"First Kick" Ceremony Will Open New "Mini-Pitch" Soccer Field
Friday, February 7th, 2025
Stars from Atlanta United will join Dalton’s future soccer heroes to officially open the city’s newest soccer facility at a “First Kick” ribbon cutting ceremony on March 4th. The new “mini-pitch” soccer field is on the campus of the Mack Gaston Community Center. It was made possible by grant funding from the Atlanta United Community Fund (AUCF) in partnership with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).
The Greater Dalton Chamber Foundation, in partnership with the City of Dalton’s Parks and Recreation Department (DPRD), secured a $100,000 grant from the Atlanta United Community Fund last year to build the mini-pitch field. The grant award is part of the GA 100 initiative, a statewide effort to install 100 mini-pitch fields across Georgia in underserved communities.
Caption: An aerial photo shows the new "mini-pitch" field at the Mack Gaston Community Center
The new field is a 60 x 90-foot “mini-pitch”. The small, customized, hard-court surface is surrounded by a rebound board system with integrated goals. The design allows for faster play and more ball contact for players.
The City of Dalton has been nicknamed “Soccertown USA” after local rec league and high school teams have won state championships in the sport in recent years. Dalton State College added an NAIA soccer national championship in December 2024. The new “mini-pitch” field shows the community’s united commitment to growing the game in the Dalton, adding another facility to a wide range of turf fields available for soccer throughout the city, including FIFA-regulation fields at Heritage Point Park and Dalton Stadium.
“This new mini-pitch field is a great addition to the Mack Gaston Community Center, and it’s another great soccer facility for our Parks and Recreation Department,” said Dalton Mayor Annalee Sams. “Dalton is proud to be the home of championship soccer teams and this facility shows our commitment to our young athletes.”
Caption: The smaller size of the "mini-pitch" field is apparent in an aerial photo showing the new facility next to a larger standard soccer field at the Mack Gaston Community Center complex
The “First Kick” ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at the Mack Gaston Community Center on Fredrick Street on March 4th at 4:30 pm. Players from Atlanta United will be joined by 100 lucky local youth players who will be the first to officially open the new field. Details of how local soccer players can sign up to participate will be announced soon at the on the DPRD's Facebook page (facebook.com/mydprd) and also the City of Dalton’s page (facebook.com/cityofdalton).
