinely provided. The club operates with 16 employees and is governed by a Board of Directors led by President Peter Ciaccia, with Antonio Superbia Jr. serving as Director of Coaching and Technical Director. Notable alumni include U.S. World Cup captain Mike Windischmann, Toronto FC President Bill Manning, and Joe Barone (late ACF Fiorentina General Manager), reflecting the club's longstanding track record of producing both professional players and soccer industry executives.

Name

Brooklyn Italians Soccer Club

Legal name

Brooklyn Italian Youth Soccer Club Inc.

Website

https://brooklynitalians.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Not-for-profit youth soccer club founded in 1949 in Brooklyn, serving players ages U7 through U19+ through an NYRB Academy-affiliated player development pathway, USL Academy League competition, and college recruitment partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Soccer Development

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Club Sports Programs (EDALAIAB)

Keywords

• Youth soccer development
• Youth soccer programs
• Soccer academy training
• College soccer recruitment
• Youth soccer tournaments

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Player Registration and Program Fees: Revenue generated from youth player registration fees for travel teams, academy programs, and recreational soccer programs at various age levels from U8 through U19+.
2. Tournament Entry Fees: Revenue from hosting tournaments including the Columbus Cup and Brooklyn Cup, where teams pay entry fees to participate.
3. Donations and Community Support: The club operates as a not-for-profit organization that accepts donations from the community to support programs and provide scholarships to players regardless of financial background.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Brooklyn Italians Soccer Club is a not-for-profit youth soccer organization that provides a comprehensive player development pathway for boys and girls ages U7 through U19+, spanning the Scuola Calcio grassroots program, the New York Red Bulls Academy Program (U7–U12), and the Brooklyn Italians Academy Elite Pathway (U13–U19) which competes in the USL Academy League. The club also operates major youth soccer tournaments (Columbus Cup and Brooklyn Cup), hosts coaching education programs, and offers a College Pathway program in partnership with FirstPoint USA. Programming is delivered through open try-outs, annual registration, and partnership referrals with NYRB and Cesena FC.

Product overview

Brooklyn Italians Soccer Club is a not-for-profit youth soccer organization founded in 1949, offering a comprehensive player development pathway from grassroots (Scuola Calcio & Pre-Travel Program) through the New York Red Bulls Academy Program for U7-U12 players, to the Brooklyn Italians Academy Elite Pathway for U13-U19, capped by USL Academy League competition. The club operates major youth tournaments including the Columbus Cup and Brooklyn Cup, provides coaching education programs including USSF license courses, and offers a College Pathway program through FirstPoint USA partnership. The organization functions as a unified platform providing technical development, competitive opportunities, and educational pathways for young soccer players in Brooklyn.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scuola Calcio & Pre-Travel Program Grassroots youth soccer development program for young players, focused on technical development and fun, structured environments, delivered in partnership with the Federation of Italian American Organizations (FIAO).
• New York Red Bulls Academy Program (U7–U12) Elite youth development program for selected U7–U12 players, led by New York Red Bulls coaches with high-intensity training, technical and tactical instruction, goalkeeper training, conditioning, and Red Bulls RDS sessions.
• Brooklyn Italians Academy – Elite Pathway (U13–U19) Competitive and developmental pathway for players ages 13–19 led by the club's Technical Director, featuring highly competitive teams in elite leagues, advanced development standards, and optional college guidance.
• USL Academy League Top-tier competitive platform fielding U-20 and additional teams in the USL Youth League, providing elite national competition and professional development pathways through New York Red Bulls and Cesena FC.
• Columbus Cup Tournament Annual youth soccer tournament hosted over Columbus Day Weekend featuring top teams in Boys and Girls divisions from U8 to U14, with over 100 teams competing.
• College Pathway Program Structured pathway to college soccer through partnership with FirstPoint USA, providing personal recruitment strategy, player marketing, eligibility guidance, and mentorship for families.
• Coaching Education Programs USSF National coaching license courses, grassroots courses, and e-learning workshops hosted in-house to enhance coach development.
• Brooklyn Cup Tournament Annual youth soccer tournament featuring over 100 teams from the tri-state area, with age groups from U8 to U14 competing in Gold, Silver, and Bronze divisions.
• Try-Out Program Competitive tryout process for player identification and selection into various academy and elite pathway programs.
• Annual Gala Annual fundraising and celebration event honoring club members, supporters, and community contributors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple players have advanced to New York Red Bulls Academy and MLS professional opportunities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supporting.

