Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania Announces Game-Changing Partnership with Pittsburgh Riverhounds Soccer Club and Pittsburgh Soccer in the Community
Pittsburgh, PA – February 5, 2025 – Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania (BGCWPA) is thrilled to announce its partnership with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Soccer Club and Pittsburgh Soccer in the Community. Together, these organizations bring an inclusive and skill-driven youth soccer program to the region, with programming that started in January 2025.
The partnership was unveiled during an engaging kickoff event held on February 4, 2025, at the Estelle S. Campbell Clubhouse in Lawrenceville. The event featured remarks from Chris Watts, President & CEO of BGCWPA; Brandon Bell, Athletic Director of BGCWPA; Dan Visser, Sporting Director of the Riverhounds Soccer Club; and James Meara, President of Pittsburgh Soccer in the Community. Attendees also enjoyed interactive soccer activities with Riverhounds players Jackson Walti and Max Broughton, highlighting the excitement and potential of this new collaboration.
This partnership is designed to create a safe and supportive environment for young players of all skill levels to enjoy and grow through soccer. With experienced coaches from the Riverhounds and Pittsburgh Soccer in the Community, the program will focus on individual player development rather than competitive outcomes, ensuring that each participant can improve at their own pace.
The Pittsburgh Riverhounds Soccer Club/Pittsburgh Soccer in the Community coaching curriculum emphasizes skill-building and holistic player growth. By engaging school-aged youth at the Estelle S. Campbell Clubhouse, the program will also identify and support talented players for potential advancement to the prestigious Riverhounds Academy.
BGCWPA will lead efforts to ensure the program is accessible to all youth, regardless of financial circumstances. Scholarships will be distributed based on an income-based model, allowing more young players to participate without barriers.
“Our partnership with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Pittsburgh Soccer in the Community reflects our shared commitment to empowering youth through teamwork, discipline, and fun,” said Chris Watts, President & CEO of BGCWPA. “We’re excited to offer this innovative program that helps kids not only grow as soccer players but also as individuals.”
“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with the Boys and Girls Club and Pittsburgh Soccer in the Community,” said Dan Visser, Riverhounds Sporting Director. “This collaboration aims to make soccer accessible to every aspiring player in Pittsburgh, ensuring that all children have the opportunity to play the beautiful game.”
Additionally, this partnership will explore opportunities to extend soccer programming into local school districts, integrating clinics into physical education classes and deepening the reach of this initiative within the community.
For more information about this partnership and its programs, visit www.bgcpwa.org.
ABOUT BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA
For 135 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania has worked to advance the potential of youth and teens throughout the Pittsburgh region, now serving more than 7,500 youth and families across 18 locations. We are a safe place for kids to prepare for careers and life, with programs including preschool, before/afterschool, summer camp, teen mentoring, workforce development, STEAM, and sports. Our core values of safety, fun, and inclusion enable us to accelerate progress towards our priority outcomes for youth of Academic Success, Career & Life Readiness, Character & Leadership, and Healthy Lifestyles.
ABOUT PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS SOCCER CLUB
Established in 1999, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC is Pennsylvania’s oldest professional soccer team and one of the longest-operating pro soccer teams in the United States. The team plays its home games at Highmark Stadium, which opened in 2013 as a team-owned, soccer-specific stadium in Pittsburgh’s South Shore neighborhood. The team is an original member of the USL Championship, which began play in 2011 and has grown to become one of the largest second-division pro soccer leagues in the world.
ABOUT PITTSBURGH SOCCER IN THE COMMUNITY
Pittsburgh Soccer in the Community’s (PSC) mission is to provide soccer coaching and lifestyle skills to children in underserved communities in and around the Pittsburgh region. PSC was established in 2004 and has worked with over 10,000 children over the past 21 years.