About Rising Stars Cup
Rising Stars Cup is an academy-level youth soccer tournament created to expand access, representation and opportunity in the game, especially for Black and Brown athletes. What began as a platform inspired by founder Aarin Foye’s son has quickly grown into an international-caliber event, attracting elite competition from top domestic and global academies.
Hosted just outside Washington, D.C., the tournament brings together U8–U12 academy teams from some of the world’s most respected clubs, including RB Leipzig, Philadelphia Union, Chicago Fire, NY Red Bulls, and Atlanta Xpress (Atlanta Utd). The result is a level of competition rarely seen at this age group while remaining grounded in community impact.
The Challenge
Rising Stars Cup began to grow and so did the operational complexity behind the scenes. Elite teams have a pro-level expectation for the experience, from registration and scheduling to travel, communication and on-site execution. Those expectations far exceed what most youth tournaments are built to handle, leaving little room for error.
At the same time, Aarin was committed to keeping the event accessible for inner-city athletes, many of whom face financial barriers to participating in elite-level competition. The challenge was two-fold: execute a smooth tournament and scale the event to professional standards without sacrificing quality, experience or mission. Especially as it was the tournament’s first year operating at this level.
The Solution
Rising Stars Cup used Fastbreak Compete as the tournament’s operational backbone, giving Aarin and his team the ability to centralize tournament management and reduce the day-to-day challenges of running a complex, high-stakes event. With AI-powered scheduling and real-time flexibility, Fastbreak could rebuild and repair schedules to be rebuilt in minutes, — even during late-night changes. This capability gave him the confidence that the tournament could adapt quickly to changes and last minute requests without disruption.
Fastbreak also supported core event mechanics to track registrations, build and publish balanced match schedules, update scores and standings in real time and communicate directly with teams through a built-in CRM.
For athletes and their families, the built-in ticketing and travel helped streamline how teams, families and attendees accessed the event. This foundation eliminated spreadsheets, back-and-forth emails and manual tracking for the operators and ensured smoother entry, clearer communication and a more professional on-site experience for attendees.
“In soccer, the majority of people use GotSport. But when I talked to the Fastbreak team, it was a no-brainer. I believed in what they were building, and they believed in what I was building. We aligned perfectly and here we are now.”
– Aarin Foye, Founder, Rising Stars Cup
Critically, Fastbreak played a key role in sponsorship enablement to help unlock resources that directly supported Rising Stars Cup’s mission. By partnering with brands and sponsors, Aarin was able to subsidize participation costs and reduce financial barriers for inner-city athletes. This made it possible for them to compete in an elite, international-caliber environment without overseas travel.
Beyond the tech platform, the Fastbreak team provided hands-on, white-glove support, acting as an extension of the Rising Stars Cup staff. From planning through execution, Fastbreak helped the tournament meet the expectations of elite domestic and international academies, delivering a professional experience from day one.
The Impact
Rising Stars Cup delivered a professional-grade tournament experience while staying true to its community-driven mission with Fastbreak’s partnership. By consolidating scheduling, registration, ticketing, travel and operational support into one system, Fastbreak significantly reduced the day-to-day burden of running a high-stakes event and allowed the team to focus on execution and athlete experience.
Through sponsorship enablement and partner support, financial barriers were lowered for inner-city athletes which expanded access and opportunity. This gave many the chance to compete against elite international academies without requiring overseas travel. The result was a safe, professional environment where athletes could perform, gain exposure and feel valued on and off the pitch.
Partner-style support from the Fastbreak team to the Rising Stars Cup staff ensured the event ran smoothly from registration through the final whistle. Despite being the tournament’s first year operating at this scale, the experience felt polished, established and professional from the start. Elite clubs praised the smooth registration process, timely schedule updates and overall professionalism; feedback rarely associated with a first-time event.
“The feedback from teams was incredible. They loved how smooth registration and scheduling were, especially the international clubs. Fastbreak helped us create something special, and this is just the beginning. We’re already planning how to scale it next year.”
Key execution and impact highlights:
- Centralized registration, scheduling and communication, eliminating spreadsheets, manual workflows and list import/export
- Schedules repaired in seconds, enabling rapid response to last-minute changes
- Streamlined mobile ticketing for families and spectators, supporting controlled entry and a more professional on-site experience
- 500+ room nights secured across trusted hotel brands near the playing fields through Fastbreak Travel
- Clear booking links and flexible payment options that simplified lodging for families and teams
- Real-time visibility into room usage and bookings, eliminating last-minute scrambles
- Brand partnerships were intentionally used to expand access, directly advancing the mission and enabling inner-city athletes to compete in an elite tournament
As Rising Stars Cup continues to grow, Fastbreak has made it possible to scale without sacrificing quality or purpose. This set a new standard, positioning the tournament for future international expansion, camps, clinics and long-term brand partnerships.
Aarin reflected on the experience stating,
“Fastbreak took a load off my shoulders. From scheduling to logistics to sponsorship support—it’s a one-stop shop. If you want to save time and run a professional-level event, Fastbreak is a no-brainer.”
Looking Ahead
Rising Stars Cup is on track to become a globally recognized youth soccer platform known for elite competition, operational excellence and meaningful community impact. With Fastbreak as its foundation, the tournament is built to grow the right way.
About Fastbreak AI
Fastbreak AI is a leading sports technology company that builds AI-powered software to streamline sports operations–used by the NBA, NHL, MLS and over 55 professional leagues around the world.
We equip sports organizations of every size and level with the software they need to thrive, empowering the people who create the moments that make sports extraordinary.
Reach out to learn about Fastbreak’s suite of products here.
