Physical fitness is not just about lifting weights or running marathons; it’s about discipline, resilience, and continuous self-improvement. Fitness champions help coach and inspire others to achieve their fitness goals. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Tarek Pertew.
Tarek Pertew is the co-founder and CEO of NYC Footy, the nation’s largest adult soccer league. Previously, Tarek co-founded Uncubed, an HR Technology company (sold to Recruiter.com). Tarek has served as an advisor to numerous organizations, including United Kingdom Trade & Investment, SkillCycle, Street Child United and his alma mater, University of Virginia.
Thank you so much for joining us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’?
Ispent my early childhood in Northeast Tennessee before moving to Long Island and eventually attended college at the University of Virginia. After graduation, I moved back to New York and worked as a buyer for Lord and Taylor. During that time, I joined a free-agent soccer league where I met Gerardo and Joe, my soon-to-be co-founders of NYC Footy. After years of playing together, we felt there was an opportunity to level up our personal soccer experience in NYC, and we wanted to bring a more professional offering to the recreational landscape. Soon thereafter, NYC Footy was born, and over a decade later I am leading a growing team doing something I absolutely love: bringing the beautiful game to as many people as possible, no matter your gender or skill level.
Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
The most interesting story from my career is the time I blew the whistle on Lord and Taylor’s “fake” recycling practices by enlisting Chris Noth (Mr. Big from Sex and the City) who was in the midst of a collaboration with Lord and Taylor on the company’s “green” initiatives. I was let go shortly thereafter, but it led to a company-wide overhaul of their recycling practices.
In terms of the best lesson I can take away from my career, it’s that focusing on servicing a very small, manageable subset of a community is key to building a successful business. For years in my entrepreneurial journey, I was desperate to tackle every opportunity that surfaced. Boil the ocean, so to speak. I didn’t have the time to get in my own way with NYC Footy, as it was a very part-time project for years. We focused entirely on key neighborhoods, like Brooklyn, and a coed format, taking the next best “small” step to improve the business. That patience, focus, and foundation-building approach is what paved the way for delivering the absolute best product on the market for New Yorkers looking to play recreational soccer and drive the business to grow into the largest community of adult players in the country.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
First is perseverance. Like many, I graduated from college, entered the workforce, and faced various challenges throughout my career. However, these experiences and learning opportunities have been crucial in shaping my ability to lead NYC Footy today.
The second is accountability. I take pride in putting my name on very visible projects and holding myself accountable for its success or failure.
Finally, there’s empathy. This allows you to truly put yourself in your customer’s position and constantly ask yourself if you’re doing everything you can to make their experience as pleasant and enjoyable as possible.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that might help people?
Yes! Despite our scale, numerous neighborhoods in the New York Metropolitan Area don’t have access to Footy leagues. Every season, we branch out a bit further and further and this fall we recently launched our Bronx leagues in Gaelic Park and Van Cortlandt Park. In even more extraordinary news, we are launching our first league in an entirely new market in Miami with MIA Footy.
We recently launched a new tournament at the American Dream in New Jersey called The Cup of Dreams, adding to our established lineup that includes the Governor’s Cup and the Footy Fest.
Finally, we recently launched our player app, making the entire player experience more accessible and seamless.
Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of our interview. What inspired you to pursue a career in fitness?
Like so many people, sports played one of the most important roles in my development. It doesn’t only provide the intimacy in friendship that we all need, but it teaches accountability, team dynamics, creativity, discipline, and more. When sports became less integral to my life as I got older, I found recreational soccer and quickly became addicted. Not to mention, sports provide the ultimate fitness experience, because you are not only being physically active, but you are overcoming a challenge (winning) and doing so with a community of friends. In short, it’s far more fun than traditional fitness, which I also dedicated a chunk of my life to, and the more people that have access to this experience, the better for them and for the community at large.
What unique strategies do you use to keep your clients motivated and engaged in their fitness journeys?
