Kyle Martino started Street FC because he wanted soccer in the US to feel easier to join. He played pro soccer and later worked in soccer media. He also spent time looking at how youth soccer works in the US and how often the sport turns into a pay-to-play system.
Street FC grew out of a simple idea. People in many cities have basketball courts and blacktop spaces that sit empty for parts of the day. Martino wanted to use those spaces for small-sided soccer and bring pickup games back into everyday life.
Street FC began by running organized games on hard courts instead of full-size fields. The games are fast and simple to join. Players can find games, reserve a spot, and show up without needing to form a full team ahead of time. That structure makes it easier for new players, travelers, or people without a regular group to get on the court.
The business expanded city by city by repeating the same setup. It focused on dense areas where players live close together and where field space is limited. It also leaned into the idea that soccer can be part of a normal routine, not something that only happens through leagues, long drives, and expensive fees.
Street FC became tied to a broader push Martino has talked about for years. He wants soccer culture to grow the way basketball culture grew in the US. Basketball has courts in neighborhoods and pickup games that run on their own schedule. Street FC tries to build a similar path for soccer using public spaces and short-format games.
Today Street FC sits at the intersection of sports, events, and tech. It uses a booking system to keep games organized and it uses a repeatable local model to keep growing. The founder story stays clear. Martino built it because he wanted more people to play and fewer barriers between a person and a ball.
