The pathway to college and professional soccer is changing. Brando Babini is trying to make it more player-led.
In this episode of The NIL Podcast by SportsEpreneur, Eric Kasimov talks with Brando Babini, founder of Youth for Youth Football Club, about college soccer, youth development, recruiting, content, and the pressure young athletes face while chasing the next level.
Brando started Youth for Youth at 16 after realizing his own soccer path was shifting. What began as a response to what he wished existed as a youth player has grown into a player-led program serving athletes across multiple states with training, mentorship, showcases, and a community built around players helping the next generation.
Episode Overview
Most youth soccer conversations focus on exposure. This one focuses on guidance.
Brando Babini’s perspective is shaped by being close to the process. He is a Brown University student, a former academy player, and the founder of a growing soccer organization led by college and professional players. His work with Youth for Youth Football Club centers on a simple question: what did players need when they were younger, and how can they now build it for others?
This conversation gets into recruiting, the transfer portal, international players, pay-to-play soccer, MLS and USL development, parent pressure, leadership, content, and the future of the sport in the United States.
Key Takeaways
- Youth soccer needs more player-led mentorship
- College soccer recruiting is being reshaped by the transfer portal
- Domestic players face new pressure from older and international recruits
- Pay-to-play still creates major barriers in American soccer
- Showcases should create real opportunity, not just more cost
- Players need agency before they reach college or the pros
- Parents can support the journey without controlling it
- Good teammates and leaders are developed through daily exposure
- Content can help players and programs get discovered
- Street soccer and small-sided games can bring more freedom back into the sport
Topics Covered
- Youth for Youth Football Club
- College soccer recruiting
- Transfer portal pressure
- International players in college soccer
- Domestic player development
- Pay-to-play soccer barriers
- MLS, USL, and American soccer culture
- Parent involvement in youth sports
- Playing time and player responsibility
- Mentorship, leadership, and team culture
- Content, virality, and athlete discovery
- Nike Toma and street soccer
- World Cup impact on U.S. soccer
Notable Quote
“It should be free to show your talent.”
Episode Chapters
00:00 – Introduction to Youth for Youth Football Club
00:29 – Brando’s schedule between Brown and New York
01:00 – Starting Youth for Youth at 16
02:15 – Brando’s recruiting journey and Brown University
03:00 – When the soccer dream starts to shift
04:00 – Injuries, coaching challenges, and the need for mentorship
04:50 – Building what he wished existed as a youth player
05:12 – Nike street soccer and alternative pathways
05:40 – College soccer recruiting and the transfer portal
06:00 – How recruiting has changed in college soccer
07:00 – International players and roster pressure
08:20 – Goalkeepers, college rosters, and difficult pathways
10:13 – Why domestic player development has to improve
11:45 – MLS, USL, and the future of American soccer
12:30 – Promotion, relegation, and soccer culture
14:25 – Charlotte FC, accessibility, and growing the game
16:27 – Where MLS stands globally
19:00 – World Cup impact and youth soccer infrastructure
20:00 – Breaking down pay-to-play barriers
24:00 – Why profit incentives are not always bad
25:00 – Building a better development model
27:00 – Making Youth for Youth more need-blind
28:00 – Playing time, competition, and development
31:00 – Parent pressure and athlete responsibility
32:57 – Why players need to speak for themselves
34:08 – Expanding Youth for Youth by region
36:00 – Brown University, professors, and entrepreneurship
38:12 – What college can offer beyond classes
40:26 – Helping young athletes become better teammates
41:16 – Leadership, captains, and mentorship
43:00 – Controlling what you can control
44:11 – Coaching intensity and parent reactions
47:43 – Content, discovery, and player applications
48:57 – Nike Toma and the value of street soccer
51:00 – Messi, Ronaldo, and the GOAT conversation
51:21 – Premier League complaints and global soccer
52:48 – Best players in the world today
54:42 – World Cup predictions
57:00 – Where to find Youth for Youth
Connect & Follow
Related Content
- NIL Hub
- NIL Pros and Cons for Athletes, Families, and Schools
- Transfer Portal Pros and Cons
- The US Government and NIL
SportsEpreneur is a sports business media platform covering NIL, media, and the changing college sports landscape.
Eric Kasimov is the founder of SportsEpreneur, part of the KazSource media network. Since launching the platform in 2015, he has hosted over 500 podcast episodes, written and published more than 1,500 articles, and advised business leaders, founders, and creators on building authority through media strategy.
Through his brands — KazSource, KazCM, SportsEpreneur, and QuietLoud Studios — Eric leads teams that produce podcasts, develop brand platforms, and help companies grow through modern content ecosystems. He also scaled KazSource Insurance into a seven-figure boutique agency, providing the foundation for the broader media network he operates today.
His work has been featured in Forbes, Axios, and Front Office Sports, and his podcasts have included conversations with top founders, investors, and athletes turned entrepreneurs.