Soccer mini-pitch opens in Lakewood
Published on October 20, 2023
Palms Park is now home to the first soccer mini-pitch in Lakewood.
A soccer field is called a pitch by those who play the game, and a popular new way to play soccer with small groups of players and limited space is on a mini-pitch, about the size of a basketball court.
The mini-pitch was donated to the City of Lakewood by the U.S. Soccer Foundation, the LA Galaxy professional soccer team and their corporate partner Herbalife. The inspiration for the donation to the city came from a rising young star with the LA Galaxy—Jalen Neal—who grew up in Lakewood.
Jalen, the Lakewood City Council and representatives from the donating organizations were on hand Oct. 19 at Palms Park for the ribbon-cutting to officially open the new mini-pitch. Joining them were a variety of youth soccer players of all ages from Lakewood, including members of the Artesia High School boys soccer team, fresh off a CIF soccer victory. After the ribbon-cutting, the Lakewood youth joined Jalen Neal in a soccer clinic on the new pitch.
"The Lakewood City Council thinks this mini-pitch will be a great addition to our city's recreational offerings and a wonderful place for youth to have fun and develop their soccer skills," said Mayor Ariel Pe. "A huge thanks goes to Jalen Neal for giving back to his hometown of Lakewood, and to the U.S. Soccer Foundation, the LA Galaxy and Herbalife for bringing this exciting new athletic court to our city. This is a great way to help our city's youth and is the essence of 'One community, one family, live, love Lakewood,' which is my motto.”
A mini-pitch is a colorful acrylic-coated court about 40 feet by 84 feet with side panels that keep the ball in constant play. Mini-pitches usually feature games of 5 vs. 5, or 7 vs. 7 players.
"We are committed to building mini-pitches that allow kids to have fun in a safe environment while adopting a healthy and active lifestyle at a young age," said Humbi Calleja, vice president and general manager of Herbalife, North America.
"Being part of these programs is special," said LA Galaxy soccer player Jalen Neal. "My elementary school is around the corner, and growing up, we all used these parks to kick around a soccer ball and have fun. Now, as an adult, it's great to see the improvements made to create a safer place to play, as this is incredibly important for the next generation."
"Most of our players started playing soccer at a young age, and this program helps encourage future stars to pick up a ball and grab some friends to have some of the best times of their childhood," said Tom Braun, president of business operations and chief operating officer of the LA Galaxy.
“The new mini-pitch will be open to the public daily during normal park operational hours on a first come, first served basis similar to all park game courts,” said Lakewood Recreation & Community Services Director Valarie Frost. “We also plan to make the mini-pitch available to youth soccer organizations for scheduled play, and we are excited that Jalen Neal has offered to hold youth soccer clinics at Palms Park, including at least one major event per year with him and other LA Galaxy players. So, as you can see, this is an exciting addition to Lakewood’s recreational assets!”