SOCCER FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE W/ SOCCERGRLPROBS

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What started as a side project among three friends in college, SoccerGrlProbs has grown into a cultural phenomenon for women’s soccer. Started by Shannon Fay, Carly Beyar and Alanna Locast, SoccerGrlProbs was first started in 2011 during their collegiate soccer preseason. What originally started by sharing tweets that every female soccer player could relate to, quickly turned into much more as they struck a cord that resonated with their core audience. Within a couple of weeks of launching their Twitter page, Soccer GrlProbs was racking up thousands of fans and they were being inundated with requests for videos. Capturing on the trend at the time of such videos as “Sh*t Girls Say”, Carly, Alana and Shannon set out to create their own video aptly titled “Sh*t Soccer Girls Say.” You can see the video here.

They shot this video on an iPad, put it up on YouTube, and the next day the video already had one million views. Clearly the video resonated with people as it was relatable, hilarious and authentic to who the girls are. Their online presence was growing, their fanbase exploding and demand for all things SoccerGrlProbs related was only growing.

Fan requests continued to roll in for more content as well as merchandise. SGP decided to take three funny tweets that they had put out and turn those into t-shirts. Once again demand was strong and the shirts sold out in five hours. Everything that SGP did was working as it struck a chord with a niche group of women which helped to create a strong sense of community among global lady ballers.

Since 2011 (and that first video in 2012) SGP has continued growing their brand and their following and it works so well because they know exactly who they are, their fans know who they are and their success is proof that authenticity matters most. Whether sharing content, telling stories or selling product. Being true to who you are matters.

I’ve seen firsthand the support they have and the passion that their fans have for them and what they do. Years ago we were in a suite in a stadium watching a game. They had tweeted out that they were at the game and within minutes there were close to 100 young soccer players standing outside the door waiting to meet them. This is what SGP means to female soccer players and it is incredible to see what they have built. And even though they are eight years in the game, it feels very much like this is just the beginning for what is to come.

With the Women’s World Cup taking place right now, SGP finds themselves in France doing what they do best. Creating content, meeting new people, sharing their love of the sport and being ambassadors for the women’s game. They were also recently featured on the Fox segment “She’s Next” in which they talked about how girls can exceed beyond the field when they stay in sports.

And that is an important part of this story. Their desire to empower young girls, to show what is possible on and off the field all while helping to grow the sport. When asked what more can be done to help women’s soccer grow in the US, they answered quickly and decisively. They want more people to support the NWSL. The support that is shown during the Women’s World Cup is great, but they want to see more being done daily with fans getting out and supporting the league, the players and their favorite teams. They know that to grow women’s soccer in the US requires daily support and engagement from fans around the country. That kind of daily involvement is exactly what we see from SGP and they are the leaders in helping to not only grow the sport, but to help young female soccer players drive for greatness and achieve their dreams.

Follow SoccerGrlProbs:

YouTube – SoccerGrlProbsVids
IG – SoccerGrlProbs

And their latest endeavor, Sh*t Soccer Girls say Podcast where they talk all things soccer and life on and off the pitch. – Check it out on iTunes here.

 

Photoshoot Cred: @thomvsfrs

 

THE JUMPMAN ON THE PITCH

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About six months ago I wrote a piece on the website where I stated that lifestyle and soccer had come to a peak with the collaboration of PSG and the Jordan Brand. When I first learned about the range, I was just a fanboy searching through all the press releases and images of the collection online and getting my wallet ready to buy the entire collection. The collection that represented, so perfectly, everything that we’ve been talking about at KTTP for the past four years. 

At that time it was a far-fetched notion of mine to shoot the iconic collection in action on the pitch. But just like a lot of my great notions in recent years, far-fetched isn’t always so far off. On the back of 2 and a half weeks of bouncing around cities in the UK and Europe fate would have it that PSG and Man U were meeting in the Champions League at the same time we were in Paris. 

The football gods smiled on me and the far-fetched idea became reality. I was blessed with the opportunity to shoot the second leg of PSG’s Champions League quarterfinal with Manchester United in Paris. The stage was set, and thanks to the homies at PSG, my photographer credential was set as well. 

The day before the match, I visited the PSG training facility to shoot the first 15 minutes of training. I got an up-close look at the training outfits. Bold red mixed with black pants spoke to that iconic “BRED” colorway that Jordan Brand has made infamous. Mbappe broke out the special edition Jordan Vapors. In the corner of the trainging ground stood two basketball hoops next to a soccer goal, painting a quite literal picture of the combination of two worlds. 

On match day the energy was buzzing from the streets to the metro, this was no ordinary day. One thing that was different for me, was waiting until the evening for the match to start. In the US I’m accustomed to watching Champions League matches at lunchtime. That wait intensified my anticipation. The combination of it being my first Champions League match (as a photographer and/or spectator), my first match at Parc des Princes, the significance of the match, and the thought that this far-fetched drea, was actually happening made for a few nerves. And then it rained and continued to rain pretty much the entire match. 

