Growing the sport of soccer doesn’t always require growing grass fields.
Tyler Adams of the U.S. men’s national team is helping to expand and diversify the game one field at a time by building mini-pitches across the country. The playing surfaces, however, aren’t made of green grass that can be a challenge to maintain, but of a blue hard-court.
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“When you go down to a park, no matter what surface you’re on, as long as you have a ball, you’re happy,” Adams said on NBC and Telemundo’s “My New Favorite Futbolista.”
The pitches are about the size of a basketball court, commanding far less space than a soccer field, and feature permanent metal goals that require no upkeep.
“When I think back to the idea of a mini-pitch,” said Adams, “it’s so simple. It’s so easy to set up. It’s so easy to build.”
And so easy to make a positive impact in a child’s life, particularly in areas where a lack of recreational facilities can deny children of certain opportunities and aspirations.
“The idea with the mini-pitches is that we can give access to these kids, especially in inner cities, and they can realize that hey, instead of doing something after school that gets you up to no good, you can walk down the street and find a soccer field and be able to play,” Adams said.
Adams, a midfielder who in 2022 became the first Black player to captain the USMNT at a FIFA World Cup, said he was aways running to parks while growing up in Hudson Valley, New York. He now plays in England for AFC Bournemouth and says pitches are far more readily available in Europe.
In the U.S., there are just over 53,000 soccer pitches, which equates to roughly 158 fields for every million residents, according to OpenStreetMap. By comparison, there are 543 soccer pitches for every million residents in Germany and 469 in France.
“Here in Europe, it’s free to play at such a young age,” Adams said. “Like these kids will walk down the street and there will be a soccer field, soccer goals outside, and you’re just playing with your friends until the sun goes down. In the U.S., it’s a little bit different, obviously we know that basketball is an important sport, American football, baseball. There’s a lot of access at a young age to these sports.”
The U.S. Soccer Foundation established a goal to install 1,000 mini-pitches in underserved areas by the end of 2026. According to the organization, 70% of predominantly Black and Hispanic communities lack recreational facilities.
A study conducted by the U.S. Soccer Federation showed that 99% of respondents said their communities were more active after the installation of a mini-pitch and 98% said their community felt safer.
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“The memories that you make from playing a game like soccer, the places that it brings you, the cultures that you’re around and that you learn about, the game just has so many things to offer,” Adams said. “And, for me, that’s why I enjoy it to this day.”
As do the children who have benefited from the mini-pitches that have been developed in their communities. That includes Valentino, a 10-year-old from Detroit, who said until the mini-pitch opened, he was often practicing in his living room and basement.
“Thank you for bringing this small pitch to my community,” he said, “because this has really helped me out and a lot of other people with soccer and doing the things that we like with touches and meeting up with new people and making new friends while all having fun together in small field kind of organizing things and having a great time.”
Adams is also an ambassador for Black Star Soccer, a platform that began in 2021 to help grow the game of soccer in America’s underserved and Black communities.
Patrick Rose, the property general manager of Black Star Soccer, said Adams’ role on the USMNT and involvement within the communities is motivational for players.
“I know that even like myself growing up, especially kind of playing at high-level club environments, there weren’t a lot of kids that looked like me in terms of being a Black kid on these teams,” Rose said. “So, I think being able to see somebody like Tyler would have just given me … a boost of inspiration to know that I too can get to that level.”
Added Adams: “You’re trying to inspire the next generation and the people that look like you, especially the kids that might face a few more obstacles along the way.”
He hopes that the addition of mini-pitches throughout the country helps improve diversity in the sport – and that soccer matches around the country will soon reflect those being played by the U.S. men’s national team when they’re competing on that green grass pitch at the World Cup.
“When you look at our team and our squad, you see how diverse it is,” Adams said. “And I think it’s an amazing thing to see, to be honest with you, because we represent so many different communities, so many different ethnicities, so many different backgrounds.”
You can tune into “My New Favorite Futbolista” wherever you listen to podcasts, with episodes featuring Adams and more World Cup stars.
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