ESS Sports Foundation – Our Story

E.S.S. Sports Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that helps amateur athletes compete in national and international competitions. Established in 1994 in the Eastern Shores community of North Miami Beach, Florida. It all began when a group of local kids decided to bring organized sports into their neighborhood. Around that time, the Florida Panthers joined the NHL as a new expansion team, sparking a wave of excitement for ice skating and hockey across South Florida.

Just a few miles away, the Miami Ice Arena opened its doors—and the kids of Eastern Shores, led by Bryan Goldstein, formed two roller hockey teams. They taught themselves how to skate, learned the rules of hockey, and completed a full season of organized competition before being introduced to a brand-new tournament at the time: Let It Fly Flag Football.

In the winter of 1995, the first ESS Flag Football team entered a major tournament at Tamiami Park in Miami-Dade County. The event featured over 300 teams competing across 25 fields, and ESS faced the FIU amateur team in their debut—falling 28–2 in a tough first outing. But instead of giving up, the players regrouped and committed to learning the game.

They began practicing on 171st Street in Eastern Shores, marking a regulation field with tape and training several days a week after school. Soon they were competing regularly at Tropical Park, and by 1996, their dedication paid off—they returned to the Let It Fly tournament and won the first championship in team history.

From 1997 to 2015, ESS grew steadily, traveling across the United States to compete in amateur tournaments nationwide. Players came and went, but the program’s spirit remained strong under its founder’s leadership, collecting multiple national championships along the way.

In 2016, ESS took its first international step, traveling to Cancún, Mexico, where the team captured its first international championship in flag football. That victory opened the door to global competition, leading ESS to compete in Colombia, Jamaica, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and beyond.

As of 2025, ESS proudly celebrates 52 national and international championships—a testament to its enduring legacy of teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship.

With decades of experience and a global track record of success, the ESS Sports Foundation was created to share these opportunities with others. Today, the foundation supports individuals and teams in pursuing amateur sports at both the national and international levels—across multiple disciplines, including flag football, co-ed, and women’s divisions.