Through a USL Academy Team and a prospective USL League One professional expansion franchise, the United Soccer League and FC Harlem have engaged into a relationship to build a new youth-to-pro pathway, enhancing the club’s positive influence on the community.
FC Harlem L.I.O.NS (Leaders In Our Neighborhoods) has received international acclaim for its work with inner-city youth and the formation of future leaders on and off the soccer field. FC Harlem, founded in 1991, has given affordable soccer and off-field enrichment activities to over 10,000 young people from impoverished communities in Harlem, the Bronx, and Washington Heights. FC Harlem has established itself as a cherished member of its community and an exceptional alternative to traditional youth soccer models, led by Executive Director Irv Smalls.
The USL’s resources and infrastructure will enable FC Harlem to construct a professional development pathway as part of its community model as the first and only soccer organization in the United States delivering a youth-to-professional pathway for both men and women inside one ecosystem. FC Harlem will field USL Academy teams for boys and girls as early as 2024, and the collaboration includes the exclusive rights to build a USL League One expansion club by 2026.
“The growth, impact and global relevancy of professional soccer in the United States over the last 20 years is remarkable,” Smalls said. “The inner cities are cultural centers of innovation, charisma and the desire for excellence. Now is the time for its inclusion in the professional soccer pathway.”
With this collaboration, FC Harlem will begin the LIONS PRO project, which will prepare inner-city youngsters of color for professional careers in soccer both on and off the field.
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