The Seattle Reign sent one of their youngest stars to meet with some youngsters at Orchards Elementary School in Vancouver last week, celebrating a first-of-its-kind mini-pitch in Southwest Washington.
“When I was younger, having a place like this to play opened my eyes to what I could do,” said Jordyn Bugg, a center back for Seattle Reign FC and one of the top young American women in the game.
“As a kid, seeing something like this, I think they’ll be excited,” Bugg said just minutes before the official grand opening of the mini-pitch. “They should have lots of fun.”
Evergreen Public Schools (EPS) held a party with the student body as well as guests from nearby Heritage High School.
Representatives from Rave Foundation and CVS Health — organizations that paid for the mini-pitch — were on hand, as well.
In all, there are now 52 mini-pitches throughout the state, sponsored by the Reign and partners, and this is the first in Clark County. The Rave Foundation is the charitable arm of the Seattle Sounders and the Seattle Reign.
“It’s just an amazing opportunity for our kids to play soccer,” said Emily Humphrey, principal at Orchards Elementary. “We have a huge soccer-loving community.”
The mini field, with goals, has painted boundaries on the hard top just outside the building, in the “backyard” of the school. The midfield displays the Seattle Reign logo. It was built over the summer, but it was closed off until Friday, Sept. 4, for the grand opening.
The students “thought it was only going to be for adults because of how cool it looks,” Humphrey said. “They are very excited that it’s for them.”
The mini-pitch will be used for physical education classes, recess, and after-school activities.
More than physical activity, this also shows the students what others think of them.
“Stuff like this, all these people care about them. ‘Wow, we matter,’” Humphrey said.
EPS Superintendent Dr. Christine Moloney said the district is proud to receive the first mini-pitch in the region.
“It’s not just a soccer field out here. We are educators. We consider this an actual classroom,” Molonoey said.
She told the students: “Here, you get to learn about teamwork, collaboration, strategy, and, most importantly, how to work together and have a lot of fun. I’m expecting you to have a blast.”
Two students — Guillermo Barbosa-Sanchez and Amiyah Clark, were selected to make the ceremonial first kicks on the mini-pitch.
It wasn’t too long ago when Bugg, now 20, was an elementary school student. She said she is proud to be part of the Reign and representing CVS Health and the Rave Foundation.
“This is an amazing thing to be a part of,” Bugg said. “They are doing a really good job of creating these safe environments for the community. It’s really important for young people to have a space they feel safe in and discover the sport of soccer.”
Bugg said she hopes soccer will be a tool that these students use to make more friends. She said she found joy through soccer when she was their age.
