Houston Dynamo co-owners Jake Silverstein and Ben Guill want to build 15 mini-pitches across their region in the coming years, and they’ve enlisted the help of DaMarcus Beasley and the U.S. Soccer Foundation to do so.
In a partnership announced on Tuesday and first reported on by the Houston Chronicle, the Dynamo and their recently-retired icon DMB are working with the foundation to grow the game in greater Houston via the mini-pitch program, part of its broader national initiative to construct 1,000 such playing areas by 2026, when the United States, Canada and Mexico will co-host the FIFA World Cup.
Beasley, who called time on a glittering 20-year professional career earlier this year, will lead the process of identifying communities in and around the Bayou City with limited access to soccer facilities.
“I want every kid in Houston to have the opportunity to play and learn about this beautiful game in a safe, welcoming environment,” Silverstein said.
A U.S. Soccer Foundation mini-pitch in Chicago | USA Today Sports Images
“Every child in Houston, including, maybe, the next DaMarcus Beasley, should be able to grow up believing that the countless doors and opportunities soccer can open are available to them.”
It’s the latest in a long list of outreach efforts by DMB; read more about his work in underserved communities here.
