A few months ago, I watched the makings of a classic sports movie play out before my eyes on the World Cup practice field that is now located on Belle Isle. I arrived at the 2011 Detroit City Futbol Copa as rain was pouring down and four soaking wet teams completed the semi finals. It was a dramatic scene as Chinatown headed into the final game against the notoriously blighted and downtrodden neighborhood of Brightmoor (even though the teams held the best two records in the league). By the end of the game, Brightmoor came through as the new league champions, and the skies parted, letting the sun stream through on a crowd gone ballistic over the win. Feeling like we had cheered an underdog to victory, chills ran down my spine as I photographed the ensuing celebrations. Members from every team, made up from 22 of Detroit’s historic neighborhoods, proudly showed off their jerseys, mascots and flags, each uniquely designed to reflect their communities.

The Detroit City Futbul League was created in 2010 by Sean Mann in an effort to have fun while giving neighbors an opportunity to connect and rally around a united cause. One of the many unanticipated positive side effects was the way design played a role in bringing people together. Mann added, “I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of emphasis the neighborhoods put into creating nicely designed logos, uniforms and props (like flags, banners and 4-foot high Styrofoam fists). The league became a source of pride for communities and way to market themselves to the rest of the city and region, so I suppose its no shock that teams turned to professional designers and artists in their neighborhoods to come up with sharp and distinctive looks.” Mike Burdick, an art director at Team Detroit and freelance illustrator, was commissioned to design his team (Hubbard Farms) logo. He said his “favorite part of the beginning was when I started seeing all of the different designs. Some, like Cass Corridor with the hand-done type and the cassette, really encompassed their personality, [with its] DIY aesthetic. It created an identity, or brand identity, and it really sinks in who they are uniting.” Cass Corridor and its antics have become nefarious throughout the past two seasons, with the appearance of the “suck it flag,” a gigantic banner adorned in gold with the words “suck it.” Flown in good spirits, the flag has since been followed by the boom trailer (a cooler holding a speaker-covered case that can be pulled by a bike) and pirate-themed games that have influenced a sense of comradery within their team and may have even inspired other teams to step up their game.

It has become clear that not all people are aware of the way design impacts our lives. According to Burdick, the reason for this is that, “Good design should draw you in subconsciously … it should just hit you.” The Detroit Futbul League doubled in its second year, giving 22 Detroit neighborhoods a reason to define themselves. It gives people in 22 Detroit neighborhoods a reason to connect, something to be proud of and something to look forward to. It increases residents visual vocabulary by forcing them to consider how they feel that they should be represented and makes our city a more beautiful place to live.”

The Detroit City Futbol League is hosting a pick-up game and barbecue at Belle Isle on Sunday that will benefit Bridge Watch Detroit, a group of passionate people working hard to get illegal semis off our streets. The game will be from 4:30 to 7 p.m. with a suggested donation of $5.