• FirstPoint USAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 January 2026World's leading college sport recruitment agency partnership providing Brooklyn Italians players and families with college recruitment and placement services. The partnership offers personal recruitment strategy, player marketing and exposure, eligibility and academic support, and family mentorship for college soccer pathways.
• USL AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Brooklyn Italians is a member of USL Academy, fielding a U-20 team in the USL Youth League with expansion to four additional teams. The partnership provides access to elite national competition and professional development pathways.
• New York Red BullscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2021Brooklyn Italians is the exclusive Brooklyn affiliate of the NYRB Academy Affiliate Program, part of the MLS Youth Affiliate Network. The partnership provides players with access to professional curriculum, coaching, and development pathways. Players identified through try-outs can advance to NYRB Pre-Academy and Academy levels. The partnership was extended for three additional years in 2024.
• Cesena FCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian professional club partnership providing professional development pathways for Brooklyn Italians players alongside NYRB connections.
• Federation of Italian American Organizations (FIAO)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for the Scuola Calcio grassroots development program, providing technical development and youth programming in partnership with FIAO facilities and resources.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA): Regional youth soccer governing body that administers competitions in which Brooklyn Italians teams participate. Comparable as the structural counterpart operating the broader youth soccer ecosystem in the same territory.
• USL Academy League: League body in which Brooklyn Italians competes at the U-20 level and now expanding across four additional teams. Provides the competitive platform for the club's elite pathway and shapes its U.S. youth soccer development positioning.

Direct peers

• S2S NYC Soccer Academy: New York City area youth soccer organization running competitive travel and academy programs. Direct competitor in the same geography and age segments served by Brooklyn Italians.
• Manhattan Soccer Club: NYC-based youth soccer club where Brooklyn Italians' Director of Coaching Antonio Superbia also previously coached (2000–2006). Comparable youth development program offering travel teams and academy structure for city-based families.
• New York Red Bulls Academy: MLS academy that Brooklyn Italians is an exclusive Brooklyn affiliate of. Operates the broader Red Bulls youth development network and serves as the upstream professional pathway for Brooklyn Italians' identified talent.
• NJ Copa FC: Major Tri-State area youth soccer club operating a robust academy and travel program with strong player development reputation. Competes with Brooklyn Italians for top talent from the broader NYC metro and operates comparable pathways to college and professional soccer.
• New York City FC Academy: Rival MLS academy operating in the same New York City youth soccer market. Competes directly with Brooklyn Italians / NYRB affiliate pipeline for elite players and is a primary alternative pathway to professional soccer in the NYC area.
• Long Island Soccer Club: Large Long Island-based youth soccer club offering competitive travel teams and academy-style player development across multiple age groups. Competes with Brooklyn Italians for Tri-State area players and tournament participation.
• BW Gottschee Soccer Club: Historic New York City area youth soccer club founded in 1925 by the Gottscheer Heritage Society, serving the Brooklyn/Queens community. Comparable as a long-standing community-rooted club providing competitive travel and academy programs in the same geography.

Emerging players

• Philadelphia Union Academy: MLS academy structure modeled similarly to NYRB's affiliate network. Comparable in operating a professional-pipeline academy system for youth players in a Northeast U.S. metro area, though serving the Philadelphia market rather than NYC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brooklyn-italians-soccer-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Brooklyn Italians Soccer Club