HOUSTON – It was a dream that began in 2017, stemming from a tweet by Houston Dynamo legend Stuart Holden. The dream became a reality Thursday as the Houston Dynamo Charities, along with Holden and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, hosted nearly 40 students from Whittier Elementary School for the grand opening of the mini-pitches built at Herman Brown Park in east Houston.
Four mini-pitches will be open to the public between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. during park hours. The Houston Dynamo in collaboration with Dynamo Charities will also host free soccer clinics at Herman Brown Park this spring, along with programming from the Houston Parks and Recreation Department.
Herman Brown Park was selected as the site of the mini-pitches after a need was expressed by the soccer community. Underused facilities were converted to provide an all-weather area for players to play soccer.
“Just having the opportunity to be out here and see where the money went and now kids have safe places to play,” said Holden. “All of the things I did in my career, these are what you feel proud about. I feel humbled to be able to give back to the city of Houston,” added Holden.
The Houston Dynamo will provide free clinics at the mini-pitches in March. For clinic dates and additional information, visit the Houston Dynamo website.
A portion of the funds generated from the ‘Kick In For Houston’ charity match organized by Holden at BBVA Stadium in 2017 paid for the construction of the mini-pitches. Dynamo Charities and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department provided additional funds to complete the construction. Project and fiscal management for the Herman Brown Mini Pitch Project was managed by the Houston Parks Board through the Neighborhood Partnership Program.
Fellow Dynamo legend Brian Ching was surprised by what he saw on Thursday.
“I think back to 2017 when it happened to now. Long time coming but well worth it,” said Ching. “These fields turned out better than I thought. I think Dynamo Charities is committed to doing one of these fields a year. Thanks to Stu for sending out that tweet to get the ball rolling and it’s really snowballed to something even bigger now.“
