Boys TEAM

Our longest running program is ten years strong.

Our Boys Team is our longest running program. On average, we serve 100 boys per season ranging from age 10 to age 21.

Practice is typically held twice a week – after school on Thursdays and Saturday afternoons – during Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter seasons.

Led by volunteer coaches, practices are structured with key units in fitness, technical drills and scrimmaging.

In 2018, the Danish sports brand hummel became our official sports apparel sponsor. Designed by acclaimed NY-based fashion designer Willy Chavarria, the uniform collection is branded throughout with the numbers 5683 to correspond with the numbers for L-O-V-E on the American digital key pad.

In addition to the apparel, hummel supports RIFA with outreach and engagement campaigns, as well as fundraising.

Hummel is known for its corporate social responsibility work, which it calls its Company Karma philosophy. Through that work, hummel supports projects and people who fight to make the world a better place for us all. Learn more about the partnership here.

hummel x Willy Chavarria are proud to sponsor and support RIFA in an effort to help create dialogue and advocate a more positive tone in the global immigrant debate.

LAdies International United

Our partner team serving girls and young women.

RIFA + Goal Click x hummel
LIU player Litzy Perez shared her suicide survivor story in a special project with Goal Click x hummel. See her full photo essay here.

RIFA partners with Ladies International United (LIU) to deliver programming for girls and young women.

LIU was founded in 2015 by Vanessa Perez and her father Rodolfo Perez. They were motivated to establish a team after sister Litzy Perez survived a suicide attempt. Playing soccer helped bring joy to the Perez family, and that have since help extend that joy to others.

LIU attracts players who are newcomers to the U.S. and who are not able to access or afford playing in the traditional U.S. league structure.

In 2018, the team adopted the LIU name and fielded both an A and B teams.

Approximately 30 young women were served in 2018-19, representing multiple home countries, including: Brazil, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Paraguay.

Community service

Our mission beyond the field.

Each year, all of our participants commit to a team volunteer project, a day of service around health, sport and community building. Together, we practice the power of teamwork off the field and in our community.

For the 2018-19 season, RIFA participants contributed 100 hours of community service in the Crown Heights community in Brooklyn.

Seeds in the Middle We partnered with Brooklyn-based non-profit organization Seeds in the Middle in April 2019 to host a soccer game and distribute free hummel #spreadthe5683 soccer balls to promote health and wellness in the Crown Heights neighborhood.