More than 100 people attended the dedication of a mini soccer field on Friday, Sept. 13, at the Gary Comer Youth Center, 7200 S. Ingleside.

Young people who love soccer, City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin and 5^thWard Alderman Leslie Hairston, joined officials from the U.S. Soccer Foundation, as well as Stephanie Comer, of the Comer Foundation. Money for the field came from the Comer Foundation, the U.S. Soccer Foundation and the Medial Home Network.

“We are excited about what we have built today, it’s great for the children. It’s a place where they can play safely and have fun, too,” Comer said.

The U.S. Soccer Foundation said it plans to build more mini fields in underserved areas throughout the country. There was a dedication kick and speeches, including one from a community youth.

Afterwards, the students spent time on the field, running drills and taking tips from their coaches.

“A famous soccer player once said, you can’t score a goal without taking a shot. The team effort it took to build this field is the shot–we scored by giving children in an underserved community the opportunity to thrive in sports,” Conyears-Ervin said.

This article originally appeared in the Chicago Defender.

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