State of the Flock - Winter Edition: 2025 Wins, New Cities & What’s Coming Next
Welcome to the winter season edition of what our Footy team is working on behind the scenes - our annual State of the Flock address! For 2026, we'll be releasing seasonal State of the Flock newsletters focused on select areas of our business we believe you'll find interesting, if not damn right fascinating.
Consider this State of the Flock content series a collection of off-the-field calls we've made (or are in the process of making) to better serve our entire community across the board.
The last State of the Flock covered what we set out to do in 2025. This one is about what actually happened — the wins, the pinch-me moments, the “did that really just happen?” milestones — and a little peek into what early 2026 already has cooking.
We’re writing this one feeling equal parts proud, grateful, and mildly confused about how fast time is moving. One݂ minute we’re borrowing cones, the next we’re launching new cities, hosting mayors, and welcoming one of the biggest clubs on earth to Brooklyn Bridge Park. You don't have to be a goalkeeper to know your shot at capturing the moments comes at you fast.
Before we dive in, a quick reminder of two truths that continue to guide us:
Providing a safe space for all to play guides our process.
Community beats scale every single time — even as we scale.
Now that the warm-up pep talk is over. It's time to talk about what you helped make possible.
The Flock Keeps Expanding (Yes, Again)
Our first league in Pinellas Park (Tampa) launched earlier this month (and more are OTW)
Tampa Bay & Westchester: Officially Footy Cities (January 2026)
This month, we officially launched our first Footy league in both Tampa Bay and Westchester County NY— with more weekly options already warming up in both markets. Not only that, we landed in Dallas late last year and have been running pickups that are forging a cohesive, coed soccer community within the Lone Star State.
We've also created a consistent presence after a slower than expected start in New Jersey, and look forward to offering more west of the Hudson offerings with NJ Footy every season moving forward.
This one has been a long time coming - and not just for our Westchester County commuting contingent.
During the COVID years, while visiting Tampa Bay and spending more time walking, running, and playing wherever space allowed, something became very clear: there was plenty of soccer to be found, but very little in the way of a proper, consistent, coed recreational experience that put community first.
Fast forward to now, and we couldn’t be more excited to land in a city that is deeply invested in health, wellness, and showing up for one another. Tampa Bay feels like a place where Footy doesn’t just fit — it belongs.
Welcome to the flock, Tampa Bay and Westchester County! 🐦⚽
MIA Footy running hot out of the gate for 2026 - we can’t believe how fast a year flies!
This month also marks one full year of Footy in Miami — four seasons in the books.
And this winter? It was our largest Miami season ever, featuring 13 teams total vying for a shot at adding a championship scarf to their collection (it does get a little cool in Miami now and then, doesn't it?).
Miami is gaining momentum and without giving too much away: 2026 tournament plans are already locked in (more on this classic chance for an epic adventure to come).
To all our snowbirds who took a chance on traveling down to Miami that first season — thank you for helping us lead the way.
NYC Still Hits Different: The Far and Wide Impact
As much as we have to shoutout our new markets, the NYC Footy community hits different. This is our home perch. It's where an idea was born and has flown to the highest rooftops (thanks NYC Footoy drone operators and our beloved members who have helped rescue said drones from trees)
Here's the quick 2025 highlight reel of the clubs and cultural moments that made the cut on forever memories we'll never shake.
FC Bayern Munich x NYC Footy at BBP
A BBP championship celebration with Berni and the Bundesliga. Yes, that really did happen - and more will come!
Yes, that FC Bayern Munich.
This past December, Bayern made the trek to Brooklyn Bridge Park to help us crown our fall Champions with their mascot Berni and an opportunity to be photographed with the Bundesliga trophy. Somehow, this casually planned encounter managed to make an already iconic location feel even more surreal.
Watching our champions decked out in complimentary jerseys from one of the most storied clubs in the world was one of those moments where everything briefly slowed down and we collectively thought:
“Wow… this is actually happening.”
