Design
The Soccer King of Detroit
Sean Mann works to build community with a neighborhood-based league and a new local minor league team.
"It's a notch above 8-year-olds where it’s just a mess of people and there's a ball in the middle," says Sean Mann, who's only half-joking. He's the creator of the Detroit City Futbol League, which is hosting its third annual championship tournament this weekend. His review of the league's level of play isn't glowing. But what's important about this soccer league is that it's not really about soccer.
"The whole focus is social," says Mann. "The rationale behind the league was to make it a community organizing tool. Kind of a fun, light-hearted way to bring neighbors together and build connections."