Photo by Nathaly Suquinagua / SOC Images.
Winning on the field as an adult brings back the same excitement from your teen years. The rush, the energy and the joy of the game. But now, it means so much more. You are playing with people who’ve become like family.
When life takes people in different directions, having a close-knit team makes the experiences so much more special. Taking care of our bodies as we get older can become quite difficult, and adult sports teams are quietly reshaping communities across Hudson County.
With Hudson County being diverse and fast-paced, teams and leagues can create a space for adults to reconnect with one another, build friendships and at the same time maintain a healthy lifestyle.
According to a poll done by NPR, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health, it was shown that almost three in four adults played sports when they were younger (73%) and only one in four (25%) continue to play sports as adults.
But local teams and leagues like AlcohóliGols, Galácticos FC and All In Sports imom have been working to improve that statistic.
AlcohóliGols, one of Hudson County’s adult teams, started as a small, family-based group known for their fun, drinking-themed games. Over time, the team grew, welcoming new players and building a strong bond that now feels like an extended family.
The team started back in 2021 after COVID-19 by Irving Coate and his cousin, Ismael Gonzalez, who initially wanted to get back in shape and make the most of life. They started off the team with a few family and friends who would go and have a few drinks after the game.
As Coate helped his cousin grow the team, they started calling themselves “AlcohóliGols.” The name AlcohóliGols is a mix of “alcohol” and “goles,” the Spanish word for goals, which is a throwback to how the team first started. The name stuck, and it reflects their vibe: fun, welcoming and all about good times on and off the field.
They would play activities like “blind shots,” where players took penalty shots while impaired, along with other challenges centered around drinking. To join the team, players had to be able to make it through all the games, creating a unique and spirited tradition that set the tone from the very beginning.
After growing the team to around 40 players, they’ve organized into separate groups: co-ed recreational and co-ed competitive, an all-woman team and an all-men team. With support from their extended families, they’ve been able to join leagues, compete against other teams and still maintain their strong team bonds. Joining these leagues that offered same- sex teams and co-ed team divisions made it easier to expand AlcohóliGols into separate groups.
“I feel like some of us met each other at the perfect time where you know life was just taking us by and I speak for myself, life was great, but this has made it better in the sense where you get to see familiar friends and and family members more, and you get to just enjoy that, that sporty side that all of us bring. Some players came in as assets to enjoy each other’s company, and we’ve just grown together,” Coate said.
More Than A Game
What draws attention to the team is their comical presence on Instagram. Coate shared that humor is a big part of their identity, recalling a conversation with his wife where everyone wants to be the best, and they are not pros. The team can be funny, where people can relate to them and compare players to others.
One of the players, Karen Gomez, a court administrator for the West New York Municipal Court and a mother of two has always played soccer in high school and college. Although she stopped playing after having kids, she wanted to get involved in soccer again.
Being in a community with Coate where everyone had the same interest in soccer, she was able to start playing sports again and became a part of AlcohóliGols.
Now being a part of the team, they were able to join different leagues, all co-ed, which are groups of sports teams competing against each other that include both men and women leagues such as NJ Play Sports Community and ZogSports leagues.
After playing for these leagues, the team was able to branch out and form an all-women’s team under AlcohóliGols.
“The women are really hard working, and the women are coming from areas that are not necessarily as close to Hudson County or where some of us are from. They’re a little more split around throughout the state, and a lot of our leagues take place in Wayne. So that’s like the central point for where all the women come through. So we’ve had brunches, we’ve had those kinds of nights to do, like a team bonding sort of thing,” Gomez said
Gomez described these women as having so much talent, hard workers, and as the team grows, they are learning how to play together. Everyone on the team has fun while playing, but they also help each other out during the games and practices.
With how close the team has gotten, it has also helped many players gain their confidence back, and not just that, but their health has also improved. Playing on an adult team doesn’t necessarily have to be about winning, but moreover, having a good time and forming a community with people who have the same interests.
Gomez explained that when someone new wants to join, the first thing isn’t their talent, it’s their vibe. They look for people who can laugh with the team, understand the group’s humor, and bring good energy. Skill is secondary. What matters most is keeping a positive atmosphere and being ready to have a great time with the team. She also mentioned how the team does a great job in building and maintaining a strong sense of community, which includes staying involved in each other’s lives and always prioritizing anytime anyone new is incorporated into the group.
When it came to picking a league, cost played a role, some were more affordable than others. But in the end, location mattered just as much. The team chose leagues that were easier for everyone to get to. That’s how local teams like AlcohóliGols ended up in leagues where they could all play and compete against each other.
Choosing the right league also influenced who they played and the level of competition they faced. All In Sports imom, where the team, AlcohóliGols, currently plays, has been the best fit for the team.
