What is the origin story for Mountains to Sea FC - who founded the club and why?
Mountains to Sea FC was founded by myself and Duane Arnold. We wanted to build a club with humble roots — starting with co-ed indoor soccer — that could grow and evolve over time. Over the nearly three years since our founding, our mission has evolved as well. Today, our focus is on elevating the game of futsal in the Raleigh area and establishing ourselves as the premier futsal club in the region.

Tell us about your badge and colors – how does it connect to the community?
Our badge actually began as a design concept for a proposed state cup competition I pitched to the United Premier Soccer League. We had a few teams interested, but the UPSL ultimately didn’t move forward with the idea. When it came time to launch our club, we repurposed the icon from that original design — created by Owen Williams — as our club badge.

We’ve only changed the logo once, during a merger with another local club, Fortitudo CF. After that chapter ended, we decided to return to our original design, which continues to represent who we are today. The badge itself reflects the beauty of North Carolina — flowing from the ridges of the Appalachians down to the banks of the Atlantic Ocean. We’ve kept a minimalist approach to the design, letting the green and blue colors speak for themselves.

With so many league options nowadays, what league do you play in and why did you pick that one?
Mountains to Sea FC started by competing in indoor co-ed leagues at XL Soccer World in Raleigh. After several seasons, we merged with Fortitudo CF to join the Capital Area Soccer Association. We actually went from finishing last in the regular season to winning the league in the playoffs — one of our proudest early moments.

Unfortunately, structural challenges led us to pause our outdoor operations the following summer. Since then, we’ve focused our energy on futsal, competing at Quadra Soccer with our men’s open team and planning to launch a women’s futsal team at the facility in 2026.

Many clubs choose to sell hats, scarves or replica kits - how does your club keep the lights on and cover its league costs?
Fortunately, our operating costs are primarily covered by myself and my business partner, allowing us to minimize or eliminate player fees whenever possible. Our league offers a $1,000 cash prize and free entry into the next season — so the best way for us to keep the lights on is simply to win!

We also sell merchandise through our online store (mountainstoseafc.com), with our most popular item being our annual jersey collaboration with Olive & York. The 2026 kit will be especially meaningful, as we’ll be donating a portion of proceeds from each sale to Spectrum Soccer — a local youth organization that provides soccer opportunities for children with autism.

How did you finish last year? What are the goals for this season?
Last season was our first full campaign playing futsal, and while we were competitive throughout, it was definitely a learning experience. We finished fourth in the playoffs.

This winter, our focus is on recalibration and consistency. We’ve secured a dedicated attacking goalkeeper — something we were missing in several matches last season — and we’re looking to build on our aggressive style of play to create high-scoring, entertaining games.

Tell us about all the ways you serve and connect with your community.
We’ve proudly worn The Great Trails State on the front of our jerseys every season to highlight and support the incredible work being done to maintain and expand North Carolina’s trail system.

Looking ahead to 2026, our biggest community initiative will be our partnership with Spectrum Soccer. Together, we’ll be hosting joint events and fundraisers to promote accessibility and inclusion in the game we love.

If there were one or two teams, within say, 100 miles of you - who would you love to play a friendly against?
If we’re talking outdoor soccer, it would have to be our longtime friends at Tar Devils SC. We’ve talked about arranging a friendly several times but haven’t yet been able to make it happen. We’re big fans of what they’re building over in Chapel Hill and would love to finally share the field with them.

To keep up with Mountains to Sea FC, give them a follow on Instagram HERE