Portland Hearts of Pine

From the start, our mission has been bigger than soccer. We believe in Soccer for Good; that this game can connect people across backgrounds, build confidence and belonging, and strengthen the fabric of Maine’s communities. This past year, we’ve seen that belief made real again and again.

Dozens of school visits. Thousands of pieces of donated clothing and gear through the Play It Forward Campaign. A first-year Portland Soccer Project that is already shaping the lives of young Mainers in the East End, with more schools joining in the months ahead. And still, we’re only scratching the surface of what’s possible.

I’m proud to share our next step in expanding our club’s impact both on and off the pitch: the Hearts of Pine Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to expanding and sustaining our community programming for generations to come.

The Foundation exists to do as much good in Maine as possible, with soccer as our medium to do that work. We’ve seen it at every step of our club’s journey. This sport is a universal language. It is a bridge across culture and class, a source of joy, confidence, and identity. Through soccer, we combat isolation, build social and emotional skills, and create pathways to opportunity. The Hearts of Pine Foundation allows this work to grow deeper, and reach farther across our state.

As we look to expand our programming, I invite you to support these efforts. Every donation goes directly to funding the Portland Soccer Project, new safe-play spaces across Maine, expands access to free gear for those in need, and supports the creation of future programming. Let’s create a Maine where every young person has access to the game, and the community that comes with it.

I hope you’ll join us in this next chapter to build something lasting, rooted in generosity, belonging, and shared pride. This is Soccer for Good, and it belongs to all of us.

Thank you, as always, for leading with your heart.

Gabe Hoffman-Johnson
Founder, Portland Hearts of Pine & Hearts of Pine Foundation

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Hearts family,

Where do I even begin?

The past few days I’ve been reflecting a lot on our inaugural season—and honestly, the last five years, too. It’s been hard to wrap my head around everything, and I’ll keep sharing thoughts as they come over the next few weeks, but for now, these are the ones that have been sitting with me.

Also, since there’s a lot of new folks joining our newsletter lately… hi, I’m Gabe, the Founder and Chief Community Officer here at Portland Hearts of Pine.

Some of my favorite scenes from the final weeks of our inaugural season have been seeing the countless watch parties. They’re happening up in Lewiston, Bethel, and Bar Harbor. They’re happening across the country, down south, in DC, NYC, and even overseas. Then you look at everyone showing up locally at The Zoo, The State, and even on the road at Chattanooga and Spokane! People are showing up all around the world for the soccer club of Maine. It makes you wonder how far this thing can reach, and how much that connective tissue can expand beyond just us.

Hearts was built around who this community already is. With many organizations trying to create community around what they do, we’ve always tried to do the opposite: to listen, to learn, and to create from what people across this state actually need.

There’s a reason Bobby hand-picked each player. There’s a reason he recruited people, not just athletes. None of this started as a business model or a marketing strategy. It was born from empathy, from care, from making sure every single voice in Maine is heard. 

I wanted to bring something to Portland — to Maine — that I didn’t have growing up: a club that could change lives simply by making soccer accessible to everyone, in the greatest small city in the world.

If you’ve been along for the ride, you’ve probably heard me say it before: this club is about more than soccer. I often hear, “It’s incredible what you all created,” but the truth is, it’s not about us. It’s about you. The people who show up, who care, who love this place and one another. That’s what gives Hearts of Pine its heartbeat.

As our inaugural season comes to a close, I don’t see it as an ending, I see it as the beginning of our next chapter. Where does Hearts go from here? How do we welcome more Mainers near and far to be a part of this movement? How do we continue to show up, support, and connect more deeply with this community we love?

Yes, we lost last week in the semifinals, but what we’ve built together is bigger than wins or losses. We’ll always have this season together, and from here on out, Maine will always have a club to call its own. Hearts is Hearts because of you — because you gave a piece of your own heart to it.

When we lead with our hearts, we give everyone around us reason to do the same. That’s what makes this special. Because at the end of the day, when the final whistle fades, the glasses are empty, the cheers become handshakes and hugs, and we walk away with new friends and experiences, we’ve already won. We go again.

With that, as always, let’s get into it.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

The Hearts of Pine story is unlike any other in the world, so we figured it’s only right that we make a book about it!

250+ pages and filled with so many untold stories and looks behind the curtain, this work of art chronicles the club’s early days through to the conclusion of our inaugural season.

There’s something in here for every Hearts fan, for everyone who loves this beautiful game, and for all those with their hearts in Maine. I can’t wait for you to see what we’ve been working on for so long!

It’s available for pre-order now and is expected to start shipping out mid-December.

YOUR NEXT GREAT ADVENTURE

Maine winters are built differently. People talk about them with a kind of reverence — a force that shows you what you’re really made of. But it’s not something to endure; it’s something to invigorate.

