More than 300 students attending Cullen Middle School will be enjoying the new mini-pitch soccer area donated as part of a national partnership to support students and their athletic abilities.

“I like the way it was built,” seventh-grader Hannah Estrada said. “Playing soccer is fun. Even if you lose, you can still kick the ball and be with your friends.”

The mini pitch is one of 18 in communities nationwide through collective efforts by the Black Women’s Player Collective, Black Players for Change, U.S. Soccer Foundation, Musco Lighting, and the Adidas sports brand.

It was built to honor members of the Black Women’s Player Collective and Black Players for Change. Their goal is to encourage children of color to play soccer and gain the benefits of sports play, including health and wellness, education, and community.

“We are excited to have this soccer mini-pitch on campus,” Cullen principal Jacqueline Thompson said. “What a great place to channel their energy into this sport.”

A soccer field of play, known as the pitch, can be dozens of yards long and wide, the same as American football fields. The Cullen mini-pitch is 40 feet by 84 feet – roughly one-fifth the size of a soccer field – allowing students to interact quickly and play closer to the goal box.

The surface is a durable acrylic that can withstand all kinds of weather conditions giving the students access to the pitch all year.

“I didn’t even know this was here!” said sixth-grader Justice Thomas. “I’m going to be playing here more. It’s so much fun.”