Recently, the game of soccer has been showing its importance in American culture in a variety of ways - especially in the growth of pickup soccer communities around the country.
In Episode 71 of the Because Football Podcast, we welcome Monica Rojas, Head of Community and Communications at Plei, a pickup soccer platform operating in 28 regions across the U.S. that makes it easy to play anytime, anywhere. A lifelong player and former college athlete, Over the past 8+ years, she’s built communities across tech, crypto, sports, and culture—hosting 150+ events from intimate dinners to 300-person activations.
In this episode, we discuss how Monica first became involved with Plei as a player, drawn in by the opportunity to stay fit, make friends, and celebrate the game in person. We also talk about how crucial in-person events are becoming in a digital heavy world, and how soccer, in particular, serves as such an effective conduit for building relationships.
From Plei’s new “Ball and Brunch” event, to its 2025 summer of Club World Cup meetups, to plans for the 2026 World Cup, Monica shares the core foundations of inclusive, fun, engaging events and activations.
We even discuss the basic definition of community, and why brands need to pay attention to soccer, particularly pickup communities that bring together fanatics from all walks of life.
This episode displays not only soccer’s unique ability to create joyful moments, but also the necessary business insights to leverage the game for commercial growth and sustainability in a meaningful, relevant way.
Connect with Monica Rojas and Plei here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-rojas24/
https://www.instagram.com/la_monirojas/
https://www.instagram.com/pleiapp/
https://www.tiktok.com/@pleiapp
Connect with Because Football here:
https://www.youtube.com/@BecauseFootball_
https://www.instagram.com/becausefootball_/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/baggaleyandrew/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/because-football-media/
To get in contact with us, email becausefootballmedia [at] gmail.com