Mini Pitches
The Mini-Pitch Initiative
The love and passion the women of the Black Women’s Player Collective have for the sport of soccer often does not originate from packed stadiums, league finals, or game-winning goals. It’s the moments from our youth when we were first discovering the game or the off-season pickup matches where we hone our craft that we get to compete, create, and truly make the sport our own. Every footballer cherishes these moments and the spaces that make them possible. Whether it is a freshly cut professional pitch, the small patch of grass at the local park, or the blacktop behind the local elementary school, the Black Women’s Player Collective believes everyone deserves a safe place to play.
To accomplish this goal in alignment with our mission, in 2020 the Black Women’s Player Collective joined the Black Players for Change, US Soccer Foundation, Musco Lighting, and Adidas to construct and install twelve mini-pitches in cities across the country by the end of 2021. The first two of twelve mini-pitches were completed in late 2020 at RH Dana Middle School in Hawthorne, California and Clairemont Branch of the Boys & Girls Club of San Diego.
Additionally, in 2021, the Black Women’s Player Collective and Black Players for Change teamed up with New York City Soccer Initiative partners to open a mini-pitch at Colonel Charles Young Playground in Harlem.
Alongside mini-pitch grand openings, either in-person or virtually, The Black Women’s Player Collective is planning mini-pitch clinics in several cities by the end of 2021. The goal of the clinics is to meet and engage with young girls and provide them a memorable day of fun learning the sport of soccer from black, professional female athletes.
The Black Women’s Player Collective hope the mini-pitches installed provide our members a connection to the young people we aim to support and inspire. Moving forward past 2021, the BWPC plans to develop a variety of programs at our mini-pitches that touch upon not only soccer, but health & wellness, education, and community.
Thank you to our partners in developing and installing mini-pitches. These pitches would not be possible without the help and direction of the US Soccer Foundation, Black Players for Change, Musco Lighting, and Adidas. Thank you for your belief in the mission of the Black Women’s Player Collective and your commitment to creating opportunities for the young black girl. The Black Women’s Player Collective hopes to continue this partnership for years to come.
