Kyle Martino

Kyle Martino is a former MLS and U.S. men's national team player, entrepreneur, mental health advocate and current TV analyst for Turner Sports.

A native of Westport, CT, Martino was an All-American player at the University of Virginia, named the Gatorade National Player Of The Year in 1999. He was the eighth overall pick in the 2002 MLS draft. He spent seven seasons playing for both the Columbus Crew and L.A. Galaxy as a midfielder. During his first MLSseason, Martino was named the MLS Rookie of the Year.

After his playing career came to an end, Martino transitioned into TV, where he has worked for NBC Sports, providing studio analysis and color commentary on the English Premier League. He appeared on CBS Sports, ESPN, Fox Soccer Channel, HDNet and WPVI-TV. He hosted Travel Channel's "36 Hours" and NBC's "Spartan Race."

After a run for U.S. Soccer President in 2018, finishing runner up, Martino began his foray into the startup and philanthropic world. He served as Chairman of the national board of Street Soccer USA, a non-profit organization fighting poverty and empowering underserved communities through soccer.

In 2019, Martino launched The Over Under Initiative, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health and wellness of kids by increasing access to sport By converting basketball courts and other blacktops to multi-sport spaces, OUI provides a more equitable play landscape for kids most in need of these proven benefits. Beyond increased access and participation, Martino's Over Under Initiative aims to provide positive health and wellness benefits for the communities the activated spaces serve.

For his nonprofit, Martino developed and patented Goalpher, a game-changing subterranean goal system that transforms an average court into a multi-sport surface in seconds. A dynamic and innovative system, when not in use, stores easily and quickly into the surface under a hoop, Goalpher is now installed at 9 sites across 7 cities through The Over Under Initiative.

Along with Foursquare founder Dennis Crowley, Martino is the co-founder of Street FC, a fast-paced street soccer club played on hard surfaces in cities including New York, Austin, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Minneapolis. Street FC activates unused spaces, such as basketball courts, for players of all ages, genders, and experience to play pick-up soccer at a low cost. Street FC hopes to eliminate reasons such as time, cost and accessibility, which former players see as a hurdle to continue playing the game they love adults. Street FC will be expanding to additional cities in 2023.

Prior to the 2022 World Cup, Martino opened Football Cafe, a soccer speakeasy tucked away behind an avocado warehouse in downtown Manhattan. In partnership with Fly Nowhere and Nowhere FC, the space hosted more than 3,000 fans over the course of the month-long tournament. Situated near the legendary Lion’s Gate Field which plays home to many of New York’s long standing teams, it offers fans a full-service bar, food, theatre and merchandise store offering unique football streetwear and fan art. The entrepreneur plans to eventually turn the venue into a private club revolving around soccer, art and culture, with additional locations set to open before the 2026 World Cup.

Martino is the father of three children and resides in New York City.