Champions

Always Falcons

From behind the goal to the championship podium. This is how it really happened.

2018: The Beginning of Falcons Sports

The school where it all began has stood for over 100 years. In 2018, something new was born inside those walls — Falcons Sports.

Coach Spencer had been asking to coach. He wanted in. He was told no — no open sports available. So he kept working, kept showing up.

Then, the day before the first game, as he was clocking out, the principal called him into his office. Soccer was now available. Coach asked if there was anything else. There wasn't.

The principal handed him a folder — mixed up, incomplete paperwork — and a box of uniforms. Then told him the soccer team was already waiting. In the auditorium.

Coach Spencer walked in, looked at the kids, walked up on stage... and did a handstand.

Stood up. Looked at the team. Said: "I'm 55 and I still do handstands."

It was on from there.

The First Game (We Didn't Know What We Didn't Know)

No playbook. No soccer vocabulary. Didn't even know what a pitch was. When they arrived at that first game, Coach set the team up to stage their gear... behind the goal. Embarrassing in hindsight — but he didn't know. Nobody told him. He just showed up.

But here's the thing about not knowing what you're doing — sometimes the Creator fills in the gaps.

Brandon, Mary, and Divine Timing

After that first game — a 1-and-1 split — a young man named Brandon Mendez walked up and asked if Coach needed some help. He was 19. Semi-pro level. His girlfriend Mary Nguyễn was too — and her last name says it all: Nguyễn. Pronounced Win. That's exactly what they did.

Just like that, Coach Spencer went from knowing nothing to running an organization. Two coaches. One GM. One mission.

The First Season: Champions

Regular season record: 4 and 4. They snuck into the tournament in last place — the wildcard, like the NFL. Nobody gave them a shot.

They won the whole thing.

First year. First team. City Champions. The controversy, the politics, the outside noise — none of it mattered when that final whistle blew.

Number 9. We don't need to say more. He knows who he is — and so do we. First year MVP. Our Champion. You'll find him in the hero photo on our homepage too — because that moment deserved to live forever.

It still brings tears of joy.

Building a Dynasty

Brandon and Mary stayed for another year — second place citywide. From there, the Falcons didn't just grow — they leveled up. Starting in the 7-on-7 league, they dominated, then earned their way into the 11-on-11 competitive league — the real stage. And they kept winning. Undefeated seasons, dominant performances, all the way to 2nd place in the entire city.

The best team Coach Spencer ever had didn't lose — they just scored too much. The mercy rule became a problem. Real scores were never reported. That's how dominant they were.

Sarah Alper: The Volunteer Who Showed Up

Before Cavid, there was Sarah Alper. Sarah volunteered with the best team Coach Spencer ever had — the same team that caught the attention of the Philadelphia Union. She was there for the grind, the growth, and the glory. Another young person who showed up at exactly the right time and gave everything they had.

Philadelphia Union Takes Notice

That same team caught the attention of Coach Jim Curtin, former head coach of the Philadelphia Union (MLS). He invited the Falcons to watch his team play, brought them down to the field, and took a photo with the squad. When a professional club recognizes your youth program, you know you've built something real.

The Falcons have been in the official record since the beginning — and on Instagram since November 23, 2019.

Where Cavid Comes In

Cavid had just arrived at Fell — new to the school, new to the program. But Coach Spencer brought him along to the Union game. Let him stand on that field. Let him feel what the Falcons were about. From that moment, Cavid was all in. He's been part of the team ever since — and now he's part of what comes next.

The Next Chapter: Falcons Sports Travel Team

Coach Spencer is passing the torch at Fell to a young coach he's trained for years — someone ready to carry the tradition forward. But the mission is expanding.

Together with Cavid, they're building Falcons Sports — a travel team with a national vision. Fell kids come first, always. But every kid in the neighborhood deserves a tryout. Somebody is going to look at what's been built here and say: we have to give them a chance.

Faith. Hustle. Family. That's what the Falcon stands for.