Hatteras Island Futbol Club builds community through “The Beautiful Game”

By Chloe Edwards at The Island Free Press

Hatteras Island Futbol Club is a local non-profit, sanctioned through the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) in the fall of 2024. However, HIFC’s grassroots history dates back to 1984 with Jack Leatherwood and Dare County Parks & Recreation.

HIFC’s mission is “to provide affordable, high-quality soccer opportunities for players of all ages and abilities [and] to empower players and their families through the principles of servanthood leadership, fostering growth within our club and contributing positively to the greater Hatteras Island community.”

Jerry Rosell, HIFC Regional President, was born and raised on Hatteras Island. Rosell grew up playing soccer for Parks & Rec., but fell in love with the sport in high school when he attended Salty Dog Soccer camp. While in high school, Rosell also began organizing pick-up soccer games, a tradition that continues through HIFC.

“Even though we now offer more programs and opportunities than ever before, the program that we are still the most proud of is Monday Night Soccer offered during our summer season” Rosell wrote to the Island Free Press, “…MNS has been going strong for 15 years now and we are so grateful to have created an authentic, diverse, and beautiful display of why the world’s most popular sport is referred to as “the beautiful game.”

During June and July, HIFC hosts Monday Night Soccer from 7-9 p.m. HIFC emphasizes that all are welcome—men, women, locals, and tourists—regardless of experience or skill level.

In addition to the summer season, HIFC also practices in the fall, winter, and spring. January and February mark the winter season, during which HIFC hosts indoor soccer futsal league every Saturday. From October through December HIFC hosts training and scrimmage sessions a couple of times a week. Both the winter and fall seasons culminate in a tournament in Virginia.

In April, or the spring season, they hold beach soccer games once a week during the month of April. The spring season comes to a close with the Annual Cape Hatteras Sand Soccer Showdown and Beach Clean-Up on the last weekend of the month, during which HIFC partners with other nonprofits and organizations around Hatteras Island to facilitate a beach-wide cleanup.

Outer Banks Community Foundation (OBCF) helped support HIFC’s 2025 spring and summer season through a recreational/travel season equipment grant. OBCF is a public charity that meets local needs in Dare County and the beaches of Currituck, Corolla, Ocracoke, and Carova.

Nandy Stuart, Chief Operating Officer for OCBF wrote to the Island Free Press “The first cycle of the 2025 Community Enrichment Grants was highly competitive. Hatteras Island Futbol Club, newly established as a nonprofit, has a long-standing impact on local families by providing a safe, inclusive, and fun environment where children on Hatteras Island can thrive—developing sportsmanship, leadership, and a true sense of community. We’re thrilled to support their commitment to equitable access and their core value that ‘all are welcome.’”

Echoing Nandy’s sentiment, Chris Sawin, CEO of OBCF, said to the Island Free Press “[HIFC’s] application was immediately appealing because it was so clear that there was a direct and immediate benefit to students.”

In addition to training and scrimmage sessions, HIFC also hosts a Summer Camp in June that offers high level coaching for all ages by bringing in guest coaches from colleges and other prominent soccer clubs in Virginia. Registration for next year’s Summer Camp opens in September.

When speaking with the Island Free Press, Rosell said, “We always want to try to compete at the best of our ability when we play soccer, but our success isn’t measured in wins and losses but rather how we can strengthen our community and empower the next generation.”

About the Outer Banks Community Foundation: The Outer Banks Community Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to fostering philanthropy and supporting local causes. Through its charitable funds and grant programs, the Foundation strives to enrich the quality of life for residents of the Outer Banks.