Project GOAL & Central Falls Mini-Pitch Initiative
Help Us Build a Mini-Pitch in Central Falls, Rhode Island
Join Kick It Forward, Project GOAL, players from Major League Soccer, and members of your community, all working together to provide greater opportunities to the youth of Rhode Island.
The proposed Mini-Pitches will be located on Ledge Street, blocks away from Project GOAL's headquarters.
Watch the video to hear what Central Falls Mayor, James Diossa, has to say about the project.
Watch to learn about Project GOAL
What's a Mini-Pitch?
A Mini-Pitch is a small futsal-style soccer field to provide a safe place for kids to play.
Designed, engineered, and created by Musco Lighting to provide safer places to play the game, the Mini-Pitch System is ideal for transforming abandoned courts and other underutilized areas into places where children and families can come together in the spirit of teamwork, empowerment, and physical activity. Here's a rendering of the Mini-Pitch in its proposed location.
Why Project GOAL & Central Falls?
ACADEMICS
Project GOAL is a 100% free, coeducational, academic responsibility, tutoring, and mentoring initiative. Meeting after school, twice a week, students spend 90 minutes of targeting academic enrichment with accredited teachers.
SOCCER
Project GOAL inspires academic success through the reward of soccer. By focusing on their academics for 90 minutes, participants earn an equal amount of time to play soccer. They receive high-level training from licensed coaches.
LOCATION
Located 10 minutes outside of Providence, Central Falls is one of the most densely populated cities in the country. Its population is nearly 50% Hispanic/Latino. The Project GOAL headquarters is located just a couple blocks from the Mini-Pitch site.
What the Players are Saying
"Having a nice Mini-Pitch would have benefited me a lot back when I was a kid. Building one now will help the kids in the community by allowing them to develop friends, play soccer, and just enjoy the game."
- Damian Rivera, New England Revolution, Project GOAL Graduate
"I've volunteered at Project GOAL for the last three years, and I love what they do. Providing educational support for their students and an opportunity for them to improve their game, Project GOAL is a program that everyone can get behind. A Mini-Pitch in Central Falls will provide opportunities and access to the students, and it will help the program take the students' games to the next level."
- Scott Caldwell, New England Revolution, Project GOAL Mentor
"I began working with Project GOAL back in 2005 when I was playing with the New England Revolution, and I've been working with them ever since. This Mini-Pitch project is super important to me because playing pick-up soccer in a safe environment was one of the best things about my childhood. I want as many kids as possible to have that opportunity."
- Michael Parkhurst, Former MLS Player, Cranston, RI Native
"Rhode Island has long held a special place in my heart, having spent several treasured years playing soccer at Brown University and then for the New England Revolution. Having built these Mini-Pitches in other parts of the country, we know the impact it can have on a community and a young player's life. My former teammates and I couldn't be happier to share this opportunity with Project GOAL and the future soccer stars of tomorrow."
- Jeff Larentowicz, Atlanta United, Former Project GOAL Mentor
"I'm really excited to partner up with Project GOAL to build a Mini-Pitch in the City of Central Fall that will not only benefit Project GOAL, but the whole community. Ever since my time at Providence College, I absolute love the area and love the people, and I know how much they love soccer. To be able to build a Mini-Pitch there that will give access to the game and help out Project GOAL, which I volunteered for while I was at PC, is very special to me."
- Julian Gressel, DC United, Former Project GOAL Mentor
A Message from Project GOAL
"Project GOAL was founded in 2004 with the goal of providing a safe environment, free transportation, tutoring, and soccer training (including equipment and school supplies). We are so excited and proud to have such passionate people behind us for this initiative from both the City of Central Falls and the soccer community - particularly those who volunteered in Project GOAL while they were members of the Brown University, Providence College, and New England Revolution soccer teams. This includes one of our alumni, Damian Rivera, who participated in Project GOAL as a middle schooler and is now a Major League Soccer player with the Revolution. This Mini-Pitch will benefit Project GOAL, all of our students, but also the entire Central Falls and soccer community."
