Help us build a Mini-Pitch at Chautauqua Park in Storm Lake!

Join the City of Storm Lake, the Buena Vista Men's Soccer Program, Kick It Forward, Musco Lighting and members of your community, all working together to provide greater opportunities to the youth in Buena Vista County.

The completed Mini-Pitch will be located at Chautauqua Park in Storm Lake.

Watch the video to see a Mini-Pitch being used!

Money Raised

$90,000 of $100,000

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.

Why Chautauqua Park and Storm Lake?

SOCCER

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, and we are devoted to bringing more opportunities to the youth in Buena Vista County. A Mini-Pitch comes with lights and benches, so all kids need to play is a ball.

COMMUNITY

A Mini-Pitch is not just a place to play. It's a safe place to gather, make new friends, and create shared experiences. With the Mini-Pitch, youth in Storm Lake are able to foster a greater sense of community.

LOCATION

As a soccer loving community, Storm Lake youth continue to need safe places to play. By building a Mini-Pitch at Chautauqua Park, thousands of kids now have free access to a safe and accessible playing environment.

What the Organizers are Saying

"Revitalizing space and providing equal access are values that we strongly support through our work with the Mini-Pitch Initiative. We are excited to see the commitment put forth by our partners, the City of Storm Lake, the BV soccer programs and Kick It Forward, to develop sustainable soccer ecosystems that will help the youth of Buena Vista County grow and develop their skills."

- Jeff Rogers, President, Musco Lighting

"We always have kids playing soccer on the tennis courts at Chautauqua Park. Adding a Mini-Pitch gives the youth a permanent structure with goals and will only add to their experience. We have a large soccer-loving community and continue seeing kids play the game; this addition will only benefit them and our community by giving everybody a safe and accessible place to play the game they love."

- Joe Kucera, Community Education Director, Storm Lake School District

"We are always continuing to try and recruit  local student-athletes and the addition of a Mini-Pitch in our community would be a tremendous advantage for the city. Our kids are always looking for different ways to stay engaged with the game of soccer and having a safe and accessible place for them to gather with the local players would offer opportunities that currently don't exist."

- Ross Minick, Head Coach, Buena Vista University Men's Soccer

"The game of soccer has created so many opportunities for me. Life-long friendships, learning to overcome obstacles, problem solving, teamwork, time management--all those life skills I use every day can be attributed to soccer. We look forward to giving the kids of Storm Lake the feeling of playing in a 'mini-stadium' and filling their appetite for soccer.”

- Matt Sahag, Founder, Kick it Forward

The Organizations Involved

City of Storm Lake

Storm Lake, the county seat of Buena Vista County, is part of the Iowa Lakes Corridor and one of the state's most diverse communities. Chautauqua Park is the city's largest park and home to tennis courts, basketball courts and a playground. Located on the north shore of the lake, it is an ideal location for the Mini-Pitch. The Mini-Pitch will be easily accessible by foot or bicycle for one of the largest soccer-loving populations in the state.

Kick It Forward

Kick It Forward is committed to making the game of soccer more accessible in Iowa. Kick It Forward's goal is to foster 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 15 Mini-Pitches throughout Iowa and looks forward to working with the City of Storm Lake to bring a Mini-Pitch to this soccer obsessed community.

Buena Vista University Soccer Programs

In existence since 1997, the BVU Men's and Women's Soccer Programs have provided thousands of opportunities for students to play the game they love in a competitive environment. Home to numerous All-Conference players on the field and even more Academic All-Conference performers in the classroom, the BVU soccer programs continue to develop future leaders.

Musco Lighting

Since 1976, Musco Lighting has focused on the design and manufacture of sports and transportation/infrastructure lighting systems. Offering permanent and temporary lighting solutions, Musco Lighting is the world leader in lighting. To date, Musco has installed over 150 Mini-Pitches throughout the country, including 16 in the state of Iowa.

Thank You to Our Donors!

MidAmerican Energy

City of Storm Lake

Delta Dental