Because we tie the physical component to one’s social needs, it’s a very powerful tool for keeping folks returning week in and week out. But we also produce extraordinary soccer experiences with our tournaments, including the Footy Fest, which welcomes hundreds of community members upstate each fall for an outdoor mountain soccer festival. We also organize viewing parties, player happy hours, and massive gatherings for professional games with our partners NYCFC and Gotham FC.
Can you share a particularly memorable success story of a client transformation that you’ve helped achieve?
At NYC Footy, we want to provide players with the chance to improve their skills, which is why we partnered with BetterPlayer, a soccer training program. BetterPlayer allows individuals to push past their perceived limitations by joining group soccer practices with a coach. Numerous beginners have found their way into soccer through BetterPlayer and, shortly thereafter, onto an official team with NYC Footy.
NYC Footy also offers various levels in our leagues, from beginner to more advanced. This gives players the chance to get comfortable in their skills, and motivation to continue leveling up into more advanced divisions.
One team, No Hands FC (presumably a nod to learning early on that you cannot use your hands in soccer), met as individuals for a weekly BetterPlayer practice in Astoria a few years back. They became fast friends learning soccer together and soon formed a beginner team in NYC Footy. Within a year, they won their first title in the beginner division and recently leveled up, as a team, to a higher division.
How do you stay updated with the latest fitness trends and incorporate them into your coaching?
We are focused on soccer as fitness. So we follow loads of soccer accounts and attend numerous soccer events and gatherings. We’re inspired when we see a new soccer event hit the landscape and are motivated to see what we can learn that can inspire us to keep innovating.
We also partner with New York Orthopedics to ensure our community is aware of the best injury prevention and recovery practices.
Lastly, I am a big proponent of fostering debate around any topic. For my business, this naturally helps sprout new ideas and initiatives.
Based on your research or experience, can you please share your “5 Things Anyone Can Do To Improve Their Fitness Routine”?
My recommendation to join your fitness routine involves the steps to consistency and accountability — join a sports team. Be held accountable by your teammates. Show up. Be active.
1 . Join a league (or multiple leagues). Head to www.nycfooty.com and search by skill level, day of the week, or location to find the perfect fit. Try and bring friends along for the ride.
2 . Put yourself out there. Everyone else is. If you kill it, great. If you fumble, improve.
3 . Make time for practice. Use practice as a tool for being more effective during a game. Practice on your own or jump into BetterPlayer practices.
4 . Find sources of encouragement. Follow inspiring sports accounts. Follow the game. Try new things and bring those ideas to your team. If they adopt them, then you’re even more invested.
5 . Make friends with your opponents. One of the best ways to expand your social circle and opportunities to “play more,” is by being that person on the pitch everyone likes. They’ll invite you to join them for a game, for drinks, or for outings. All of this just continues to embed you more into a world of social fitness that’s certain to keep you coming back.
What role do you believe mental health plays in physical fitness, and how do you address this with your clients?
Many articulate professionals will tell you that without mental strength and commitment, your talents will only get you so far. Working on your mental health is what unlocks physical attributes and accomplishments you didn’t previously access. Not to mention the moments where the focus is critical, like taking a penalty kick. Social fitness, of which recreational soccer is, in my opinion, the greatest example of the category, provides mental wellness benefits simply by participating. You’re doing something fun and active in a safe space with very little on the line. It’s the perfect place to express your creativity on the pitch and share your ambitions and challenges off the pitch.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I would initiate a movement centered on respectful debate. Engaging in open conversations and lowering our defenses allows people to connect in ways they might not otherwise. At NYC Footy, we foster a safe space for debate, where we gain valuable insights about and from one another. We are a community of over 40,000 players, you can imagine the differences in values and opinions that live within our members. Respectful debate is, essentially, the off-the-pitch version of sportsmanship.
What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?
Find more about NYC Footy on our website, https://www.nycfooty.com/, as well as on Instagram, @nycfootyofficial. Subscribe to our newsletter to find all things NYC Footy, and read our blog for various updates. If you are interested in Better Player, find more at the website, https://www.betterplayer.com/.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.
