Current Initiatives

Imagine a city where every child has access to a safe, vibrant space to play soccer, grow, and thrive. This is the vision behind the NYC Soccer Initiative (NYCSI).

Since the launch in 2016, the NYCSI has transformed underserved neighborhoods across New York City through the power of soccer. 26 FOR 26: NYCSI 2.0, is New York City's World Cup Legacy Project—a public-private partnership led by the Mayor's Fund, the New York City Football Club, Etihad Airways, and CapitalRX, in partnership with the NYC Department of Education—to build, program, and maintain 26 new mini-soccer pitches in under-resourced neighborhoods by 2026.

The Heart of the Community: Our Mini Pitches

The mini pitches are more than just places to play soccer - they're vibrant community hubs. They're where children discover their potential, build lasting bonds, and learn valuable life skills through the beautiful game.

The NYCSI Community Cup: Celebrating Unity and Talent

The NYCSI Community Cup is the pinnacle of the initiative. This exciting 5v5 tournament unites young players from all five boroughs, celebrating their talent, teamwork, and the spirit of soccer. Led by NYCFC's City in the Community (CITC) foundation, the Community Cup empowers local youth to take on leadership roles as coaches, referees, and organizers.

The Consulate Cup: A Global Celebration of Soccer

The NYC Consulate Cup engages New York's diplomatic community and showcases the universal language of soccer. This international tournament supports CITC's goal of making soccer accessible to all, promoting cultural exchange and understanding.

Mayor Eric Adams, Councilmember Francisco Moya, a group of adults, and children stand together at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at PS 211, holding a banner that reads NYC Soccer Initiative.

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Be Part of the Journey

The NYC Soccer Initiative is more than just a program - it's a movement. And we need your support to continue transforming lives and communities through soccer. Here are a few ways you can get involved:

Donate: Every gift, no matter the size, helps us provide more opportunities for NYC's youth. Your contribution will support after-school programs, mentorship initiatives, and community events that make a real difference.

Spread the Word: Share our story with your network. Follow us on social media and help us spread the word about the transformative power of soccer.

Get Involved: Whether it's volunteering, coaching, or partnering with us, there are many ways to be part of the NYCSI community. Get in touch to explore how you can make an impact.

Together, we can build a city where every child has access to the opportunities they deserve. Support the NYC Soccer Initiative today and be part of something special. For sponsorship or volunteer opportunities, please reach out to Kate Smith, Executive Director of the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City at KSmith@mayorsfund.nyc.gov.

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NYCSI Legacy Project

In 2016, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Mayor's Fund to Advance NYC, the U.S. Soccer Foundation, the New York City Football Club, Etihad Airways, and adidas launched the NYC Soccer Initiative, a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership that built, maintained, and programmed 50 mini soccer pitches in underserved neighborhoods across the five boroughs through 2021.

The partners invested a total of $3 million to build and maintain the pitches and provided free programming for New York City school children, focused on healthy, active living, and mentorship. The program served 10,000 young New Yorkers through after-school soccer and mentoring programs, such as soccer clinics, festivals, youth summits, and night leagues that promoted safe, active, and connected communities; this also included a partnership with the City's Young Men's Initiative, providing young men of color with mentorship opportunities.

Through constructing the fields and supporting afterschool programming and mentoring, the NYC Soccer Initiative repurposed underutilized public spaces in our most underserved neighborhoods, creating safe areas to promote physical health, youth development and community engagement. Site selection for the fields was targeted towards neighborhoods that were focuses of the Mayor's Building Healthy Communities Initiative, the Parks Department's Community Parks Initiative, the Mayor's Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety or the Young Men's Initiative.

2021 Locations

PS 184 Shuang Wen - 327 Cherry St, New York, NY 10002
Agnes Haywood Playground - E 215th St and Barnes Avenue, The Bronx, NY 10467
Wald Playground/ PS 188 The Island School - 442 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002
PS 186 - 7601 19th Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11214
Vleigh Playground/PS 165 - 7035 150th St, Flushing, NY 11367
PS 1 - 335 East 152 Street, The Bronx, NY 10451
Bayside Playground - 102-15 Beach Channel Dr, Rockaway Park, NY 11694
PS 187 - 349 Cabrini Blvd, New York, NY 10033
PS 36 - 255 Ionia Ave, Staten Island, NY 10312
Ps 57 - 140 Palma Dr, Staten Island, NY 10304
Louis Moser Playground - 25th Avenue and 76th Street, East Elmhurst, NY 11370
Col. Charles Young Playground - W 145 St &, Malcolm X Blvd, New York, 10037
Peter Minuit Playground- 1615 Madison Ave #3513, New York, NY 10029