- Founders of Project GOAL
The Organizations Involved
Project GOAL
Founded in 2004, Project GOAL (Greater Opportunity for Athletes to Learn) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization inspiring academic achievement through the passion and power of soccer.
Central Falls
The City of Central Falls is the most densely populated city in Rhode Island and is nearly 50% Hispanic/Latino. Over one quarter of the population lives below the poverty line, making it the poorest municipality in Rhode Island.
Kick It Forward
Kick It Forward fosters community through soccer, aiming to develop athletic and life skills in youth to allow them to be powerful resources during their life journey. To date, KIF has helped raise money to build 10 Mini-Pitches throughout the country and plans to continue building more.
Musco Lighting
As a longtime partner of the U.S. Soccer Foundation, Musco engineered its Mini-Pitch System to assist the Foundation in dramatically expanding its impact through It's Everyone's Game. To date, Musco has installed over 70 Mini-Pitches throughout the country.
Sponsorship Opportunities
4x8 Friend Brick Sponsor
Unlimited
- Name on 4" x 8" brick at entrance to pitch
$100
4x8 Friend Brick Sponsor w/ball
Unlimited
- Name on 4" x 8" brick w/soccer ball at entrance to pitch
$125
8x8 Friend Brick Sponsor
Unlimited
- Name on 8" x 8" brick at entrance to pitch
$175
8x8 Friend Brick Sponsor w/ball
Unlimited
- Name on 8" x 8" brick w/soccer ball at entrance to pitch
$200
8x8 Business Brick Sponsor
Unlimited
- Business name on 8" x 8" brick at entrance to pitch
$250
8x8 Business Brick Sponsor w/ball
Unlimited
- Business name on 8" x 8" brick w/soccer ball at entrance to pitch
$500
Community Sponsor
17 Remaining/Pitch
- Name on pitch-side placard
$1,000
Signage Sponsor
11 Remaining
- Logo around goals or along the sideline
- Name & logo on all marketing materials & press releases
$3,500
Quarter Court Sponsor
2 Remaining
- Logo on one quarter of the court
- Name & logo on all marketing materials & press releases
$10,000
Center Court Sponsor
1 Remaining
- Naming rights & center court logo
- Name & logo on all marketing materials & press releases
$50,000
Signature Court Sponsor
1 Remaining
- Naming rights & full design control
- Name & logo on all marketing materials & press releases
$100,000
**YOU CAN ALSO CHOOSE TO DONATE A CUSTOM AMOUNT**
Thank You to Our Donors!
University Orthopedics
BankNewport
Scott Caldwell
Edgar Garzon
Matthew Jerzyk
Emily Reinhardt
Michael Hernandez
Roger Dias
Victor Capellan
Ariel Shirzadi
Montvel
Lloyd Taylor
Nelson Rego
Carlos Ocampo
Kenny Cordoba-Llanos
Komar Martinez-Paiz
Juan P Giraldo
Austin Vutech
Edward Gonzalez
Kevin Gil
Nelson Rego
Meridian Custom Homes
Major League Soccer Players Association
The Midnight Riders
Lynn Kuzneski
Faramarz & Evelyn Shirzadi
Alejandro Restrepo
Victoria Rego
Kevin Essington
Darius Shirzadi
Thomas Heffernan
Joshua Marzelli
John Olivo
Abby Shiffman
John Andrade
Andrew Koziol
George Forte
Kaela Munoz
Daniel F Ramirez
Andrea Salas Pulgarin
Victor Cano
Bayside FC
U.S. Soccer Foundation
The Rebellion
Heather Foster
Polly Handy
Ryan Gray
James Owens
Joshua Giraldo
Henry Carey
Xiaowei Zheng
Julio Barros
Kyle Adamonis
Garrett Smith
Cassandra Lima
Bryce DuBois
Allison Cupertino
Richard Rhodes
Miguel Lara
Eric Lara
Gents, Inc.
Jorge Echavarria Nieto
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