CVS Health and Alex Morgan Foundation Open Refurbished Soccer Pitch at Clarendon Elementary School in Secaucus
CVS Health has announced the opening of a newly refurbished soccer field at Clarendon Elementary School in Secaucus, New Jersey, through a collaborative initiative involving the Alex Morgan Foundation, Musco Lighting and the U.S. Soccer Foundation. The project aims to expand access to sports and recreational activities for children while creating a welcoming space where students and members of the surrounding community can participate in physical activity, develop friendships and experience the benefits of soccer.
The newly renovated Mini-Pitch System was officially unveiled on October 26 during a community celebration attended by students, school leaders, local representatives and project partners. The event featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony and youth soccer activities, allowing students to experience the new facility and become among the first participants to use the refurbished field.
Located on the grounds of Clarendon Elementary School, the mini-pitch transforms an existing play area into a dedicated soccer and recreation space. The facility includes new soccer goals, fencing, benches and LED lighting, creating an environment designed to support student wellness and encourage participation in organized and informal sports activities.
In addition to serving students during school hours, the mini-pitch is intended to provide opportunities for broader community use outside the school day. By improving access to a dedicated sports facility, the initiative seeks to encourage more children and families to engage in physical activity and strengthen community connections through shared recreational experiences.
The opening reflects CVS Health’s continued efforts to support community health and youth development through sports-based initiatives. The company has been working with the U.S. Soccer Foundation to create more opportunities for young people to lead active and healthy lives by making soccer more accessible in communities across the country.
Expanding Access to Soccer and Youth Recreation
The Secaucus project is part of CVS Health’s broader commitment to supporting community-based sports programs and improving access to recreational facilities. Through its collaboration with the U.S. Soccer Foundation, the company is helping create spaces where children can participate in sports, develop physical skills and experience the social benefits of playing as part of a team.
Access to safe and welcoming recreational spaces can play an important role in encouraging children to remain physically active. Schools are particularly important settings for these initiatives because they provide established environments where students can participate in sports, interact with their peers and develop healthy habits.
The refurbished mini-pitch provides Clarendon Elementary School with a dedicated location for soccer and other recreational activities. Its improved infrastructure is intended to make the space more practical and accessible for students while also supporting its use by the broader Secaucus community when school activities are not taking place.
The facility’s LED lighting is an important feature of the redevelopment, helping support the usability of the space under different lighting conditions. New goals and fencing establish a dedicated playing area, while benches provide space for students, participants and visitors to sit during activities.
Together, these improvements transform an existing outdoor area into a more structured environment for soccer and recreation. The project also demonstrates how investment in existing school facilities can help communities expand access to sports without relying exclusively on the construction of entirely new recreational locations.
CVS Health’s soccer-related activities extend beyond individual field renovations. The company’s broader efforts include community field revitalizations, Play Starts Here youth clinics, coach training and community events designed to make soccer more accessible to young people and their families.
These activities are intended to address different aspects of youth sports participation. While renovated facilities provide places to play, youth clinics offer opportunities to develop soccer skills, and coach training can help strengthen the support available to young athletes. Community events, meanwhile, bring together families, schools and local organizations around shared recreational experiences.
By combining facility improvements with programming and community engagement, CVS Health and its partners are working to create more opportunities for children to participate in soccer and benefit from regular physical activity.
CVS Health Highlights the Importance of Community Spaces
Heenal Desai-Thaker, District Leader at CVS Health, emphasized the importance of creating environments that encourage physical activity, connection and participation.
“When communities have spaces that encourage play, connection and physical activity, everyone benefits,” Desai-Thaker said.
She added that the company was proud to support the opening of the mini-pitch and help create additional opportunities for students to remain active and engaged. The company hopes the facility will serve as a lasting resource for Clarendon Elementary School and the wider Secaucus community.
The comments reflect the wider objective of the initiative: ensuring that investments in recreational infrastructure provide benefits beyond the immediate opening of a facility.
A dedicated soccer pitch can support a variety of activities throughout the school year, including informal play, school-based recreation and youth soccer participation. When access is extended beyond school hours, the same facility can also serve as a gathering place for local families and community members.
The project brings together a private-sector healthcare company, a professional soccer player’s foundation, a sports infrastructure partner and a national soccer development organization. Their collaboration illustrates how organizations with different areas of expertise can work together to support local health and recreation priorities.
For CVS Health, the initiative also connects its community engagement activities with a broader emphasis on healthy living. By supporting accessible places to play, the company is contributing to efforts that encourage physical activity and create opportunities for young people to develop positive relationships through sports.
Alex Morgan Foundation Supports Sports Equity and Opportunities for Girls
The Alex Morgan Foundation is another central partner in the Secaucus mini-pitch project. Founded around the goal of advancing opportunities for girls and women, the organization focuses on creating greater equity in sports and supporting opportunities for girls to participate and develop confidence both on and off the field.
Alex Morgan, the professional soccer player whose foundation is involved in the project, highlighted the personal and social benefits that access to soccer can provide.
“Soccer has shaped my life in countless ways, and I’ve seen firsthand how access to the game can build confidence, support well-being and create a sense of community,” Morgan said.
She explained that accessible places to play give children opportunities to remain active, build friendships and develop a sense of belonging. Morgan also expressed pride in the collaboration with CVS Health to bring these opportunities to more young people and families in Secaucus.
The foundation’s involvement connects the physical redevelopment of the school grounds with a wider objective of improving access to sports. Having a dedicated playing area can help create more opportunities for children to participate in soccer, regardless of whether they are already involved in organized teams or are discovering the sport for the first time.