The rain set a unique frame for a match that held such significance. And while the result didn’t have PSG shining in the end, the Jumpman on the pitch definitely did. It wasn’t just the kits during the match. From the aforementioned “BRED” warmup/training fits to the all black coaching gear to bright white Flyknit pregame track tops to seeing fans rock both the home and the away kits in the stands (I didn’t see anyone with my coaches jacket though)–it was evident Jordan Brand and PSG came correct on all levels with this one. I even got a bonus snap of a fellow photographers fire on feet with his Jordan 1s. 

Of course, the black “home” kits did not disappoint visually on the pitch. Whether it was the whole team huddled together in moments like the team photo and celebrating the first goal or an individual player coming over to the corner flag to take a corner, the black kits with white the Jumpman showed out. No lie, every time I put my camera to my eye I said to myself, “man those kits look good.” Down to the Jumpman over “Paris” on the socks, all the little details of this kit just work.

One thing I did notice was missing, was the Jumpman on the feet of Mbappe. Now, I know this was probably due to some contractual obligations and what not, but still, a match of this level and a player of Mbappe’s level, you want the potential man of the night rocking the Jumpman on feet. Regardless of that omission (and of course the outcome of the match),  photographing the Jumpman on the pitch was well worth it. Jordan Brand set the bar high for themselves with this one, we are all waiting for next season. Too soon, too soon, I know.

OP ED | PSG x JORDAN: MORE THAN PRODUCT

So it has been two days since the reveal and then subsequent release of the highly rumored and anticipated PSG x Jordan Brand collection. The day the collection was revealed, I wrote down my thoughts on how I felt the collection was the culmination of everything we have been speaking about at KTTP for the past few years.

This drop of products holds a bit more weight to me than I think most will realize. While I didn’t have any hand in the creation of it, I feel like I did. I have been grinding for the past almost 4 years with my KTTP family, pushing the conversation about sneaker culture colliding with the game of soccer, a conversation that not too many were having. Yes, at the end of the day it’s just product, but what you have to understand is that this collection is the realization and picture of what I have dedicated most of every waking moment of my life to for the last few years talking about, pushing and creating around.

To see the Jumpman logo OFFICIALLY paired with a major soccer team (not just a player) is the embodiment of Sneakers (kicks) meeting Soccer. To see the conversation we helped start come round to this point in such a short time is dope. This is what we have BEEN talking about, this is what we SAW coming… Make no mistake this collection is Kicks to the Pitch and I look forward to seeing what is next and where it goes from here.

Ok, so now that the dust has settled, you know how I feel about it, the collection has dropped (most of it), and our wallets/bank accounts are empty, let’s take a second to appreciate the depth of the range that was released and/or what’s to come. The pieces that really stand out to me are pretty much anything that has the oversized PSG x Jordan logo on the back. For example the Coaches Jacket, Black Tee shirt and Long Sleeve Crewneck Sweater. Of course, you can’t overlook the Jordan 5s, the Jordan 1s dropping in Oct, the mercurial 360s and Phantom VSNs donning the Jumpman on the heel and the special edition Champions league home and away third kits. When PSG steps on the field this coming week with Jumpman logo on their chest, it will definitely mark a moment in both soccer and sneaker culture history.

Be sure to head over to World Soccer Shop where you can still get your hands on some of the collection.

 

NIGEL SYLVESTER VISITS PSG & MORE IN LATEST ‘GO’ VIDEO

Pro BMX rider Nigel Sylvester continues his ‘GO’ campaign, a point-of-view video series that sees the Queens, NYC-native traverse the globe, hitting up spots synonymous with all facets of creativity, from music to art to sports and then some. For his 5th installment, Sylvester travels from the foggy city of London town to the romantic city of Paris, all the while stopping off at a number of hot spots including Pompidou Centre, Somerset House, Parc des Princes, Pigalle Basketball Court, and Thorpe Park. We’re also happy to admit that we played a small part in getting all this set up by helping connect the BMX pro with PSG, which set the ball rolling for his latest captured adventure. So without further ado, hit play in the video above to enjoy the full Nigel Sylvester’s ‘GO – London to Paris’ video.

