Evolving sports find Alton home

Damian Jones of Student Athletes Leading Tomorrow (SALT), the organization that spearheaded the project, said the mini-pitch facility is part of a national US Soccer Foundation program that brings soccer into new places.

This looks to bring soccer into cities where space is at a premium and a full-size soccer field may not be an option, Jones said. These mini pitch courts are perfect to both revitalize areas that may be under-utilized, and to bring the game into cities so children have a safe place to play the game.

Jones said the timing was perfect to open the mini-pitch soccer court.

This correlates with the arrival of major league soccer in St. Louis, and this is also a World Cup year so there is tremendous interest in soccer, Jones said. North America is hosting the World Cup in 2026, so there is going to be a tsunami of interest in soccer in this country and region.

The facility also features a teqball table. Aficionados of the soccer-table tennis hybrid sport are seeking to have it included in future Olympic games. Several young area soccer players tried out the specially-curved table for the first time on Saturday to experience the new sport for themselves.

Created in Hungary in 2012, teqball can be played with either two or four players. Teqball allows players a maximum of three touches before returning the ball to the opponent, so those adept at juggling a soccer ball should be good at teqball as well.

Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club President Antoine Williams said the club was proud to sponsor the new facility.

When Damian Jones first pitched this to us as an idea for one of our Clubs projects, we were already sold, Williams said. The Rotary Club does a lot for our children, so it was already a yes from the board before he pleaded his case.

Alton Mayor David Goins was pleased to welcome the new sports opportunity to the city.

This is a great addition to our community, and I congratulate Damian Jones for his vision and leadership and all of the people who supported it to make it a reality, Goins said. You don’t need a lot of space at all for this, and that’s what’s so cool.

Area soccer players and coaches were on hand Saturday to try out the mini-pitch court, and Alton High School Girls Soccer Coach Gwen Sabo said it is a win-win for the community.

Its going to help get younger kids excited about soccer, and when players start at a younger age they develop more skills and get more excited for the game, Sabo said. This will trickle up and help us out at the high school, and the middle school now has a co-ed soccer team as well.

Olympic Gold Medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee, an East St. Louis native, was a special guest at Saturdays Dedication and told those assembled that the mini-pitch court is a great addition to the community for a number of reasons.

It is going to give our young people an opportunity to be exposed not only to how to play the game of soccer but how to win in life, Joyner-Kersee said. Talk about a great facility, and you have the Alton Middle School above, so kids can come down and play.

Participating in sports can help you set goals and learn to work together and be strategic, Joyner-Kersee said. It makes a difference when you have people who give of their time and treasure and that’s what they are doing in Alton.