Press Releases and News

U.S. Soccer Foundation Annouces 2009 Planning Grant Recipients

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
Malcolm Granado, U.S. Soccer Foundation, T: 202-872-6656
Ray Rudolph, Clough Harbour Sports, T: 518-453-4500

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Soccer Foundation, the Major Charitable Arm of Soccer in the U.S., and Clough Harbour Sports, the Foundation’s Partner for Soccer Facility Design and Planning Services, are pleased to announce the 2009 Planning Grant Recipients. Organizations selected to receive Planning Grants include the following:

Challenged Athletes Dream Complex (Victoria, TX)
City of New Haven Department of Parks Rec & Trees (New Haven, CT)
Crew Soccer Foundation/Kicks For Kids Field (Columbus, OH)
New Creation Fellowship (Cheektowaga, NY)
The Salvation Army Red Kroc Center (Greenville, SC)

Each 2009 Planning Grant Recipient is embarking on the unique challenge of developing a soccer field or soccer complex in their community. The Foundation has partnered with Clough Harbour Sports, a leader in sports facility design and planning, to provide expert design and planning resources to ensure that these important projects launch successfully.

“A master plan is an essential step in getting any successful field-building project off the ground.” said Ed Foster-Simeon, President of the Foundation. “We are thrilled to provide these planning grants which will provide children of all ages with safe places to play the world’s most popular game and keep them active, healthy and engaged in activities that provide an alternative to negative influences.”

A properly developed master plan guides the design and construction of soccer field projects in a coherent and unified way, establishes the proper sequencing and phasing for design and construction, integrates a project into an overall budget, builds momentum for future phases, and serves as a foundation for effective marketing, fundraising, and advocacy with decision-makers.

“Clough Harbour is thrilled to work with the impressive class of 2009 Planning Grant Recipients,” said Ray Rudolph, a Partner with Clough Harbour Sports. “We value our partnership with the U.S. Soccer Foundation and are excited to provide the soccer community with a resource for facility design and planning.”

To learn more about the Foundation and its programs, please visit the Foundation’s website at ussoccerfoundation.org. To learn more about Clough Harbour Sports, visit ussoccerfoundation.org/about-us/partnerships.

About the U.S. Soccer Foundation
The U.S. Soccer Foundation was established in 1994 to manage the surplus funds generated by the 1994 FIFA World Cup held in the United States. As the Major Charitable Arm of Soccer in the U.S., the Foundation has invested more than $51 million in the game, supporting hundreds of projects in every state in the country. The Foundation provides grants focused on developing players, coaches and referees and building or enhancing fields and soccer complexes, with a special emphasis on economically disadvantaged youth in urban communities. For more information, or to donate online, please visit ussoccerfoundation.org.

About Clough Harbour Sports
Clough Harbour Sports is a division of Clough Harbour & Associates LLP, a full service planning and design firm with over 600 professionals located in offices throughout the eastern United States. Their project portfolio includes sports fields, megaplexes, field houses, track & field venues, rinks, aquatic facilities, and arenas. In the decade since the group was formed, numerous colleges, universities, secondary schools, municipalities, and international sporting organizations have retained Clough Harbour Sports to plan and design their athletic facilities. For more information, please visit http://www.cloughharbour.com/go/core-markets/cha-sports.

Media Request: When referring to the U.S. Soccer Foundation, the Major Charitable Arm of Soccer in the United States, please refer to the organization only as the U.S. Soccer Foundation or the Foundation, and never as USSF or US/U.S. Soccer. We appreciate your cooperation.

