Soccer is and has always been about Unity through Community, we need to harness our community to create something special.
This project was inspired by my burning desire for community and sports - I'm born and raised between Harlem / Bronx, New York and Cote D'Ivoire West Africa. I didn't realize until my late teens just how much opportunity for community and access to a cultural and global identity that soccer could've gave me access to. New names that I've never heard before, cities, countries, culture, politics, all provided through the portal of soccer as a sport and gateway to world culture.
Before being given a cartridge for Fifa 13 by my cousin Lo for my PsVita when I was in high school - all I knew was the world cup. I had no idea that there was club football in almost every country, then I started learning about the political and socio-economic role that the governing body of the sport plays in its permeation throughout the world.
What this project focuses on is something simple, but somehow goes against the American way; what do I mean by that? look at Baseball (MLB), Football (NFL), Basketball (NBA), Ice Hockey (NHL), and Soccer (MLS) - There's a shared ownership in their respective leagues. It's like how you purchased an app on your phone but you only own a license not that individual app. The owners of these teams all work together for profit, very socialist of them but only when it means collective profit (therefore it begs the question.. why care to win? owners get paid either way).
My project isn't predicated on the immediate pursuit of profit (Very American) but community, a local league based on every neighborhood in The Bronx with promotion/ relegation and reinforces local identity, participation, pride, and sprinkle some potential social reform (more people outside means they see more of the everyday problems in our borough).
What made the sport of soccer on an international scale soo beloved was the grassroots origins.. we can all kick a ball but the difference between the rest of the world and the U.S is that the destruction of third spaces, parks, the constant defunding of schools (music programs, field trips, extra curricular programs etc.), over working teachers, and the push to turning education private. I'm not trying to be political, but soccer is EXTREMELY political, sports in general is EXTREMELY political.
What's the point?
This project is a "testing the theory" what would a Bronx soccer league look like? this is a multicultural borough with West Africans, Albanians, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Yemeni, Bengali's, Mexicans, Irish, Caribbeans, Chinese, Italians, Koreans and more people all throughout.
As a long term project I'm going to be slowly adding research articles, neighborhood images, personal anecdotes, designs for team name & logo's, Branding, and opinions on where I think stadiums/ home pitches should be.
Research:
The Ethnic Legacy in American Soccer by Len Oliver
Before being given a cartridge for Fifa 13 by my cousin Lo for my PsVita when I was in high school - all I knew was the world cup. I had no idea that there was club football in almost every country, then I started learning about the political and socio-economic role that the governing body of the sport plays in its permeation throughout the world.
What this project focuses on is something simple, but somehow goes against the American way; what do I mean by that? look at Baseball (MLB), Football (NFL), Basketball (NBA), Ice Hockey (NHL), and Soccer (MLS) - There's a shared ownership in their respective leagues. It's like how you purchased an app on your phone but you only own a license not that individual app. The owners of these teams all work together for profit, very socialist of them but only when it means collective profit (therefore it begs the question.. why care to win? owners get paid either way).
My project isn't predicated on the immediate pursuit of profit (Very American) but community, a local league based on every neighborhood in The Bronx with promotion/ relegation and reinforces local identity, participation, pride, and sprinkle some potential social reform (more people outside means they see more of the everyday problems in our borough).
What made the sport of soccer on an international scale soo beloved was the grassroots origins.. we can all kick a ball but the difference between the rest of the world and the U.S is that the destruction of third spaces, parks, the constant defunding of schools (music programs, field trips, extra curricular programs etc.), over working teachers, and the push to turning education private. I'm not trying to be political, but soccer is EXTREMELY political, sports in general is EXTREMELY political.
What's the point?
This project is a "testing the theory" what would a Bronx soccer league look like? this is a multicultural borough with West Africans, Albanians, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Yemeni, Bengali's, Mexicans, Irish, Caribbeans, Chinese, Italians, Koreans and more people all throughout.
As a long term project I'm going to be slowly adding research articles, neighborhood images, personal anecdotes, designs for team name & logo's, Branding, and opinions on where I think stadiums/ home pitches should be.
Research:
The Ethnic Legacy in American Soccer by Len Oliver
The Secret History of American Soccer by Brian Phillips
Bronx Neighborhoods - 57 total
Bronx Wiki - 4 corners of The Bronx
Bronx Districts - Neighborhood names and boundaries are not officially designated.
Bronx Neighborhoods - 57 total
Bronx Wiki - 4 corners of The Bronx
Bronx Districts - Neighborhood names and boundaries are not officially designated.
