Austin FC’s nonprofit arm 4ATX Foundation teamed up with local and national partners to launch the Verde Pitch Alliance, a group of like-minded organizations working together to expand access to soccer for all across Central Texas. Founding members, 4ATX Foundation, Austin FC, Soccer Assist, Street Soccer USA, and Austin Parks Foundation, have invested an initial $2 million to bring more free and public soccer spaces to Central Texas.
“We’re incredibly proud to join forces with our partners to launch the Verde Pitch Alliance,” said Executive Director of 4ATX Foundation, Kaitlin Mauro. “This Alliance is a powerful step forward towards our goal of ensuring 1 million Central Texans are within three miles of a 4ATX soccer space.”
To date, 4ATX Foundation has helped bring nine (9) state-of-the-art soccer mini-pitches and one multi-sport court to Central Texas. Beyond building new spaces, the Foundation has also revitalized existing pitches, donated nearly 200 goals and nets, and brought over 100,000 hours of free, youth soccer programming to the heart of the communities it serves.
“We first found out about the mini-pitch initiative in 2014, when we first started Soccer Assist. At that time, we made it a priority to save for and build out these special soccer spaces” said Founder and Board Chair of Soccer Assist, Aaron Rochlen. “Ten years and many mini-pitches later, we are proud to join forces with such amazing organizations, who similarly see the vision of the “power of the pitch” in our communities."
“We are grateful to partner with 4ATX to amplify Austin Parks Foundation's work of improving our city's parks by extending our efforts to public soccer spaces with this significant investment," said Colin Wallis, CEO of Austin Parks Foundation. "Austin FC has been an incredible addition to our city, and this partnership will allow us to make both the sport and quality spaces more accessible for young athletes across neighborhoods.”
“Our mission at Street Soccer USA is to strengthen communities through soccer.” said Co-founder of Street Soccer USA, Rob Cann. “This new Alliance brings together action-oriented organizations with proven track records to accelerate making soccer more accessible in Central Texas for all kids, so they can play, learn, and dream—no matter their circumstances."
The Alliance will serve as a collaborative hub, enabling organizations to jointly identify project sites, engage a broader community for input, and maximize the collective impact of each investment. Community members and organizations can nominate sites or submit inquiries through this form.