For girls in particular, access to appropriate facilities and supportive sporting environments can help encourage participation and build confidence. Creating more opportunities to play is one component of addressing barriers that can prevent girls from entering or continuing in sports.
Laura Wolf Stein, Executive Director of the Alex Morgan Foundation, said the mini-pitch advances the organization’s focus on sports equity and opportunities for girls by providing more young people in Secaucus with a place to play and build confidence.
“Our mission is to create equity and opportunity for girls and women on the field and off,” Wolf Stein said.
The project therefore supports both general youth recreation and the foundation’s broader interest in ensuring that girls and young women have opportunities to participate in sports.
Secaucus Officials Welcome the Community Investment
Local government leaders also welcomed the completion of the refurbished mini-pitch, recognizing the contributions of the organizations involved in bringing the project to the town.
Michael Gonnelli, Mayor of Secaucus, expressed gratitude to the Alex Morgan Foundation, CVS Health and their partners for helping make the facility available to the community.
He said he expected the mini-pitch to see regular use and contribute to a continued interest in soccer throughout the town. Gonnelli also highlighted the role the facility could play in supporting the growth of local soccer programs.
The mayor’s comments point to the potential long-term value of the project. A dedicated playing space can provide a consistent location for young residents to practice, participate in recreational activities and become more familiar with soccer.
For schools and municipalities, partnerships that improve existing recreational infrastructure can also help expand the range of activities available to residents. When facilities are designed to support both school and community use, their value can extend beyond the immediate group of students who attend the school.
In Secaucus, the mini-pitch is expected to become a resource for Clarendon Elementary School and the surrounding community. Its availability may help create additional opportunities for informal play, youth sports activities and community engagement, supporting the town’s ongoing interest in soccer participation.
The involvement of multiple partners also highlights the importance of collaboration in community development. School leaders, local officials, nonprofit organizations and corporate partners each contribute different perspectives and resources to projects intended to improve recreational opportunities.
Musco Lighting and the U.S. Soccer Foundation Contribute to the Initiative
Musco Lighting and the U.S. Soccer Foundation also participated in the collaboration that brought the refurbished mini-pitch to Clarendon Elementary School.
The project incorporates infrastructure improvements intended to create a more functional and dedicated soccer environment. The addition of LED lighting, new goals, fencing and benches supports the transformation of the existing area into a defined recreational facility.
The U.S. Soccer Foundation has a broader role in expanding access to soccer and supporting youth development through the sport. Its collaboration with CVS Health aligns with efforts to establish more opportunities for children to participate in soccer, particularly in community settings where dedicated playing spaces can support regular activity.
The Secaucus facility forms part of the wider relationship between CVS Health and the foundation, which includes field revitalization projects and youth-focused programming.
This approach recognizes that participation in sports depends on more than interest alone. Children also need appropriate spaces, opportunities to learn and supportive environments where they can develop their skills. Partnerships that combine physical infrastructure with youth activities can help address several of these needs.
The mini-pitch’s opening celebration brought these objectives into focus by giving students and community representatives an opportunity to see the completed facility and take part in soccer activities.
Opening Celebration Marks the Start of a New Community Resource
The October 26 unveiling marked the completion of the redevelopment and introduced the mini-pitch to students, school representatives and local residents.
The celebration included a ribbon-cutting ceremony and youth soccer activities, creating an opportunity for students to use the field and experience the new space firsthand. Representatives from CVS Health, the Alex Morgan Foundation and the U.S. Soccer Foundation joined school leaders and community partners at the event.
Beyond the ceremony itself, the opening represents the beginning of the facility’s role in supporting recreation at Clarendon Elementary School. Its intended use extends beyond a single event, with the mini-pitch designed to provide an ongoing location for physical activity and soccer participation.
The facility’s availability for community use outside school hours also broadens its potential reach. It creates an opportunity for the school grounds to support recreational activities beyond the regular school day, subject to applicable access arrangements.
As the mini-pitch becomes part of the school’s recreational environment, its long-term contribution will depend on continued use by students and community members. The partners’ stated objective is to establish a lasting resource that encourages participation, supports well-being and helps strengthen connections among residents.
A Continued Focus on Healthy Communities Through Sports
The Secaucus mini-pitch demonstrates how partnerships between companies, nonprofit organizations, sports foundations and local communities can help expand access to recreation.
For CVS Health, the project adds to a broader series of soccer initiatives that include community field improvements, youth clinics, coach training and local events. These efforts are designed to make soccer more accessible while encouraging children to develop active lifestyles and build connections through play.
For the Alex Morgan Foundation, the project advances its focus on sports equity and opportunities for girls by providing a dedicated space where young people can participate and build confidence. The involvement of the U.S. Soccer Foundation and Musco Lighting further supports the collaborative effort to improve the recreational environment at Clarendon Elementary School.
Local officials and school representatives also stand to benefit from the addition of an improved facility that can support student activities and provide opportunities for wider community participation.
Although the opening ceremony marked an important milestone, the project’s broader objective is to create a resource that continues to serve students and residents over time. Through access to a dedicated soccer space, the initiative aims to encourage physical activity, foster friendships and strengthen the role of sports in community life.
With the refurbished Mini-Pitch System now unveiled at Clarendon Elementary School, CVS Health and its partners are reinforcing their shared commitment to expanding opportunities for young people to play, stay active and experience the social and personal benefits of soccer.
Source link: https://www.cvshealth.com/
