Black Star joins Tyler Adams, Allstate for Philadelphia mini-pitch

On Saturday, May 31, we partnered with Tyler Adams, Allstate, the U.S. Soccer Foundation, and The SWAG—a philanthropically funded soccer training program for Philadelphia's Black and immigrant communities—to unveil a mini-pitch at the Bell Avenue Elementary School in Yeadon, PA.

At the unveiling, we hosted one of our signature Black Star events, a First Touch Youth Clinic, for over 60 kids aged 7-12. The kids broke in the customized, hard court soccer pitch with laughter, learning, and skill building under the guidance of U.S. Men's National Team and Bournemouth (English Premier League) player Tyler Adams.

This event is the second we did with Adams, Allstate, and the U.S. Soccer Foundation after unveiling a mini-pitch in Detroit in 2024. You can learn more about that event here.

The importance of providing access to players

Black Star sat down with Adams to chat about the event and to get his thoughts on why it's valuable to give current and aspiring players access to play soccer. On the event itself, Adams had this to say about being involved:

It's super cool to be involved in something like this. The diversity of our sport is why the game is so beautiful. To come to a community like this where we're giving kids access to grow into the sport and fall in love with the game as I did is a beautiful thing.

He also touched on why programs like Black Star are vital in helping grow the game at the grassroots level in Black communities. To hear more from Adams, check out our Instagram post below.

Being an African-American like myself, you understand the struggle of getting kids access to things...With platforms like Black Star they're trying to break the mold of what it means to be a Black athlete.

Photos from our mini-pitch unveil with Tyler Adams

Another great event with Adams, Allstate, and the U.S. Soccer Foundation is in the books! While we all wait for the next mini-pitch unveil, check out some photos from our Philly event.