Matt Fondy’s soccer career took him around the country: Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Chicago, Louisville, Jacksonville, Raleigh, then finally the Oakland Roots.
His soccer life was up and down. An injury in high school kept NCAA Division I coaches away. But he earned All-America third team honors at UC Santa Cruz. His brief MLS resume includes a U.S. Open Cup semifinal appearance with the Chicago Fire. He had greater success in USL — including a record-setting 21 goals and an MVP award in 2015 — but he spent eight years bouncing from city to city.
Now he’s back in the Bay Area, where he grew up. But rather than take the easy path – going back to the elite youth club that gave him his start – Fondy, 35, has done something dramatically different.
He and fellow Northern California native Cody Pillon founded Oakland Genesis. The club uses soccer as a tool to empower, educate, and inspire young players, both athletically and academically.
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