Giving back to the community, the Sounders and RAVE Foundation add 26 mini-pitches by 2026 goal, and plan on more.

The Sounders have always given back to the community is several ways. From assemblies at local schools to hosting soccer clinics around the world, the club has made itself a integral part of the Seattle community. And that includes in the MLS mandated ways. In 2015, ahead of Major League Soccer’s 20th season, the league announced the 20-for-20 Mini-Pitch Initiative, to expande youth access to the beautiful game in the then 20 MLS markets across the MLS. For its part, Sounders FC opened its first-ever mini-pitch at Beverly Park Elementary School in spring 2016. And that inspired the Sounders to do more. They together with its foundation in which they would strive to open a total of 26 mini-pitches by 2026. That objective was reached two years early on September 29, 2024. With so much momentum and investment behind the initiative, the Sounders and RAVE Foundation have set their sights on building 26 MORE mini-pitches — 52 in total — by the completion of the original timeline.

After the building of that 1st mini-pitch the Sounders created and announced the RAVE Foundation. With the founding mantra of “Small Fields. Big Ideas,” RAVE’s mission has always been clear: build small fields for free play and use soccer to inspire youth and strengthen communities. “It’s been a long-term passion of mine for Sounders FC to bring free, accessible soccer to underserved communities in the Seattle area,” said Sounders FC Owner Adrian Hanauer at the time of the launch. “Soccer is a game that brings joy and opportunity to so many people around the world. We see it as an obligation to make sure that no one in our community is excluded from experiencing everything that the beautiful game affords.”

2 years later the RAVE Foundation opened its first mini-pitch at Yesler Terrace Park in Seattle. RAVE’s inaugural field was created by and for the Yesler community with the art made by local youth on the field’s goals, through the foundation's Goals for Art program. It became known as RAVE’s flagship and still is to this day. Following the opening of its flagship field, the foundation went on to open 7 more mini-pitches across the Seattle area by the end of 2021.

Then at the start of 2022 the RAVE foundation and the Sounders decided to put things into overdrive. As came the official launch of the 26 by 2026 initiative in which the club and RAVE Foundation announced their goal of constructing 26 free play fields in marginalized communities across Washington state by the time FIFA World Cup 2026 arrives in Seattle. All while supporting the club’s wider effort to Defend the Right to Play, as outlined in itsSocial Justice Framework. Then something that was very important to the project. Announced in 2019 and opened in 2023, the mini-pitches at Seattle’s New Holly community were landmarks to building 26 free-play fields. These fields brought 2 monumental, long-term partnerships for the foundation to life with Seattle’s local organizing committee for FIFA World Cup 2026 (SeattleFWC26) and local real estate entrepreneur Thach Nguyen. And with support from SeattleFWC26, the mini-pitches and opening celebration were massive moments for many communities as part of its Legacy Promise in which it works to ensure FIFA World Cup 2026 leaves a positive mark on Seattle. With support from Thach Nguyen, $400,000 was raised in three short months to support the project.

With all the extra support and funding the Sounders and RAVE Foundation were able to reach their goals much faster than they ever could've ever thought before. Together they opened 11 more mini-pitches, expanding their reach as far east as Spokane. Along the way, they fostered deeper, more impactful partnerships with the likes of Black Players for Change, American Family Insurance, Puget Sound Energy, Providence and Sounders FC fans represented by the club’s Alliance Council. All partnerships that allowed them to continue to quickly expand their reach all across the state of Washington growing community and soccer all across the state.

Turning what was a league mandate into a project that the entire state has pulled their heart and soul into. 1 that has been nothing but a success as Sounders FC and RAVE Foundation successfully reached their goal of opening 26 free play fields two years early, and are continuing their commitment through the updated 26 MORE by 2026 initiative.

Those interested in supporting RAVE Foundation and the 26 MORE by 2026 Initiative can click HERE. Thanks a bunch.