LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A new soccer field in the Newburg neighborhood was unveiled on Sunday honoring members of Black Women's Player Collective and Black Players for Change.
The mini-pitch at Petersburg Park is one of 12 being installed in a national partnership between BPC, BWPC, the U.S. Soccer Foundation, Musco Lighting and adidas, according to a news release.
During the grand opening, Racing Louisville FC players Addisyn Merrick and Cheyna Matthews were in attendance.Â
"I'm excited to be a part of the mini-pitch opening in Louisville," Merrick said. "I think it'll be a great space for youth to create their own experience in a safe space."
Footballer @Cheynalee_ is a forward for Racing Louisville of the National Women's Soccer League. She says the sport changed her life as a child growing up in Georgia and this soccer mini-pitch will provide greater access to soccer for Black children in low-income communities. pic.twitter.com/HJMQJzqmMZ
— Breon Martin (@BreonMartin) October 17, 2021
The soccer field is located near community centers like the Boys & Girls Club of Kentuckiana, Newburg Middle School and Newburg Community Center.
Ed Foster-Simeon, President and CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation, said the mini-pitch is an effort to introduce soccer to more girls.
"Research shows that Black communities are significantly more likely to lack recreational facilities than those found in white neighborhoods," Foster-Simeon said. "Black girls face more barriers to playing soccer than their white peers."
"This mini-pitch will shine an even brighter light on diversifying and increasing accessibility to Louisville's growing soccer community," Mayor Greg Fischer said in a news release.Â
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