EP 547: How Professional Sports Can Power Real Community Change

What makes Brooke Leverette with the FC Dallas Foundation a good neighbor?

We talk with Brooke Leverette about how the FC Dallas Foundation uses the game of soccer to create meaningful opportunities for youth, families, and nonprofit organizations throughout Frisco, North Texas, and the greater DFW Metroplex. Brooke shares how the foundation’s mission extends far beyond the field by investing in programs that strengthen communities and make sports more accessible for everyone.

Brooke walks us through several of the foundation’s initiatives, including building public soccer spaces like the adaptive sport court at Warren Sports Complex, providing grants to local nonprofit organizations, and collecting and redistributing sports equipment through the GearUp program. These efforts help remove barriers so more children and families can participate in recreation and community activities.

We also discuss educational and inclusive programming, including Steam FC, a field trip experience developed with Frisco ISD at Toyota Stadium, and the FC Dallas Unified Team in partnership with Special Olympics Texas. Brooke explains how these programs create opportunities for students and athletes of all abilities to learn, compete, and experience the excitement of professional sports in an inclusive environment.

One of the biggest misconceptions we address is the belief that working in professional sports is always glamorous or that a professional team’s foundation has unlimited funding. Brooke shares the reality of nonprofit work, where fundraising, community partnerships, and volunteer support are essential to sustaining programs and expanding their impact.

The conversation also explores Brooke’s personal journey, including being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at a young age and how that experience shaped her passion for serving others. She encourages listeners to support local nonprofits in whatever way they can, whether through financial contributions, volunteering, or serving on nonprofit boards.

If you’re passionate about youth sports, nonprofit leadership, community partnerships, or creating more inclusive opportunities for children and families, this conversation offers an inspiring look at the impact local organizations can have.

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Guest Info: FC Dallas Foundation | https://www.fcdallas.com/community/foundation/

Transcript

Welcome To Good Neighbor Podcast

SPEAKER_00 0:00

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Sophia Yvette.

SPEAKER_01 0:10

Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Are you in need of a local foundation? One may be closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, Brooke Leverett, with FC Dallas Foundation. Brooke, it's great to have you on today. Now we are so excited to learn more about you and your foundation. So tell us just a little bit more about your business.

FC Dallas Foundation Mission And Programs

SPEAKER_02 0:34

First and foremost, thank you so much for having me today. But I'll go ahead and jump in. The FC Dallas Foundation mission is to support programs that promote education, health, and wellness to empower youth and communities here in North Texas. And under our mission, we have four different pillars and six ongoing programs that cover a wide range of things. We build soccer fields here in North Texas. Our most recent one was at Warren Sports Complex here in Frisco. So that one is open to the public and it is a sport court surface, which is great for adaptive sports. We run a grant program where we support local nonprofits with similar missions to ours with funding. We run the GearUp project where we collect new and gently use soccer gear and donate that out locally and globally. We also run Steam FC, which is an educational field trip program that was developed in partnership with Frisco ISD. We run that here out of Toyota Stadium. And we also have the FC Dallas Unified Team, which is a partnership with Special Olympics, Texas, where we bring individuals with and without disabilities together to play soccer on one team and truly give that group a professional experience.

SPEAKER_01 1:46

Wow, I love that.

Brooke’s Path From Frisco To Leadership

SPEAKER_01 1:48

And where was your passion for this industry born?

SPEAKER_02 1:51

Yeah, so I actually grew up here in Frisco. I played sports as a kid, and I always have had a passion for making an impact in my community. So went off to college, not really knowing what I wanted to do, and started learning about the job opportunities in sports and realized that I could connect my passion of sports with my passion of giving back. So that truly sparked where I am today. I had the privilege of starting here at FC Dallas in our foundation and CR department as an intern. I won't say when because I will date myself by doing so, but I'm so privileged to now oversee the department and run all of our programming as well.

Misconceptions About Sports And Nonprofits

SPEAKER_01 2:31

So, Brooke, with having this experience in your industry and being this wealth of knowledge, what is the most common misconception you come across on the day-to-day?

SPEAKER_02 2:43

That is a wonderful question. And I'll answer that twofold because there's a lot of misconceptions about working in professional sports in general, and then throw in that nonprofit arm within the professional sports world and it's a whole other can of worms. Big picture, I think a common misconception that people have of working in professional sports is that it is glitzy and glamorous. It is by no means that. We work really hard. We work nights, weekends, and holidays. Oftentimes we are not just theoretically getting our hands dirty, but often literally doing so as well. It's hard work. We spend more time here at the stadium and with our coworkers than we do at home. So it really does take a village, and we here at FC Dallas are definitely a family. But layering in that nonprofit aspect, I think a common misconception when it comes to nonprofits that operate in conjunction with professional sports teams is that we have all the money in the world. Here at FC Dallas and the FC Dallas Foundation, we are actually responsible for fundraising 100% of our operating costs. So I am very thankful that our business development team here supports me with that. But in addition to our sponsorships, we are out there soliciting donations, operating fundraising events, and really raising all of the money that it takes to put on our programming.

Fundraising Audience And Community Impact

SPEAKER_01 4:02

Wow, Brooke now, we're gonna go ahead and switch gears here for a second. We do know that marketing really is the heart of every business. So ideally, who are you looking to attract? And with all your fundraising efforts, how are you reaching them today?

