We recently reached out to one of the best looking and fastest-growing professional programs in, not only New York, but probably the country, and we were delighted when one of their Vice Presidents replied and was happy to give us all the answers we were seeking - thanks to PJ Davidson for taking the time to talk about Queensboro FC…

Tell us the Origin Story of the Club – Whose idea is it anyways and what’s the mission?
Queensboro FC was founded in 2019 with an ownership group led by New York businessman Jonathan Krane, CEO of KraneShares, an asset management firm based in New York City. Queens, often called the “diversity capital of the world”, is home to over 2 million residents, 150 nationalities and 130 languages across more than 90 distinct neighborhoods and 100 square miles. Queensboro FC is a club built with, by and for Queens - where community comes first. The Club is committed to establishing and maintaining an open and transparent organization which prioritizes diversity, equality, and inclusion as well as strong community engagement while ensuring a safe, respectful, supportive, and productive environment – free from any and all forms of harassment and violence – for everyone involved with the Club both on and off the field. There is no place for gender and cultural inequities within Queensboro FC. Everyone is seen, valued, honored and heard. The Club is committed to building a trusting, healthy and exemplary organization with owners, advisors, partners, staff, supporters and other constituencies that mirror the multiculturalism of New York City, which we call home.

With soccer as Queens’ most popular sport – Queensboro FC aims to embrace and unite “the world’s borough” and honor the beautiful game in the streets, in the park, in the community – and soon, on the pitch in its own stadium.

Queensboro FC stands for more than sports, it is a movement for unifying people across the world. We are stronger together, and together we are #ForeverQueens.

From first team to their academy, Queensboro FC are stylin’ on and off the pitch

What league(s) will you be playing in? How did you determine these and who are you most looking forward to playing?
The Men's team will start playing in the 2023 season of the USL Championship, the top tier of the United Soccer League (USL). The Women's team will start play in the 2022 season of the USL W League. The Academy team, Queensboro FC II, began play in the USL Academy League in 2021 to set up a proper youth development foundation to support the professional team ahead of its debut in 2023. They finished as the national runner-up, making it to the USLA finals in their inaugural season. They will compete in the USL Academy League again in 2022, while simultaneously also competing in the UPSL. We wanted to compete in both leagues to ensure that our players got to play 50+ matches this season against different levels and styles of competition. The USL Academy League is a top league for U19 pre-professional players, while the UPSL has no age limit. This means our U-19 players will get to compete against grown men and experience increased physicality and styles of play. Those experiences will allow the entire team to get playing time, while also seeing how our players react and adapt to a variety of different situations. There’s not necessarily a single team we are most looking forward to playing, but rather we are excited to play so many different types of teams. It gives different players opportunities to shine and showcase their strengths, while also allowing us to help them identify their areas and situations where they can improve. Their development is priority number one.

Are you a part of a youth club or do you work with one as part of a development funnel? If so, what value do you see in it? If not, is it something you would do if possible?
Queensboro FC operates as a community asset and is dedicated to providing opportunities to families and residents of Queens and broader New York to develop their soccer and life skills through its proprietary, best-in-class platform. Athletes seeking an elite-level opportunity to represent their own borough in one of the most competitive leagues in the US will participate in a proven system and pathway to professional soccer.

Queensboro FC has created a partnership with DV7 Soccer, a global leader in training and developing soccer that provides the highest standards of coaching and education for youth of all ages. Queensboro FC employs DV7’s proprietary soccer methodology that is built from the best practices of the Spanish soccer academies and the experience of international players in the US, Europe and the rest of the world, and leverages the global network of DV7 Soccer international youth soccer academies. Queensboro FC’s alliance with DV7 represents the club's continued development of its Pathway to the Pros initiative – a comprehensive program to nurture youth from the local community into the world of professional soccer.

As a club, QBFC prides itself on its ability to offer youth a pathway to the pro ranks. The ability for local talent to recognize their dream of making it the top level is integral to our ethos. Our dream signing is not a big name, but a kid who grew up playing in the parks here in Queens. QBFC was their childhood team, our players were their heroes (and accessible heroes for them!), and we were able to provide a platform for them to fall in love with the game and maximize their talent.

Visual receipts: Queensboro FC caught in acts of kindness and community care

Some clubs sell merch, while others do not; do you sell scarves, shirts, hats or anything like that? If not, have you thought about it? If so, where do we find them?
Absolutely! We always want to represent Queens both on and off the pitch. Our merchandise is a great way to do that. We want to have something for everybody, but candidly we aren’t overly interested in standard team store gear as we know the culture of Queens deserves much more than that. We don’t just want a white t-shirt with our logo placed on it (even though, yes, we do offer it), but we want to create a lifestyle brand you could wear in a variety of settings. Clothing that represents Queens and what we are about. We constantly say #ForeverQueens, but also understand that not every supporter of ours has a direct connection to Queens. With that said, you can still respect and honor what Queens is all about and want to rep it in your own way. Check out the QBFC Shop to see it for yourself at shop.queensborofc.com

Do you volunteer in your community or donate to local causes? How does the club give back to the community?
Absolutely, it is a massive part of our ethos. We pride ourselves on being a community club. As a newly formed organization, we understand that as the new kids on the block we need to showcase how we can and will be positive members of the Queens community. We regularly attend a multitude of events between food pantries, park cleanups, clinics, cultural events as well as seasonal events like turkey giveaways around Thanksgiving, back-to-school events in the Fall and toy drives during the holiday season. We like to roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty, rather than simply writing a check. We want to be involved, meet our community where they are, and get to know our community first-hand – it is and will always be the fabric of Queensboro FC.

Check out Queensboro FC on their Facebook HERE
Follow Queensboro FC on twitter HERE
Shop and get club information from their website HERE