They call themselves the 'Club by the Sea.'
Venice Beach Football Club, or VBFC, is a community-led organization and club built by professional players, coaches, fans, artists, musicians and proud locals of Los Angeles. Their aim is to change the landscape of football in America as we know it today...
Anchored on a patch of sun-bleached concrete, between the Pacific Ocean and the Venice Beach Boardwalk is a football club unlike any other. On any given day, you can rock up under LA's golden sunsets to witness players from Los Angeles and beyond, lace-up to ball at the Estadio De Dogtown. - VBFC
Recently featured in our women's campaign shoot for Pulse - a collection that has your back through every step, and every game - we caught up with the girl squad behind VBFC. Discover what conditioning means to them and how they aim to inspire the next generation of female soccer players.
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Hey everyone! This is the female force behind VBFC.
Our #GirlSquad consists of Bella, Jennifer, Sarah, Sommer, Natasha, and Flor proudly reppin' the 310. VBFC (Venice Beach Football Club) is a collective of players from all walks of life.
More than just another football club, we are la squadra (the squad).
What Is Your Mission At VBFC?
Venice Beach is a melting pot of cultures and vibes, where anything and everything is possible.
The Estadio de Dogtown (as named by the kids of the VBFC) represents just that - offering a place where all are welcome to play. Our mission is to build the game in our neighborhood, create future legends of the club and tell the story of football in Venice as we do.
We're making the game more accessible to the community by hosting free pickup games and events for the youth and their families. The impact of this community reaches beyond our fields; it has become an after-school hangout, a place for moms and dads to catch up, and a routine part of our week.
If you take a stroll down the Venice boardwalk, you're bound to run into someone proudly wearing their VBFC gear, most likely heading to the Estadio.
When we come together for pickup games at the Estadio, we are all equal. Our local's pickup has brought together youth, college, professional, Champions League players, trash players, World Cup winners, artists, homeless, hippies, celebrities, boardwalk workers, families, and talent of all ages from every corner of the world. Rich, poor, locals, tourists, young, old, it doesn't matter.
We play 'till the sun goes down, and the ball can't be seen. That is the beauty of our sport and the VBFC community.
How Has Culture Influenced Your Conditioning Journey?
We're a diverse group, and representation is everything for us. We want girls to be able to see themselves in us when we play. Although we all come from different backgrounds, our love for futbol allows us to speak the same language.
What Does Conditioning Mean To You?
Conditioning is a word we all know too well here at VBFC.
From daily meditation and Jiu-Jitsu practice to weightlifting at the gym and pickup games at the Estadio, we like to stay prepared for anything that may come our way. More importantly, conditioning means listening to what our bodies need to be happy and healthy...and sometimes, just sometimes, that means munching on street tacos.
What impact do you want to make on the Female soccer community?
We're taking the term 'play like a girl' and claiming back its power (because the future is female after all). Our goal is to help young female players gain confidence in their skills so that they can step out on any field and give their best, no matter who is playing.
VBFC has felt like the most inclusive soccer community to so many of us, and we hope to share that feeling with as many futboleras as possible. We want girls to feel represented and celebrated, on and off the field.
Some of us grew up playing football. Others were introduced to the game later down the road. But each and every Sunday, we come together to be a part of futbol history.
The Estadio de Dogtown is open to everyone; come join us on Sundays!
Signed,
Your New Teammates.
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