![Image of the ribbon cutting at the Dean Senator Judith Zaffirini Mini-Pitch](https://ussoccerfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HanknTank-06768-1-1000x667.jpg")
On Thursday, we celebrated the opening of our newest safe place to play in the greater Austin area. The Dean Senator Judith Zaffirini Mini-Pitch was created in partnership with the Zaffirini Family Foundation and the Boys & Girls Club of the Austin Area. It is the second mini-pitch, honoring Dean Senator Zaffirini’s lasting commitment to youth, education, and community.
The opening was an incredible celebration of the power of soccer to bring people together. It was made even more special by the attendance and leadership of Carlos Zaffirini Jr., a U.S. Soccer Foundation board member who supported the installation of another mini-pitch in Laredo dedicated to his mother, Dean Senator Zaffirini, in 2023.
This mini-pitch will serve as a hub for programming and informal play, giving kids and families a safe, welcoming place to enjoy the beautiful game. It builds on the momentum we’ve created across greater Austin since 2019 with incredible partners like 4ATX Foundation and Soccer Assist
![Two kids meet on the pitch, both kicking for the same ball](https://ussoccerfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HanknTank-9644-1000x668.jpg")
![Two girls wearing U.S. Soccer Foundation jerseys sit on the outskirts of the mini-pitch, watching a game.](https://ussoccerfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HanknTank-8896-1-1000x668.jpg")
![Kid wearing a light blue U.S. Soccer Foundation jersey kicks the soccer ball away from another player](https://ussoccerfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/HanknTank-9624-1-1000x668.jpg")
