“We’re donating half a million dollars in foosball equipment to schools all across the country,” Stahl said. "Most kids love foosball — they just don’t know it yet."

Every dollar raised from the Classic goes back into scholastic and wellness programs. Stahl and his team spent nearly a month preparing for the tournament. 

To Stahl, foosball isn’t just a sport — it’s a form of community building.

"We’re making schools a healthier space for students," he said. "It’s the game that brings us all together."

Among the players was Mike Weyrowske, a 30-year foosball veteran who’s seen the sport’s rise, fall and resurgence.

"In the ‘70s, foosball had money, and people came with it," Weyrowske said. "Then it kind of died out. Foosball Clubs USA is bringing it back to the kids and raising money for it."

For Weyrowske, who describes the foosball community as "kind of like a family," the game offers more than just competition — it’s a release, a way to connect across generations and something that makes him feel younger when playing with the kids.

Watching children invent handshakes and cheer each other on, Weyrowske said it’s clear the sport still has a future.

"They build friendships for life and that determined spirit helps them graduate school," Weyrowske said. "That’s what this is all about."

Eighteen-year-old Jacob Balcos of Minnesota — currently ranked fifth in the U.S. and newly named a master — represents that very future. He played in his first tournament during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 and hasn’t stopped since.

"I won beginner singles at my first event," Balcos said. "That’s when I caught the foosball fever. I realized I love the game and just wanted to get better and better."

For Balcos, tournaments like the Great Lakes Classic show how much the sport has grown. "The future of foosball is really the young generation," he said. "The kids look up to me and players like me. For Michael to put foosball equipment in schools — that’s big."

This year’s Classic also hosted Brandon Muñoz, the No. 1 foosball player in the US. Born in Costa Rica, and now living in Louisiana, Muñoz started playing when he was eight, encouraged by his father.

"Our weekends were all about foosball tournaments," Muñoz said. "I grew up in a foosball environment."

By his mid-teens, Muñoz was beating top players. But when his father passed away five years ago, foosball took on a new meaning. "I started playing with extra motivation — to show him how far I could go," he said. "Now, I’m the No. 1 player in the U.S."

When he traveled to Rome recently, fans recognized him on sight.

"It gave me goosebumps," Muñoz said. "People knew me because of foosball."

Despite his success, Muñoz keeps his focus on the basics — discipline, mindset and giving back. To him, foosball is as much mental as physical — it’s about eating right, staying hydrated, remaining calm and being comfortable at the table — because, as he puts it, "if you’re not comfortable when you play, you lose easily."

At 30, Muñoz isn’t slowing down.

"In 10 years, I’ll still be playing," he said. "It’s like an addiction — we always want to get better. And I’ll keep helping the sport grow because kids are the future of foosball. Michael’s doing a really good job making that happen."

As the World Foosball Tour continues, with its next stop in Louisiana in early December, there is faith that the sport will continue to connect generations, build confidence among kids and as Stahl puts it, "save lives."