Brooklyn Football Club, the nabe’s only pro soccer club, is creating a professional women’s soccer team to play at Maimonides Park as early as this August, with a men’s league coming by 2025.
Maximilian Mansfield, a New York native, will lead the team as CEO and president. Organizers are moving full speed ahead and have already begun recruiting players, coaches and other staff members. The good news came thanks to partnerships and support from the USL Super League, a Division I professional women’s soccer group, and USL League One, a pro men’s group.
Mansfield, who is also the executive director of Two Bridges Football Club, a non-profit club that brings inner-city youth into athletic environments and academic training, said he and other execs wanted to include youth clubs in the planning conversations before officially welcoming the new leagues to Brooklyn. When they spoke to parents and young players, they heard an overwhelming demand for a female league ahead of a men’s league.
More importantly, parents wanted the club to remain in the borough so the league would be more accessible to Brooklynites.
“It’s totally different and we’re seeing the club as an extension of the community. Employing Brooklyn natives has been a big part of who we’ve hired so far,” Mansfield told Brooklyn Paper. “The community is being put first. We’re not trying to ostracize any segment of Brooklyn because it is so diverse. This isn’t just for one demographic. It’s for all.”
The borough is home to many sports clubs including Park Slope United, a youth soccer group with over 3,000 players.
Nathan Bell, founder and executive director of PSU, said bringing a team to the borough will bridge the divide for youth who are passionate about the sport but can’t always invest in traveling to league games.
“This is great that they can stay in their borough and still watch a pro game,” Bell said. “This is the first time you can go to a women’s soccer team right off a subway line.”
While not every child has a dream of going pro, most still enjoy engaging with the sport and being inspired by the pros, Bell said, and he thinks a local team will capture their imaginations.
Matt Tartaglia, co-owner of Brooklyn Football Club, said with New York and New Jersey set to host the 2026 World Cup, there’s no better time to welcome a professional league. These collaborations will bring a fresh appreciation and love to the game, according to Tartaglia.
“For kids, it’s really important to see professionals doing what they love. They’re going to get a chance to see pro players up close and personal,” he said.
Looking ahead, Mansfield anticipates various league and youth partnerships. They also hope to build their own stadium by 2027.
