Raphael Rezende
President and Co-Founder
Raphael was born in Goias, Brazil and is the oldest of two. At the age of five, Raphael relocated to Greenwich, Connecticut where he resided until graduating from high school in 2004. After high school, Raphael subsequently attended Sacred Heart University where he earned a bachelor of arts with double majors in Finance and Business Administration. In addition, Raphael obtained a minor in Spanish.
Soccer is by far Raphael’s biggest passion and has always been an important part of his life. At the age of 10, Raphael joined his first soccer team and began competing at the travel level. Soon after, he joined a premier team that competed regionally, nationally, and in international tournaments. Additionally, Raphael played at the highest level of high school soccer for four years and captained the team his senior year. Raphael went on to play Division I Collegiate Soccer at Sacred Heart University where he was a member of the first team in the schools history to qualify for the Northeast Championship playoffs. Furthermore, as a certified coach, Raphael coached soccer teams in lower Fairfield County Connecticut during his spare time in college.
As an athlete, coach, and enthusiast, Raphael has come to appreciate the unique power and opportunity the sport offers. While many athletes stray away from sports upon graduating from college, Raphael’s competitiveness and devotion to soccer remained unchanged. After organizing a team to compete in a local league, he would discover that many of his former teammates and friends shared a similar vision. In view of that, Raphael formulated the idea for a non-profit organization that would function as a competitive soccer team and non-profit charity engaged in harnessing soccer’s power to change the world for the better. In March 2009, Raphael founded United Nations Football Club Inc.
Raphael currently lives and works in Stamford, CT. He is a member of a graduate training program at a prominent investment bank.
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Gustavo Netto
Vice-President and Co-Founder
Gustavo was born and raised in the cosmopolitan city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The youngest of three, he followed in his father’s footsteps and grew up playing soccer. At the age 7, he played his first soccer tournament and at age 12 he played his first international tournament in La Serena, Chile. Gustavo is passionate and thankful for how soccer has impacted his life and he shares his experience and vision in his speech, How Soccer Can Change the World.
Soccer has also contributed to Gustavo’s education. He graduated with a bachelor of science in Business Administration from Sacred Heart University where he was on a soccer scholarship. At Sacred Heart, Gustavo played at the Division I College level and competed in the Northeast Conference (NEC) for three consecutive years alongside co-founder and UNFC President Raphael Rezende. In 2006, Gustavo received the Coaches’ Award for his contribution to the team which made the NEC playoffs for the first time in the university’s history. Gustavo also holds an associate degree in New Media Technology from The City University of New York. At CUNY, Gustavo was nominated player of the tournament in 2002 and contributed to his team’s championship.
As the vice-president and co-founder of UNFC, Gustavo is engaged with the local community through soccer programs and as one of the captains of the UNFC soccer team. Prior to his involvement with UNFC, as a certified coach, Gustavo coached soccer teams for ages ranging from 6 to 17 in Fairfield County for four years.
He currently works as a Project Manager in Information Technology for a Fortune 100 company in the Fairfield area and lives with his wife Marcela in Bridgeport, CT.
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David Backman
Treasurer
David was born and raised in Gothenburg, Sweden. He is the middle child and grew up playing multiple sport, soccer being his favorite. His high school won the National School Championship his senior year of high school. After high school David attended Sacred Heart University where he earned a bachelor of arts with double majors in Finance and Business Administration.
Soccer has always been a big part of David’s life. He came to the United States on a soccer scholarship at Sacred Heart playing in Division I College level in Northeastern Conference. His senior year he was selected as All-Conference First Team Defender.
Besides playing soccer, David coached soccer teams for ages ranging from 6 to 14 in Fairfield County for three years. Through the sport that has taught him so much, David wants to bring friends together and make the world a better place.
David currently works for a financial institution in Westport, CT.
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Erin McDermott
Project Manager
Erin was born and raised in Connecticut and has lived in Monroe for the majority of her life. The youngest of two, she became an athlete at age 5 playing an array of team sports,including soccer and basketball. Excelling at soccer, she began playing for a U-9 state team at the age of 7 and continues to play to this day. While she began her career in rec leagues, she quickly began playing for state and premiere teams. She played for three years in high school before deciding to continue with basketball for her college career. She also spent summers coaching 3-5 year olds at a local YMCA. Today she continues to play soccer in a local Stamford women’s league.
Erin is passionate about soccer and its ability to bring people of all ages, genders and cultures together. Her love of the game has played a major role in her education and life experiences throughout her life. As a product of team sports, dedicated coaches and unforgettable teammates, Erin’s desire to help urban youth succeed in educational and social settings has led her to seek out programming that focuses on team building and leadership skills. Working for the Athletic Department at the University of Tampa, Erin began a youth mentoring program that facilitated relationships between college athletes and local at-risk students attending programs at the Boys and Girls Club. Erin’s yearning to stay involved in a similar fashion led to her involvement with UNFC. She is a firm believer in the power soccer has to enhance and improve the lives of people around the world.
After graduating from the University of Tampa in 2007, Erin spent two years coordinating events for a sports marketing firm in Florida before cutting ties with the corporate world and entering the nonprofit sector. She currently works as the Marketing/Promotions and Fundraising Coordinator at a major CT nonprofit organization.