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OUR PARTNERS

adidas
adidas, the Foundation’s Safe Places to Play – Mini-Pitch Partner, supports providing children in underserved communities with safe play spaces nationwide. adidas strives to be the globally leading and most popular sporting goods brand. Dedicated to innovation, adidas embraces creativity and seeks to be socially responsible in all facets of its brand. For more information, please visit adidas.com.
APT
APT (Advanced Polymer Technology), the Foundation’s Partner for Acrylic Coating Products, is a global leader in high performance sports surfaces. APT provides people around the world with safe, reliable, performance enhancing surfaces. APT’s Laykold Masters acrylic surfacing system will be the official surface of an estimated 500 mini-pitches. For more information on APT, please visit www.sportsbyapt.com.
AstroTurf
For athletes and soccer enthusiasts, AstroTurf® is redefining how synthetic soccer fields are built and perform. The brand offers advanced, state-of-the-art synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies. A growing number of clubs, high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities continue to select AstroTurf’s LigaTurf-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority, and safety. To learn more, visit the company’s recently redesigned website, www.astroturf.com/soccer. – See more at: https://ussoccerfoundation.org/article/astroturf-partners-with-the-u.s.-soccer-foundation-as-a-national-partner-for-field-building-program#sthash.FL8E8bAM.dpuf
CHA
CHA Sports, the Foundation’s Supplier for Soccer Facility Design and Planning Services, provides community partners with expertise in soccer facility design. CHA Sport’s full service approach allows the company to build world-class projects without breaking budgets. For more information, please visit chacompanies.com.
The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation
DICK’S Sporting Goods and The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation believe that participation in sports makes people better. Since 2014, DICK’S and The DICK’S Foundation have pledged more than $100 million to support youth sports teams and leagues in need. Through our Sports Matter initiative we strive to increase awareness for underfunded youth athletics nationwide and provide much-needed support through equipment, uniform and monetary donations. For more information on Sports Matter, visit SportsMatter.org.
Hunter
Hunter Industries, the Foundation’s National Partner for Irrigation Equipment, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of irrigation equipment for turf, landscape and soccer fields. Hunter Industries’ focus is on landscape irrigation with a significant part of its business centering on the proper care and maintenance of sports turf. For more information, please visit hunterindustries.com. Please contact Lynda Wightman, 406-273-3073, lynda.wightman@hunterindustries.com with any questions regarding the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s grants program.
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson, the Foundation’s grant partner, is dedicated to supporting the next generation of female leaders by providing greater access to girls’ youth soccer programming in underserved communities nationwide. As the world’s largest and most broadly based healthcare company, Johnson & Johnson strives to create healthier communities, and put a healthy mind, body and environment within reach of everyone, everywhere. For more information, please visit www.jnj.com.
Kwik Goal
Kwik Goal, the Foundation’s Official Supplier for goals, seating, boundary equipment, training equipment and coaching accessories, will be supporting a variety of Foundation programs and initiatives including: Soccer for Success, National Training and the Safe Places to Play program. Over thirty years ago, Kwik Goal was founded on the revolutionary concept of providing transportable goals for coaches at all age levels. Since that time, Kwik Goal has continued to focus on helping coaches and soccer programs create safe and dynamic learning environments by supplying high quality, safety tested soccer goals, field equipment and training equipment to the domestic and international market. For more information, please visit Kwikgoal.com.
MLS WORKS
MLS WORKS, Major League Soccer’s community outreach initiative, is dedicated to addressing important social issues and serves as a platform for both League and club philanthropic programs. MLS WORKS seeks to establish Major League Soccer as a leader for improving the lives of people through sport. MLS WORKS is committed to improving the communities where we live and play our games by executing national programs and legacy projects, charitable giving campaigns, and undertaking various initiatives in underserved communities.
Musco
As a proud corporate partner of the U.S. Soccer Foundation, Musco is dedicated to helping the major charitable arm of American soccer create new opportunities through high-quality sports lighting. Their Total Light Control—TLC for LED™ technology is engineered as a system with lighting, structural, and electrical components designed to work together for streamlined installation and long-term reliability. TLC for LED delivers superior field lighting while eliminating glare and spill from impacting surrounding neighborhoods. And Musco’s long-term warranty covering parts and labor means U.S. Soccer Foundation partners don’t have to handle any maintenance on their system, or pay for it, for 25 years. Visit https://ussoccerfoundation.org/grants/ to learn more about the grant program and application process.
SCORE Sports
SCORE Sports, the preferred provider of shin guards to the Foundation’s Soccer for Success program, is a family-owned and operated business specializing in sports equipment, uniforms and apparel. SCORE is an industry leader and has been involved in the sports community for over 40 years. SCORE outfits athletes with high-quality uniforms that SCORE develops, designs and manufactures in the U.S. SCORE takes pride in working with various non-profit groups and causes to give back to athletes who may need some extra support to play the game they love. SCORE is environmentally cautious with the materials it uses for its products and does its part in minimizing our environmental footprint. SCORE proudly offers a wide variety of products to provide customers with a one-stop shop for all your soccer needs. For more information, please visit scoresports.com.
Soccer.com
Soccer.com, the Foundation’s National Partner for Soccer Equipment and Uniforms, was founded in 1984 to provide high quality soccer gear at reasonable prices through its nationally circulated catalog. Soccer.com embodies a passion for the game that extends to the people who play, coach and support soccer. For more information, please visit soccer.com.
Target
Target announced a national partnership with Safe Places to Play in 2017, along with a $6 million commitment to build 100 new soccer play spaces with the U.S. Soccer Foundation by 2020. This is the latest initiative in the Minneapolis-based retailer’s multi-dimensional approach to the sport of soccer, bringing the game to more kids and families across the country, and unlocking access and increasing involvement at all levels.
Telemundo
http://now.telemundo.com/el-campeon-en-ti
TGI Worldwide
TGI Worldwide, the Foundation’s National Partner for Visual Branding (Signage, Event Décor, Pageantry, Sponsorship Activation), Perimeter Field Board Systems, Creative Services and Event Operations is proud to support a variety of initiatives and programs throughout the United States. Headquartered in the U.S., TGI is an internationally recognized sports marketing company delivering high profile Visual Branding, Live Event Management, LED, and cutting edge Digital Sports Applications to enrich the experience at major events and deliver commercial impact for sponsors and partners. The company has a 20-year history in providing its various solutions for many top-tier domestic and international events, organizations, teams and companies, with proven success and turn-key solutions across 1000+ events, 160+ cities and 50+ countries globally.
For more information on our services, please visit https://www.worldwidetgi.com or contact Mike Squire at msquire@worldwidetgi.com / Phone: 312-371-5852.
World Soccer Shop
Launched in 2001, World Soccer Shop is an online soccer retailer based in Birmingham, Alabama. It carries one of the world’s widest selections of officially-licensed products from the sport’s top brands and teams. World Soccer Shop is passionate about soccer and endeavors to spread the beautiful game around the world, especially to those in areas of need. For more information, please visit www.worldsoccershop.com.