Mainers look forward to winter. The pace slows, the once-crowded beaches empty, and the focus shifts inland toward the mountains. When I need to clear my head, I head to Sugarloaf. I’ve snowboarded most of my life, and strapping in with Carrabassett Valley stretching below always reminds me how lucky I am to live in a place where you can go from the mountains to the ocean in a single day.

For me, the colder months also mean hockey season. Along with soccer, hockey has always been a big part of my life. I played through high school, and ever since, Maine’s frozen ponds and lakes have been my favorite places to chase a puck across glassy ice under a wide-open sky. Anyone else heading up to the Maine Pond Hockey Classic this year?!

So as the days get colder and we start to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what matters most like family, friends, and the best place on earth (Maine, of course), here are a few of my favorite winter things:

Walking through Portland in the middle of a snowstorm — it’s pure magic, almost like stepping into your own personal snow globe. The quiet stillness of the first light after a fresh snow. Bare branches coated in white, and the sparkle of untouched snow everywhere you look. And after a long day out in the cold, curling up by the fire with a warm cup of tea before bed — is there anything better than that??

THANK YOU RUSTIC TAPS!

Loved all the local beverage options this season? A huge shoutout to Rustic Taps, who managed our entire food and beverage program! We couldn’t have offered such amazing concessions without them, and we highly recommend them if you’re planning a special event of your own!

In case you missed it—Goal dropped a feature piece on Hearts. It dives into what makes Hearts of Pine what it is, the people, the place, and the purpose behind it all.

Sure, it’s about soccer. But more than that, it’s about this shared belief that something special happens when Maine shows up for Maine. That’s what makes this whole thing work.

We’re honored to be featured by one of the leading soccer publications in the country—one that’s been telling the game’s stories for almost two decades. But as always, this story isn’t just about us. It’s about you. Every matchday, every chant, every small act of support—it all adds up to something bigger.

Curious how it all came to be? Behind the jersey, behind the game, or just looking for another reason to fall in love with this city, check it out below!

Even after the stands have emptied for the season, the flood of positivity and gratitude hasn’t stopped. Mountains and mountains of incredible messages have poured in — stories, memories, and words that remind us why this club exists.

Thank you for letting us hear you, for holding space in the stands for us to get to know each of you, and for letting us experience this community in such a real and unique way. Know that the gratitude goes both ways. It’s been an incredible honor, and we can’t wait to bring it all back around next season.

Here are a few things we’ve been hearing lately…

“Who would’ve thought an Instagram ad from a team almost 400 miles from home would’ve had me in tears just a year after hearing about them. What a special club this is. Maine captured my heart from the moment I first came, but this team captured more than that somehow. I’ve watched more soccer this season than the other 27 years of my life combined because of the lightning storm this team is. UTFH forever, can’t wait to win it all next year!”

“I have never in my life been so interested in a team and its progress as I am with the Hearts. What you all have built is not just a team but an anchor for our community that brings everyone together in joy and harmony. These matches have no agendas other than being part of the vibe. Bravo.”

“I’ve been to world series games, AFC championship games, and I was at the snow/tuck Patriots Brady game. I have to say, Hearts matches are the most festive and fun game I have ever been to.”

“I have literally never experienced literal LOVE of a sports team until the Hearts. Thanks so much for the amazing experience of being a Hearts fan!”

“I’m sure you’ve heard this so often, but I really can’t even begin to encapsulate how the experience at the game made me feel. It was so far above and beyond my expectations, not just as a sporting event but from a community perspective as well. The attendance was 6,440 (congratulations on the record!) but I had that sense that everyone was there. I even saw multiple people that I haven’t seen since high school! It was the highlight of my autumn thus far.”

“We had no idea what we were in for signing on this season. We’d show up for 90 minutes of uninterrupted bliss at Fitzy each week. The loudness of the outside world would be silenced by the Dirigo Union cheering. Making new friends, seeing old ones. Just straight up community coming together. To show my daughter what it’s like to be part of something bigger than us is something I hold so close to my heart. Win or lose. Rain or shine. Freezing or sweaty hot July games. We show up. We show up for our team, we show up for our state. We show up for our boys of Maine. It is an honor and a privilege to be part of. UP THE FRIGGIN HEARTS!!! To the moon!!!!”

“I am just so happy that Portland has a team now. It has been such a soul nourishing experience going to these games. As a massive soccer fan and former player, its just so great to see everyone come together. The team is full of individuals who care so passionately about not just the game but the greater good of the community and that is something so truly special.”

“Thank you Hearts for an absolutely magical season. My family and I were all soccer fans, but we had no idea how we’d fall in love with the beautiful game and this team.”

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

We’re putting together an end-of-season message for the boys of Maine after this incredible inaugural year. We’d love for you to share your sentiments using the link below.

A few quick tips: film vertically, in a well-lit space, be original, be genuine — it’s been such a special ride, and the boys would love to hear what it’s meant to you.

Not into video? No worries — our inbox is always open for your words: info@heartsofpine.com.

Yours in building community though the beautiful game,

Gabe

Founder & Chief Community Officer