As part of their initiative to create 50 mini-soccer pitches in 5 years, NYCFC is unveiling the plans and some pitches. Present will be amongst others, David Villa, Sean Johnson, Alex Ring, team execs. Claudio Reyna and outgoing Pres. Jon Patricof, representatives from the Mayor's Fund to Advance NYC, U.S. Soccer Foundation, adidas, from Men in Blazers, Roger Bennett and others. The grand event with this will take place in the Bronx at a site utilized by 4 schools. Tied in with this event will be day long happenings, at this one venue there will be small sided games with local children, all sites will have the Ribbon Cutting ceremonies, soccer festivals, Goya Foods youth clinics on a pair of these new pitches. In recognition of NYCFC now making the playoffs for the 3rd year in a row, in excess of 300 tickets are being distributed to local students for the first home playoff match & a soccer takeover on the YES network.
Those involved in this progam, the NYC Soccer Initiiative are very proud of the success, it is a $3 million dollar public/private effort which will offer free programing as it puts under utillized spaces to a new better use. All 5 boroughs will benefit from this as the Bronx, home of NYCFC leads with 5 pitches, Brooklyn & Staten Island will have 2, while Queens & Manhatten 1. Last year we were present at the bigger one in Manhatten, with David Villa, Jack Harrison, Jon Patricof, Claudio Reyna etc. then we were off to one under the bridge in Astoria with Ronald Mataritta.