New Soccer Mini-Pitch Opens at Burnet Elementary School

Mini-pitch is the first to be opened at a Dallas ISD school and marks the 750^th the U.S. Soccer Foundation has opened nationwide

October 9, 2024

Dallas, TX – A new soccer mini-pitch is open for play at David G. Burnet Elementary School thanks to funding from the Buffalo Wild Wings Foundation and the U.S. Soccer Foundation. The Musco Mini-Pitch System is the first mini-pitch to be installed at a Dallas ISD school and is the 750^th mini-pitch the U.S. Soccer Foundation has opened on its way to installing 1,000 nationwide by 2026 when the Men’s FIFA World Cup returns to the United States.

The Musco Mini-Pitch System includes a customized, hard-court surface suited for soccer programs and pick-up games that serve as community hubs, encourage physical activity, and provide more opportunities for play.

“Access to youth sports is a life changing experience for many kids,” said Stuart Brown, Executive Director, Inspire Brands Foundation. “Through their experiences on a team, kids learn to win with grace, lose with poise and compete with confidence. They learn to encourage others, work with resilience, and listen with purpose.  For all these reasons and more, the Buffalo Wild Wings Foundation fuels champions of the next generation by making sure that kids have access to the teams and fields they need for these important team sport experience.”

“While soccer is having its moment in the spotlight in the lead up to the 2026 Men’s World Cup, we want millions of kids to have their moment, too,” said U.S. Soccer Foundation President & CEO Ed Foster-Simeon. “It’s why are thrilled to open our 750^th mini-pitch in Dallas and provide more opportunities for young people and families to benefit from the game. Together with our partners, we are ensuring that the World Cup leaves a legacy and improves the lives of youth in under-resourced communities for generations to come.”

To celebrate the opening, students and staff from Burnet Elementary School joined Principal David Rodriguez Garia, Deputy Superintendent Brian Lusk, Ed.D, and representatives from the Buffalo Wild Wings Foundation and the U.S. Soccer Foundation for an official “first kick” and scrimmages on the new pitch. Buffalo Wild Wings provided food for guests, students, and staff and students who participated in the event went home with a U.S. Soccer Foundation jersey.

For more than 30 years, the U.S. Soccer Foundation has been the leading force focused on advancing soccer as a vehicle for social impact.  In three decades, the Foundation has worked collaboratively with 1,000 national and local partners to positively impact more than 2 million youth largely underserved communities – delivering proven programs that foster improved health and well-being at a time when kids need it most.

To access event photos, click here.

 

ABOUT DALLAS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

The Dallas Independent School District is continually preparing its more than 141,000 students for college or a career. The district offers a competitive mix of innovative programs, choice programs and instructional initiatives that support the increased academic achievement and the social and emotional development of its students. To learn more, visit www.dallasisd.org.

ABOUT U.S. SOCCER FOUNDATION 
As the national leader for sports-based youth development in under-resourced areas, the U.S. Soccer Foundation is on a mission to let soccer do what it does: change absolutely everything. Founded as a legacy of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the Foundation provides underserved communities access to innovative play spaces and evidence-based soccer programs that instill hope, foster well-being, and help youth achieve their fullest potential. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Soccer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information visit www.ussoccerfoundation.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.