SPEAKER_02 4:18

Yes, the target market that we're looking to attract is mainly our fan base and soccer fans and prospective soccer fans here in the Metroplex, but also we want to support the children here in our community, first and foremost, because the children are the backbone of tomorrow. And so really supporting those young people here in Frisco and the wider DFW area is the most important thing to us. And at the end of the day, we want to make an impact. We don't just want to check a box. And so that is truly what keeps us going in that regard.

SPEAKER_01 4:51

Wow. Now, for your business, have you guys ever thought about having uh your own podcast before?

SPEAKER_02 4:58

Not for the foundation. We do have a podcast that operates under the FC Dallas umbrella that focuses more on field. And we'll see, maybe one day they'll have me on as a guest and I can share a little bit more about what we do off the field and in the community. But we do have that here under our wider umbrella of FC Dallas. We're just a small piece here on the foundation side.

SPEAKER_01 5:20

That's wonderful.

Partnerships That Stretch Across DFW

SPEAKER_01 5:21

And outside of fundraising, how are you attracting this target audience to you today?

SPEAKER_02 5:27

Yes, one of the biggest things for us is connecting and fostering relationships with local nonprofits. We are a small but mighty team here at the FC Dallas Foundation. I have one full-time staff member in addition to myself, and then we have two part-time staff members. So we're quite lean, but I say that we do a lot with our strength that we have and our small numbers, but it truly is connecting and fostering those relationships with local nonprofits. And that can be in all different types of areas. We have a great relationship with the boys and girls clubs of Collin County. I mentioned Special Olympics Texas earlier. I've mentioned Frisco ISD. And so our connections truly span the entire Metroplex with a lot of those relationships here in Frisco as well.

SPEAKER_01 6:12

Wow. Is there a favorite nonprofit that you work with? I will plead the fifth on that. Okay.

Life Outside Work And Volunteer Work

SPEAKER_01 6:21

And Brooke, outside of work, what do you like to do for fun?

SPEAKER_02 6:26

Yes, I joke that I am a grandma at heart. I'm one of those that loves my grandma hobbies. I enjoy gardening. I enjoy cross-stitching. I craft quite a bit, and I love spending time with my dog. But in addition to that, I also spend a lot of time volunteering. I can't get away from the nonprofit mindset and giving back. So I work with quite a few nonprofits here in DFW. I sit on a few boards, one being WISE DFW, which is women in sports and events. So if you're a woman that is looking to get into this world or is already in this world, that is a great resource for you. But in addition to that, I serve on the My Possibilities Foundation board. I had the privilege of serving on the World Cup Legacy Committee here for our Dallas Local Organizing Committee. So that was a huge honor. And then there are a few other nonprofits that I spend my time volunteering with as well.

Why Local Nonprofits Matter Most

SPEAKER_01 7:21

Wow, Brooke. So if there was one great takeaway our listeners could gather from listening to this interview today, what would you want that to be?

SPEAKER_02 7:30

I think the biggest takeaway is that nonprofits are extremely important. I think if it weren't for our nonprofits, our communities wouldn't be what they are. When it comes to the nonprofit world, we truly are here to support one another. And we wouldn't be able to do so without having these organizations. And I just think it's so important to support your local nonprofit in whatever way that you can, in particular, nonprofits that hit close to home. And that can be financial contributions, that can be contributions of your time, it can be serving on boards, things like that. Because at the end of the day, our nonprofits are the true backbone of our community.

The Personal Story Behind The Purpose

SPEAKER_01 8:11

So, Brooke, before we close out today, I want to ask you a question. I can just hear in your words how passionate you are about serving other people. So, where does your heart for that come from?

SPEAKER_02 8:23

I am so I'm actually a type one diabetic. I was diagnosed when I was eight years old. And I think seeing how many people supported me at a young age and all of the resources that were available and how my family was supported truly sparked that love. And I wanted to be able to do the same thing for others. And so marrying my love of sports with the ability to give back has just truly been my life purpose. And so being able to do that as a job is a blessing. I say that it is, it's always the best thing ever when you go to work and it doesn't feel like you're at work. So I'm extremely lucky to have the position that I have and be able to bring all of those passions that I have together for my day-to-day job.

Where To Follow And Get Involved

SPEAKER_01 9:07

Brooke, I am right there with you. And one final question before we close out today where can our listeners go to learn more about the FC Dallas Foundation?

SPEAKER_02 9:18

Absolutely. Fcdallasfoundation.org is our website. So feel free to jump on. You can learn more about our programming. And then if you follow us on Twitter or X, I still call it Twitter, and Instagram at FCD Community. All of our events, all of our recaps, more about what we're doing in the community is all shared there. So highly encourage listeners to give us a follow on those two platforms and to stay in touch and come out to any event that speaks to you. We would love to have you.

SPEAKER_01 9:51

Brooke, I really appreciate you being on the show. Today we wish you and your foundation the best moving forward. Awesome. Thank you so

Nominate A Local Business

SPEAKER_01 9:59

much.

SPEAKER_00 9:59

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNP Frisco dot com. That's GNP Frisco dot com or call four six nine two two two two two two two two two two two two one nine three four four four four four five.