July 13, 2022 -- Students attending Scottwood Elementary and community members living nearby will be able to shoot for new goals thanks to a new mini-pitch provided by the Columbus Crew and the U.S. Soccer Foundation.

The mini-pitch at Scottwood will provide a free activity for those in the community and allow them to practice their soccer skills.

“I played soccer when I was little,” started Scottwood 5th grader Temprance Perdue. “I’m kind of excited to get back into it.” 

Perdue and her younger sister held their hands up as Columbus Crew players Jonathan Mensah, Josh Williams, Aidan Morris, and new signee Cucho Hernandez gave high-fives to students at the school. Hernandez spent time showing the kids how to score a game-winning goal, as he did against the Chicago Fire on July 9th. 

“Our vision for the Columbus Crew is to unite in an unrelenting passion for soccer in Columbus. By creating safe spaces where our community can partake in the beautiful game, we are making a sport accessible to our residents,” said Crew President and General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko. 

The Club partnered with the U.S. Soccer Foundation and Columbus City Schools to add the third mini-pitch at Scottwood. Northgate Intermediate and Eakin Elementary Schools both had mini-pitches installed in recent years.

Superintendent Dr. Talisa Dixon said the partnership with Crew helps to push the District’s  goals forward. “One of them is to focus on the whole child -- not just the academics, but also the extracurricular activities for our students,” Dixon said.