What started out as just a far-fetched idea between childhood friends has quickly spring-boarded into an innovative startup that is aiming to become to the next big soccer lifestyle brand. North Carolina FC midfielder Cameron Steele, NCFC U-23 defender Chase Rhode and longtime friend Bryan Hall have banded together to provide the nation’s first soccer-based subscription box in Peak Footy.
The inaugural box will be shipped out in August with the hope of providing consumers the atmosphere, passion and game-day feel that only soccer can bring, right to their doorstep.
Their love of the game brought the trio from the Triangle together as youth players. All three played high school and youth soccer together, forming a lasting bond that founded the idea behind Peak Footy.
It was that same love and passion for the game that sent the group their separate ways after high school. For Hall, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) playoffs would be the end of his soccer career. Hall is currently attending NC State University, pursuing a Master’s Degree in accounting. Steele and Rhode however would continue their playing careers at the collegiate level, ending up at Penn State and UC Davis, respectively.
For Steele, graduating from Penn State and being signed to North Carolina FC was the final step in completing his journey through the club’s youth-to-pro pipeline. The pipeline provides a way for players to come up through the NCFC system. Steele played for TFCA (now NCFC Youth) during his youth career and with NCFC U-23 team for three seasons while in college. Similarly, Rhode is also a product of the NCFC system, as he has spent his last four summers with NCFC U-23 and is training with the first team while searching for his first professional contract.
For as long as the group can remember, they’ve been privy to finding the next great business idea. They can even recall staying up into the early hours of the night during preseason soccer camps, brainstorming ideas and businesses they wanted to implement in the future. With each finding their way back to the Triangle after college, it was no surprise that the trio has launched Peak Footy in what’s sure to be an innovative product for all soccer lovers in the state of North Carolina.
“The purpose of PeakFooty is to build the support of the game on a cultural level and encourage people to go out and participate and enjoy soccer as part of their life and not just a sport,” explained Steele. “Our goal is to introduce a really cool product to our members and have them really enjoy those products and continue to use them in the future.”
While the majority of subscription boxes aim to simply sell products, PeakFooty strives to give their customers more.
“For us it’s not just about the box at all. If you look at our Instagram and some of the stuff we’ve put out, it’s truly a lifestyle brand,”says Rhode.
The box will include items such as soccer apparel, gear and even tickets to matches, and it will be shipped out on a bi-monthly basis. With the first batch of boxes set to go out this month, PeakFooty is not only interested in growing, but growing the right way in the Triangle area with an aim to positively impact the community.
Although a relatively new company, PeakFooty hopes it’s partnerships with local professional and youth clubs expands the NCFC fan base in the Triangle and incentivizes supporters to fill the stands at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park.
“We believe once they come and get to know the players and get to know what the atmosphere is like, they’ll fall in love and want to support the team,” said Steele.
He, along with Hall and Rhode, also believe the first step in that expansion is infusing themselves with the youth. PeakFooty takes pride in bridging the gap from kids that are fans of the professional team in Raleigh and help getting those same kids involved with the club from an early age so they can see that their dreams aren’t a far away as they think.
Getting involved early is something PeakFooty has made a point of and aspires to have a similar long-term impact that a small gesture from a world renowned club had on Rhode in his youth.
“When I was in the 5th grade, my teacher made the class write a letter to our respective heroes,” said Rhode. “I wrote to Real Madrid and as time went by people weren’t getting stuff back from their heroes and I got one back from Real Madrid and I remember looking at that picture and knowing that would be the team I would support forever. Even to this day, I’m still a fan of Real Madrid so if that’s something we can do with the local youth and beyond, we’re shooting for it.”
With three ambitious childhood friends at the helm, PeakFooty believes as long as they continue to create candid content mixed with innovative ways to provide the ultimate soccer experience in a box and beyond, the sky’s the limit.
Those interested in learning more about or partnering with PeakFooty can follow @PeakFooty on Instagram as well as visit PeakFooty.com for news, updates and more.
