Mini-Pitch Soccer Court is Just the Right Size

Sometimes, it only takes a small space to create big dreams.

The min-pitch soccer court at Nuccio Park in Tampa is the size of a converted basketball court, which is what it replaced at the park at 4905 E. Sligh Ave. That's far smaller than a conventional soccer field - but the perfect size to introduce young children to the sport.

The mini-pitch at Nuccio Park was built concurrently with another at Temple Park, 7701 Temple Terrace Highway. Each court features a new acrylic surface and two soccer goals, creating a miniature field where kids can practice their soccer skills. The Nuccio Park mini-pitch was formally opened Nov. 11 and immediately swarmed by children from the adjacent Freddie Solomon Boys & Girls Club, expected to be prime users of the new miniature field.

The two mini-pitches are a product of a partnership involving Hillsborough County Parks & Recreation, the U.S. Soccer Foundation, Target, the Boys & Girls Club, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Funding for the project comes from Target, which last year announced a plan with the U.S. Soccer Foundation to build 100 new soccer play spaces by 2020. The mini-pitches at Nuccio Park and Temple Park will join similar facilities built in the last year in Houston, Chicago, and Atlanta, and are the first built in Florida as part of the partnership.