2020 Locations

Utopia Playground (Utopia, Queens) - 73rd Avenue &, Utopia Pkwy, Fresh Meadows, NY 11366
Pomonok Playground (Pomonok, Queens) - Kissena Blvd. &, 65th Ave, Flushing, NY 11367
Fresh Meadows Playground (Fresh Meadows, Queens) - 173rd St, Fresh Meadows, NY 11365
PS 007 (East Harlem, Manhattan) - 160 E 120th St, New York, NY 10035
PS 60 (Bulls Head, Staten Island) - 55 Merrill Ave, Staten Island, NY 10314
PS 18 (Randall Manor, Staten Island) - 221 Broadway, Staten Island, NY 10310
IS 117 Joseph H Wade (Tremont) - 1865 Morris Ave, The Bronx, NY 10453

2019 Locations

Moore Playground (East Harlem, Manhattan) - East 130th, Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10037
Equity Playground (Woodhaven, Queens) - 91-02 88th Ave, Woodhaven, NY 11421
PS 150 (Brownsville, Brooklyn) - 364 Sackman St, Brooklyn, NY 11212
PS 142 (Lower East Side, Manhattan) - 100 Attorney St, New York, NY 10002
J Hood Wright Park (Washington Heights, Manhattan) - W. 173 St &, Haven Ave, New York, NY 10033
Neptune Playground (Coney Island, Brooklyn) - 2840 W 12th St, Brooklyn, NY 11224
Century Playground (Coney Island, Brooklyn) - 2951 West 3rd Street Brooklyn, NY 11224
People’s Park (Mott Haven, Bronx) - 535 E 141st St, Bronx, NY 10454
PS 42 (Arden Heights, Staten Island) - 380 Genesee Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10312
Flushing Meadows Corona Park (Flushing/Corona, Queens) - Corona, NY 11368

2018 Locations

Thomas C. Giordano Middle School 45/P.S. 46 Edgar Allan Poe (Belmont, Bronx)
Hostos Lincoln Academy of Science/ P.S. X010/I.S. 584/University Prep Charter High School (Woodstock, Bronx)
I.S. 384 Frances E. Carter/ P.S. 053 (Bushwick, Brooklyn)
Playground 62/P.S. 220 Edward Mandel (Forest Hills/Corona, Queens)
The Police Officer Rocco Laurie Intermediate School 72 (New Springville, Staten Island)
The Police Officer Rocco Laurie Intermediate School 72 (Second pitch at site)
P.S. 180 Hugo Newman (Harlem, Manhattan)
Riverdale Avenue Community School P.S. 446/Riverdale Avenue Middle School (Brownsville, Brooklyn)
M.S. 180 Dr. Daniel Hale Williams (Baychester, Bronx)
Castle Hill Playground/ Castle Hill Middle School/Linden Tree Elementary School (Parkchester, Bronx)
Junior High School 123 James M. Kieran/ The School for Inquiry and Social Justice (Soundview, Bronx)

2017 Locations

P.S. 083 Luis Munoz Rivera/ The Bilingual Bicultural School 182, Manhattan
P.S. 184 Shuang Wen, Manhattan
P.S. 093 Albert G. Oliver, Bronx
P.S. 66, Brooklyn
Triborough Bridge Playground (B), Queens

P.S. 019 Marino Jeantet, Queens
Frederick Johnson Playground, Manhattan
Irwin Altman Middle School 172/Hillside Park, Queens
I.S. 49 Berta A. Dreyfus/ Eagle Academy for Young Men of Staten Island, Staten Island
P.S. 335 Granville T. Woods/Woods Playground, Brooklyn

Visit our Frequently Asked Questions for additional information.

Partners

A special thank you to our partners for making this first of its kind initiative a reality. The NYC Soccer Initiative will utilize the U.S. Soccer Foundation's Soccer for Success program and builds off the success of the New York City Football Club's Healthy Hat-Trick program. Nationally, these initiatives have served more than 15,000 young people with after-school programming, positively impacting youth in making healthier food choices and improving confidence.

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