Creating A Place For Passion
All in Sports imom league was founded by two brothers, Francisco and Christian Garcia, who played soccer their whole lives and started this league in memory of their mother. The Garcia brothers have always made a point to go all in sports whenever they played.
Starting a league was always part of their conversations. They wanted to create something that brought people together through their shared passion for soccer, bringing in players ranging in age from 17 to 35.
2025 marks their third year running the league, and it has grown into a success. Starting initially as giving players ratings of how they played, they decided to start it formally and formed this league with outdoor and indoor leagues. Finding places to play has been a challenge for teams and individuals wanting to play and participate.
Hudson County has a variety of fields that include both private and public fields. These fields are managed by different organizations that include counties, municipal governments and private organizations as well.
Although there are no specific numbers on how many fields Hudson County has, public parks can provide casual play. However, securing permits for organized events can be difficult for players.
“We’re trying to do is basically just give space so people can come and play.”
Francisco Garcia
“Now we have to pay for the field, right? So we can’t make it for free either. It would be awesome to just say it is free, but, you know, we partnered up with Komi. He runs like a couple of leagues, and he has connections with the field,” Garcia added.
The Garcia brothers wanted to create a safe and welcoming space for people to play. While public parks are open to everyone, they often lack proper lighting, and it’s not always clear who’s around. That’s why having a structured league like All In Sports imom offers players a more reliable, comfortable environment to connect and enjoy the game.
Connecting with other leagues around the area has been a great advantage for them, in terms of choosing where to play and helping each other in which field each team can play.
All in Sports imom has partnered with another league organizer who also runs a league in Garfield, New Jersey. He holds the permit for the current fields, while the league brings in the players. It’s a collaborative effort as well as working closely with high schools, which for them is Wallington High School.
As for their experience in Hudson County, they haven’t expanded much beyond the current location. Most of their leagues and tournaments have been held in SOFIVE located in Carlstadt and occasionally in Hoboken, where some public fields are available, but they haven’t branched out to other areas.
While there are various other leagues around the area of Hudson County, Galácticos FC, a North Jersey-based non-profit, has been part of the adult soccer scene for over 15 years.
Founded by Ahmed Abbas, the organization was created to fill in gaps in the soccer community for adults which included the lack of accessible spaces for people to feel welcomed. What started as a free pick-up program quickly grew to over 300 members.
While the program has recently been on a pause and field permits were released, this just showed how much of an impact and demand there is for inclusive adult soccer spaces and all the sports in Hudson County.
“I’ve spent the past 15 years organizing adult soccer pick-up programs and teams while working in tech, and it’s always been in a meaningful part of how I connect with the community.”
Ahmed Abbas
Offering Accessibility To Join The Culture
The Garcia brothers are not only organizing the league, but they’re also playing for their fraternity, Latinos Siempre Unidos, Lambda Sigma Upsilon, in the league as well. Trying to keep the community rooted in Latino culture, but also focusing on reconnecting with one’s roots.
“I think it’s an industry where there’s so many people that want to play, and it kind of just makes it a little safer. There’s a lot of parks that are that are open, but they’re not as nice as this, the lights, and you don’t really know who’s there, so kind of keeps a little safe for everybody and that was the whole idea,” Christian Garcia mentioned having this league as a part of the community and bringing people together.
Making permits more accessible is the main goal to allow these leagues and even teams to play. In addition to finding a field to play, there are many requirements for permits, including the reasoning behind it and paying for the field to use.
For the average person, it can be very challenging, and with the help of others who have had experience it can make the process much smoother. All in Sports imom has been able to bring in teams to play, such as, AlcohóliGols and for the first time, they were able to create different divisions: a competitive division.
Everyone is welcome to join All In Sports imom, regardless of experience or financial situation. For those who can’t afford league fees, there are options available to help them participate. Whether you’re an individual looking to play or a full team hoping to join, all it takes is a DM on their Instagram page, and newcomers are always welcomed with open arms.
Coate said he used to feel out of shape at 30, with knee pain and low energy. But after being in AlcohóliGols and playing with younger people, he realized he could still keep up. Exercising, eating better, and drinking less helped a lot.
Gomez agreed, saying the experience has been fun and meaningful. “Some people say, ‘I’m gonna go hang out with my soccer team,’ and at our age, not a lot of people get to say that,” she said.
Together, teams like AlcohóliGols, leagues like All In Sports imom, and organizations like Galácticos FC show just how powerful adult soccer can be, not just as a game, but as a way to build community and reclaim joy in adulthood. Whether you’re returning to the field after years away or just discovering the game, Hudson County’s adult soccer scene is proof that it’s never too late to play.
For those looking to join a league, there are various recommended leagues based on skill level. Options like Zog Sports, All In Sports imom, NJ Play Sports Community, Total Futbol Society, and Millennials Sports all offer different experiences.