Images by Harrison Boyce

SCOUTING REPORT: RED STAR FC COACH JACKET

The beautiful game of soccer truly speaks a universal language. Our collective love for the world’s sport breaks all boundaries and connects international borders. City Boys FC, a small soccer-inspired streetwear brand from Tokyo has recently collaborated with Red Star FC, a club that is also small in size, but large and rich in history, to release the “Red Star FC Coach Jacket” as part of a full collection which includes T-Shirts, socks, and a jacket. Ex-Manchester United and Red Star FC player describes the latter Parisian club perfectly: “Red Star is an underground, romantic, popular football club where there is absolutely no social status. People love it because it still has that old-school football vibe. The club was not built for just victory and winning. It is a very powerful symbol of freedom and creativity. Not a lot of clubs have that natural credibility.” Bellion currently serves as the Creative Director for Red Star and has been taking significant strides on putting Red Star FC on the map in a way where bigger clubs like neighboring PSG probably will struggle to emulate. Being the oldest soccer club in Parisian territory, Red Star FC has built a natural credibility with its supporters and its culture where other big clubs like PSG will feel challenged by the influx of big corporation influence and touristic environment. That does not mean PSG’s culture and credibility is any less or worse, but it’s just different. I think the decision for Red Star FC to have a full collection with a small Tokyo based clothing brand shows their reach and their ambition to continue in growing their value in working with authentic people that are in the “scene,” versus a going with a big name brand for sake of status.

Overall Design: This jacket had one design concept in mind and that was to keep it simple and clean. The whole jacket is black with exceptions in red for the embroidered Red Star logo on the front and the “RED STAR FC” font on the back. The collars add a nice classy touch to the overall design, and the jacket resembles a classic bomber jacket without the “puff.” For some, this may be too minimalist of a design, but Red Star FC is a club that values the story and its identity over results on the pitch and I think this jacket does a good job in bringing the spotlight to the main character of the story.

Score: 5/5

Functionality: What good is a good looking jacket if it’s not going to keep you warm? I was just in Toronto this past weekend and decided to wear this for the trip. Coming from Los Angeles, I forgot how cold winter weathers were. I was a bit worried at first but I have to give it to the City Boys team, they managed to kill it in both criteria of design and functionality.

Score: 5/5

Wearability: This type of jacket is probably one of my favorites to wear right now. Nothing too bulky and heavy with a good semi-shine material to give you a darker/urban vibe, and not just because of its black colorway. I wouldn’t really recommend this jacket on a slightly chillier night in spring as it has faux fur in the inner linings, which may lead you to unwittingly sweat as soon as the day heats up.

Score: 4/5

Details: For this piece I’d like to give a shout out to the details and how this jacket was put together in terms of stitching and choice of materials/fabric, and not in its design. The design is sleek and minimal and thus did not require too much attention, but you would appreciate the details in the overall fit and how comfortable it is when you actually wear it. As mentioned, the inside of the jacket is made with faux fur which adds another level of richness to the overall experience.

Score: 4/5

Technology and Innovation: I think the faux fur inside of the jacket really caught my attention and had a good first impression on me when I first wore the piece. It was not something that I was expecting from my first look at the exterior, and the fact that it wasn’t just a cheap shell of a jacket was innovative in its own way. Nothing too advanced in the design aspect, but overall I am impressed with this latest release by City Boys FC and Red Star FC.

Score: 3/5

You can now shop the Red Star Coach Jacket from Red Star FC’s website or from RBC for US customers. 

CUSTOM PSG NIKE MAYFLY WOVEN by 3R

Following up the custom PSG x Shoe Gallery Nike Air Max 90 Red Ribbon Recon is at it again. This time limited to 11 pairs, the Nike Mayfly Woven gets a brilliant PSG treatment. Predominantly navy blue, the shoes accents are compromised of yellow straight from the limited edition away kit created for the Parasian Club. The custom kicks are highly limited as mentioned and they are exclusively available at Shoe Gallery Miami. For more on the PSG pop-up space in Miami keep it locked an make sure to check out the custom kicks below.

For more Red Ribbon Recon go HERE     

LE BALLON FOOTBALL LEAGUE SEASON 3 FINALE RECAP

The good people at Le Ballon have brilliantly cultivated their league over the past few years. Through unique media campaigns, pop up bars/restaurants/shops and clothing. Le Ballon is now a brand for creative and like-minded fans of soccer from various walks of life. Last month, on June 14th, the third season of LBFL came to a close at the State Bauer, on the outskirts of Paris.

After a 7-month season which included weekly matches as well as training sessions, Paris’ most creative and influential came together for a play-off elimination tournament/party.

On the Pitch, competition was fierce as Glory Hunters FC played David in knocking out the 2nd placed Goliath, CCC on PK’s, while River Dubplate, Public House FC and Bled FC were all eliminated early on.

Of pitch, food was provided courtesy o fPaperBoy Paris who transformed a run-down commentary box into their very own pop-up restaurant. Heinken provided the booze and River Dubplate’s sound system provided the times

An intersting thing to note is that the PSG ultras who have been banned from the Parc des Princes have found a new home on the sidelines of the LFBF in supporting the Paris 75ers. Their loud, flare filled support helped lead their team into the final where they were eventually defeated by the dominant Atletico Paris. The all blacks reclaimed the title the had won in season 1.

For more on all things Le Ballon make sure to check out leballonfc.com