More to come on this partnership — and trust us when we say this is just the beginning. In fact, if you want to start brushing up on your skills by taking a BetterPlayer class, that wouldn't be a bad idea
The Cost of Living Classic: One for the City
The Cost of Living Classic is the moment everyone understood: soccer is the great uniter.
If there was ever a day that captured what Footy is really about, it was the Cost of Living Classic.
Featuring NYC Footy’s very own Zohran Mamdani (P2 fyi) — current Mayor of New York City (still wild to type that sentence), this event brought players from all five boroughs together for a day of incredible matchups, genuine joy, and a powerful reminder of what’s possible when New York shows up as one city.
For players across the city, this wasn’t just a tournament — it was a moment. And one we won’t forget anytime soon.
The Record Breaking Seasons keep coming
Robert Moses Playground, one of the many leagues where champions are born and celebrated. With champagne. A tasty one.
We're always keeping track of the score because it helps us understand where we were, where we're at, and how much we've grown.
Though the field in front of us doesn't have an end (the ones you play on do though we promise!), here's what we're incredibly proud of when we look back at the numbers from 2025:
3 back-to-back 700+ team seasons (spring, summer & fall 2025)
A record-setting winter season (559 teams)
Our weekly leagues are the heartbeat of what makes Footy run - they connect us to our local communities, develop meaningful relationships, and remind us about the power and need for accessible green spaces.
We Produced & Played in a Record # of Tournaments
If there was one offering that completely outclassed itself in 2025, it would have to be Footy's tournament division.
Under the leadership of our Events and Partnerships Lead, Fabricio Lima, our community accomplished the following together on the tournament front:
6 completely SOLD OUT tournaments
Our first-ever indoor tournament: The Etihad Corporate Cup
The 1st Ever Cost of Living Classic
We know this record will likely be short-lived as World Cup-related events, not to mention the expected return of a majority of the 2025 lineup, will make 2026 the year Footy tournaments across the nation planted its pigeon flag.
More to come - we're here to help you set your 2026 calendar and will be dropping all the confirmed tournaments you can hold dates for in the coming week.
Content, Press & Sponsorship Wins
Okay, we're approaching the end of the second half here and ready to wrap this up, but we can't leave without calling out the following major milestones
Social Media: Our @nycfootyofficial Instagram community is now over 75k with engaging rec soccer series like Planet Footy, Field Guides, and one-of-a-kind tournament recaps leading the way. If you enjoy or plan on strapping on shin guards and identify as an earthling, this is your first and only stop for a taste of rec soccer culture.
Press: Our notoriety within international press outlets like The NY Times broke through in 2025. NYC Footy is being recognized as the first resource journalists need to check in with for soccer-related stories. We appreciate all of the members of our community who've supported our press endeavors, and look forward to finding new opportunities to share our perspective.
Sponsors: Our 2025 sponsorship lineup includes both new and returning partnerships, and we'd like to thank the following supporters for their community involvement: JD Sports, Old Parr, Waterloo Sparkling Water, Mack Weldon, Chobani, Just Bjorn, Dumbo Moving, El Buho Mezcal, Paloma, and BetterPlayer.
The Field (of Vision) Ahead
Our signature Paloma ball is putting on the miles this year - be ready to go when you hear where its about to land.
From Tampa Bay to Miami to Brooklyn Bridge Park, the throughline remains the same:
Make soccer accessible
Build mixed-gender communities that feel welcoming and competitive
Create spaces where people show up for more than just the game
None of this happens without you — the captains, free agents, team players, referees, partners, and supporters who keep believing in where the bar for exceptional rec soccer needs to be.
If you’ve been with us since the early NYC days or just joined your first Footy team this year, thank you for being part of this journey. It continues to mean more than we can properly put into words.
Questions, feedback, ideas, or personal Footy triumphs and heartbreaks you want to share? You know where to find us. And before we say our goodbye, just know we’re grateful as always that you’ve chosen Footy as the place to share your passion for the pitch.
P.S. Early 2026 already has some very fun surprises lined up. Stretch accordingly.