June 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 14

WE ARE PARKS AND RECREATION
Promoting Equity in Recreation
By Eduardo Tamez Zamarripa
T
hese days, much is said about equity in representation, but less is
said about equity in recreation. According to a study published
in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine in 2008, 70 percent
of African American neighborhoods lacked recreational facilities
(tinyurl.com/mu7mp2h5). The Aspen Institute's State of Play 2021
report adds that only about 35 percent of Black children ages 6 to 12 play
sports regularly (tinyurl.com/3wnz5cuz). In urban areas, lack of space and
concerns about safety create further barriers that keep children of color
from participating in sports.
Teaming Up to
Create Change
To address these issues, the U.S.
Soccer Foundation reached out to
Musco Lighting in 2018, to develop
a solution that could transform unused
spaces into lighted mini-soccer
pitches. The result was the MiniPitch
System™
modular sports solution,
which includes fencing, goals,
LED lighting and Americans with
Disabilities Act-compliant access.
To date, the U.S. Soccer Foundation
has installed almost 500 mini-pitches
across the United States.
In September 2020, Black Players
for Change (BPC) - an organization
comprised of more than
170 Major League Soccer players,
coaches and staff (blackplayers
forchange.org) - partnered with the
U.S. Soccer Foundation and Musco
Lighting to install 12 mini-pitches in
communities of significance to the
BPC's 12 executive board members
over the following year.
By the end of January 2021, adidas
and the Black Women's Player
Collective (BWPC) (bwplayer
collective.org) - comprised of the
43 Black women competing in the
National Women's Soccer League
- also had joined the effort.
Opening Doors and Eyes
Over the past year, mini-pitches
have opened at parks and schools
from California to Texas to New
York, each featuring images of multiple
members of BPC and/or the
BWPC. The mini-pitch at Indianapolis'
Oscar Charleston Park features
murals that also depict entrepreneur
Madam C.J. Walker, baseball player
Oscar Charleston and Olympic gold
medalist Briana Scurry.
At the unveiling ceremony for each
mini-pitch, members of the BPC
and/or BWPC spoke about topics
related to race and social justice and
led soccer-related activities for local
youth. The professional athletes also
have connected with students virtually
and through other events to serve
as role models and mentors.
" It's important for Black children
to see people who look like them and
who have made it to the highest levels
of their careers, " says U.S. Soccer
Foundation President and CEO
Ed Foster-Simeon. " Not only do
children now have more safe places
to play right in their neighborhoods,
but [also] they have been connected
with athletes and mentors who look
like them, which is so important to
helping them see themselves in all
14 Parks & Recreation | JUNE 2 0 22 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
The mini-pitch at Indianapolis' Oscar
Charleston Park features murals that
depict entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker,
baseball player Oscar Charleston and
Olympic gold medalist Briana Scurry.
aspects of our sport and society. "
The Initiative Expands
The impact of these pitches attracted
the attention of other organizations,
such as Mutual Assistance
Network and Sacramento Republic
FC, which this past December
helped sponsor the first-ever, fourcourt
mini-pitch complex at Charles
Robertson Park. By the end of 2021,
the initiative surpassed its goal and
completed 18 mini-pitches.
" Every
mini-pitch
through this
installed
initiative represents
new opportunities for youth to discover
the sport of soccer, develop
essential life skills and have fun, "
says Musco President Jeff Rogers.
" We couldn't be prouder of everything
that's been achieved in the
first year, and we look forward to
strengthening
our
commitment
to Black Players for Change, the
Black Women's Player Collective
and the U.S. Soccer Foundation as
we move ahead and continue with
this important work. "
Eduardo Tamez Zamarripa is Soccer
Market Manager at Musco Lighting
(eduardo.tamezzamarripa@musco.com).
PHOTO COURTESY OF MUSCO LIGHTING
http://www.tinyurl.com/mu7mp2h5 http://www.tinyurl.com/3wnz5cuz http://www.blackplayersforchange.org http://www.blackplayersforchange.org http://www.bwplayercollective.org http://www.bwplayercollective.org
June 2022 - Parks & Recreation

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