SportsEpreneur

Brando Babini started Youth 4 Youth FC when he was 16 after realizing his own soccer path was changing. Instead of walking away from the game, he built something for the players coming next.

Eric Kasimov talks with Brando about player-led development, college soccer recruiting, pay-to-play, MLS, the World Cup, parents, leadership, and why young players need mentorship from people who have lived the journey.

Topics covered:
  • Why Brando started Youth 4 Youth FC
  • What player-led mentorship looks like in youth soccer
  • How college soccer recruiting is changing
  • Why goalkeepers face a difficult path
  • The impact of international players on domestic recruiting
  • Why pay-to-play remains a major problem
  • How players can take ownership of their journey
  • Why street soccer and culture still matter
Chapters

00:00 — Brando Babini, Youth 4 Youth FC, and building while at Brown
00:50 — Starting Youth 4 Youth at 16
02:15 — A winding recruiting journey and choosing a different soccer path
03:23 — When the pro dream shifts into something else
04:13 — What Brando wished existed when he was younger
05:05 — Street soccer, Nike, and expression beyond exposure
05:45 — College soccer recruiting and the transfer portal
07:00 — International players and eligibility questions
08:00 — Protecting the domestic player pathway
08:36 — The goalkeeper recruiting problem
11:26 — Building a better domestic soccer system
12:00 — MLS, USL, and the future of soccer in the U.S.
14:13 — Charlotte FC, accessibility, and the live soccer experience
16:20 — Where MLS fits compared to global leagues
19:13 — How the World Cup can change U.S. soccer
20:00 — Breaking pay-to-play barriers
23:08 — Showcases, costs, and why talent should be free to show
24:00 — Profit incentives, player development, and investment
27:00 — Subsidizing players and creating access
28:00 — Game time, competition, and player development
31:20 — Parents, pressure, and letting players own the journey
34:05 — Scaling Youth 4 Youth through regions
36:10 — Brown University, professors, and entrepreneurial flexibility
38:00 — Why college can still matter
40:30 — Leadership, teammates, and mental toughness
43:00 — Internal control and handling adversity
47:00 — Content, visibility, and Youth 4 Youth’s growth
49:00 — Nike Toma, street soccer, and culture
51:00 — Messi, Ronaldo, the Premier League, and global soccer
52:50 — Best players in the world today
54:38 — World Cup predictions and the U.S. path
57:00 — How to find Youth 4 Youth FC

Connect with Brando Babini | Youth 4 Youth FC
Brando Babini on LinkedIn | Instagram
Youth 4 Youth FC

Connect with Eric & SportsEpreneur
SportsEpreneur.com | X | LinkedIn
Eric on LinkedIn | X

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What is SportsEpreneur?

Sports brought us together — now let's talk about it. Leaders, athletes, creators, and entrepreneurs in and around sports. Business, media, NIL, culture, youth sports, sports tech, and AI in sports. A SportsE Media production.