Brando Babini was just 16 when he launched Youth 4 Youth FC, a player-led soccer development platform connecting young athletes with active college and professional players. Now 21 and studying at Brown University, Babini has built the platform into a business generating mid-five-figure monthly revenue with 50% margins and over 350% year-over-year growth.
The idea came from personal experience. After realizing his own dream of going pro wouldn’t materialize, Babini noticed a critical gap: young players lacked access to mentors who were actively living the journey they aspired to. He set out to change that.
From 1 Response to 30 Million Views
Early growth was anything but smooth. Babini cold-DM’d 250 parents and received just one reply. But persistence paid off. Nike eventually reached out after noticing the brand’s content, and by 2025, the platform had received over 4,000 player applications, fueled by 30 million social media views.
Changing Lives, Not Just Building a Business
The platform’s impact goes beyond revenue. Youth 4 Youth FC distributes over $10,000 in scholarships monthly and has opened doors for athletes who lacked access to traditional recruiting pipelines. One player applied to the program ten times before getting in; he received his first college offer within a month of joining. Another athlete, who couldn’t afford pay-to-play showcases, earned two college offers at his very first exposure event.
With nearly 1,000 athletes currently enrolled and a showcase that grew from 4 coaches to 52 in just over a year, Babini shows no signs of slowing down.