Nearly a dozen new places for kids to play soccer will soon begin sprouting in the St. Louis region.
St. Louis CITY SC on Wednesday announced a three-year plan to build 11 “mini-pitches” in the metro area where kids can learn and play soccer. The club is partnering with American Family Insurance, the U.S. Soccer Foundation, and Musco Lighting to complete the project, which is expected to wrap before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in North America.
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Mini-pitches are billed as small, hard-court playing surfaces that include lights to ensure that games can continue long after dusk. CITY says it will install all 11 of the small, street-style soccer spaces within a 15-mile radius of CITYPARK in areas where soccer programming is lacking. DeSoto Park, Ferguson, and Fairmont City, Illinois are the first locations where construction will begin.
“One of our missions as a club has always been to make soccer accessible to all,” Carolyn Kindle, CITY’s CEO, said in a statement. “Not only will the mini-pitches provide an opportunity for residents to play soccer together, but it will also unite the community through the power of sport. We strive to be an exceptional club and neighbor and want to help grow the beautiful game by ensuring soccer can be enjoyed across the region, whether it’s through a pickup game, tournaments or training sessions. We can’t thank American Family Insurance and the U.S. Soccer Foundation enough for partnering with us on this important project.”
The U.S. Soccer Foundation, which leads programs designed to help kids embrace healthy and active lifestyles through sports, has installed more than 600 mini-pitches since 2015. The organization is aiming to build 500 more across the next three years.
For St. Louis CITY SC, the endeavor is an extension of its CITY Futures program that strives to provide easier access to the sport. The club says it will work with the City of St. Louis Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry, among other local departments and organizations, to bring “ongoing programming” to the new playing spaces.
“With these mini-pitches, we want to establish a street soccer experience for our youth,” says Sascha Bauer, CITY’s director of regional training and education. “Historically, street soccer has contributed worldwide to many players’ careers in learning the main ingredients of the game. Playing without adults is different – young players have more space to be creative and grow their game in the most fun way–by playing.”