What started out as just a far-fetched idea between childhood friends has quickly spring-boarded into an innovative startup that is aiming to become to the next big soccer lifestyle brand. North Carolina FC midfielder Cameron Steele, NCFC U-23 defender Chase Rhode and longtime friend Bryan Hall have banded together to provide the nation’s first soccer-based subscription box in Peak Footy.
The inaugural box will be shipped out in August with the hope of providing consumers the atmosphere, passion and game-day feel that only soccer can bring, right to their doorstep.
Their love of the game brought the trio from the Triangle together as youth players. All three played high school and youth soccer together, forming a lasting bond that founded the idea behind Peak Footy.
It was that same love and passion for the game that sent the group their separate ways after high school. For Hall, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) playoffs would be the end of his soccer career. Hall is currently attending NC State University, pursuing a Master’s Degree in accounting. Steele and Rhode however would continue their playing careers at the collegiate level, ending up at Penn State and UC Davis, respectively.
For Steele, graduating from Penn State and being signed to North Carolina FC was the final step in completing his journey through the club’s youth-to-pro pipeline. The pipeline provides a way for players to come up through the NCFC system. Steele played for TFCA (now NCFC Youth) during his youth career and with NCFC U-23 team for three seasons while in college. Similarly, Rhode is also a product of the NCFC system, as he has spent his last four summers with NCFC U-23 and is training with the first team while searching for his first professional contract.
For as long as the group can remember, they’ve been privy to finding the next great business idea. They can even recall staying up into the early hours of the night during preseason soccer camps, brainstorming ideas and businesses they wanted to implement in the future. With each finding their way back to the Triangle after college, it was no surprise that the trio has launched Peak Footy in what’s sure to be an innovative product for all soccer lovers in the state of North Carolina.
“The purpose of PeakFooty is to build the support of the game on a cultural level and encourage people to go out and participate and enjoy soccer as part of their life and not just a sport,” explained Steele. “Our goal is to introduce a really cool product to our members and have them really enjoy those products and continue to use them in the future.”
While the majority of subscription boxes aim to simply sell products, PeakFooty strives to give their customers more.
“For us it’s not just about the box at all. If you look at our Instagram and some of the stuff we’ve put out, it’s truly a lifestyle brand,”says Rhode.
The box will include items such as soccer apparel, gear and even tickets to matches, and it will be shipped out on a bi-monthly basis. With the first batch of boxes set to go out this month, PeakFooty is not only interested in growing, but growing the right way in the Triangle area with an aim to positively impact the community.
Although a relatively new company, PeakFooty hopes it’s partnerships with local professional and youth clubs expands the NCFC fan base in the Triangle and incentivizes supporters to fill the stands at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park.
“We believe once they come and get to know the players and get to know what the atmosphere is like, they’ll fall in love and want to support the team,” said Steele.
He, along with Hall and Rhode, also believe the first step in that expansion is infusing themselves with the youth. PeakFooty takes pride in bridging the gap from kids that are fans of the professional team in Raleigh and help getting those same kids involved with the club from an early age so they can see that their dreams aren’t a far away as they think.
Getting involved early is something PeakFooty has made a point of and aspires to have a similar long-term impact that a small gesture from a world renowned club had on Rhode in his youth.
“When I was in the 5th grade, my teacher made the class write a letter to our respective heroes,” said Rhode. “I wrote to Real Madrid and as time went by people weren’t getting stuff back from their heroes and I got one back from Real Madrid and I remember looking at that picture and knowing that would be the team I would support forever. Even to this day, I’m still a fan of Real Madrid so if that’s something we can do with the local youth and beyond, we’re shooting for it.”
With three ambitious childhood friends at the helm, PeakFooty believes as long as they continue to create candid content mixed with innovative ways to provide the ultimate soccer experience in a box and beyond, the sky’s the limit.
Those interested in learning more about or partnering with PeakFooty can follow @PeakFooty on Instagram as well as visit PeakFooty.com for news, updates and more.
