On July 31st, the U.S. Soccer Foundation joined MLS All-Stars, MLS Works, the Chicago Fire and Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) at the 2017 MLS All-Star Community Day to unveil two new Safe Places to Play mini-pitches at Chicago’s Gage Park.
The field opening kicked off with remarks from U.S. Soccer Foundation President & CEO, Ed Foster-Simeon, Chicago Major Rahm Emanuel, MLS Commissioner Don Garber, and Chicago Fire General Manager Nelson Rodríguez. MLS All-Stars Tim Howard, Dax McCarty, Johan Kappelhof, and Greg Garza also joined for the ceremonial first kick.
The mini-pitches will provide a safe and accessible place to play, while supporting local youth programming, including the Chicago Fire’s P.L.A.Y.S. Program. Additionally, SNHU awarded a full college scholarship to a member of the local community.
After the official dedication, a championship match was held on the new pitch and featured teams from the MLS Works/Chicago Fire All-Star Community Day Youth Tournament. The MLS All-Stars in attendance served as celebrity coaches.
The event was an exciting day for the community and the new mini-pitches will continue to bring the community together to promote healthy habits and grow the game of soccer.
Learn more about our Safe Places to Play program and how to bring a new safe place to play to your community here.