The Virgin Islands Education Department is introducing a new mini-pitch at Lockhart K-8 Elementary School, with support from outside partners Musco Lighting and the Kick It Forward nonprofit. The mini-pitch is designed to encourage physical activity for students at Lockhart Elementary while highlighting the sport of soccer.
Carol Howell, a lead initiative partner from the Virgin Islands Health Department, sheds light on the inspiration behind the project and its future goals.
“I am the founder of a club called New Vibes Soccer Club. We’ve won the territorial championships a couple of times. The inspiration for the mini-pitch field came from my involvement with the sport and traveling. I’ve traveled to places smaller or similar in size to the Virgin Islands, with limitations in landscape,” Howell said. “Why not bring something to the community that fosters the development of sports?”
Musco Lighting and Kick It Forward nonprofit are key contributors to the project. A liaison from the nonprofit for the mini-pitch initiative has been in communication with Howell regarding the idea behind the field.
“I met a gentleman a couple of years ago who visits the Virgin Islands with his daughters regularly. The girls play soccer, and whenever they arrive on the island, they always ask where they can play the sport. He then mentioned the idea of bringing a ‘mini-pitch’ field to the island,” Howell said. “He also mentioned that he was part of a nonprofit organization called Kick It Forward in Iowa. The nonprofit has been assisting with mini-pitches in disadvantaged communities throughout the state. Once I heard that, I thought, ‘Who are you, and where can I sign?’”
Howell expressed that the first mini-pitch will be built at Lockhart K-8 School, though the initial vision for the project was for Bertha C. Boschulte School.
“I have a deep relationship with BCB. My club adopted the program there. My main focus was bringing it to the Board of Education and asking if I could bring it to BCB,” Howell said. “It was originally a dream for one, but with the wisdom of Dr. Jurgen at the Board, he proposed the idea of having more than one mini-pitch field. Now we will have three mini-pitch fields. The other two schools haven’t been identified yet. However, we decided to start with Lockhart School.”
The pitch is designed to encourage soccer, but it can also be configured for alternative sports such as volleyball and basketball.
“I hope the mini-pitch becomes a community center with tournaments, people cheering, vendors, laughter, and popcorn!” Howell said.
Individuals interested in donating to the construction of the mini-pitch can send donations to the Kick It Forward website.
“The completion of the project depends on the amount of funds we raise. We’re looking at an estimated half-million dollars for construction, manufacturing, shipping, and labor to build the fields,” Howell said. “I don’t feel it’s a big challenge for our community to accomplish. Everything works in steps.”
The dimensions of the field come in nine customizable sizes, ranging from 40 by 84 feet to 60 by 120 feet.
“We can choose any size based on the available space for the project,” Howell said.
“Overall, I want to shout out the members of New Vibes Soccer Club, the Virgin Islands Department of Education, Dr. Jurgen, and the other contributors for this project,” Howell said. “Once the project is done, I want the kids to have fun. So let’s get out there and get physical!”
