Kids at Yesler Terrace Park now have a new place to play pickup soccer for free, no reservation required.

The Sounders FC RAVE Foundation opened its flagship mini pitch at 903 E. Yesler Way on Tuesday, July 28, as part of a comprehensive park renovation in one of Seattle's most diverse public housing communities. The small-sided field is the 10th of 52 mini pitches RAVE plans to build across Washington state by the end of 2026.

Temesgen Habte, who served as director of Yesler Community Center and helped bring the pitch to the neighborhood, put the stakes plainly in a Sounders FC video posted Monday, August 3: "We need champions that are going to really fight for the right for kids to play."

The pitch cannot be rented by outside groups. It belongs to the community full-time.

Why Yesler Terrace

Yesler Terrace holds a singular place in Seattle history. Completed in 1941, it was Washington's first public housing development and the first racially integrated public housing project in the country.

The 22-acre neighborhood, administered by the Seattle Housing Authority, is home to speakers of at least 26 languages. Youth there are zoned for Bailey Gatzert Elementary, Washington Middle School, and Garfield High School.

In 2024, community organizations at Yesler collectively provided more than 1,817 hours of youth programming serving a daily average of 89 kids ages 5 to 18, according to a Seattle Housing Authority implementation report. RAVE Foundation is listed as a key partner in the Yesler redevelopment.

The bigger RAVE 52 picture

RAVE Foundation, the official charitable arm of Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC, built its first-ever mini pitch at this same Yesler Terrace location in 2019. The 2026 installation is a new, upgraded field tied to the broader park project.

The foundation originally targeted 26 pitches statewide by 2026, hit that mark two years early in 2024, then doubled the goal to 52. The initiative is linked to Seattle's role as a FIFA World Cup 2026 host city; RAVE was invited onto the local organizing committee as its legacy partner. The Sounders also committed up to $50,000 from the first 30 days of Evergreen State Kit sales to support the campaign, according to SoundersFC.com.

RAVE also pledges to give every child living within a mile of the 52 pitches their own soccer ball. The foundation's broader programs reach more than 23,000 kids annually through 91 programs statewide.

What to watch

RAVE had finalized plans for 42 of the 52 pitches as of January 2026, but only 10 have opened so far. The pace of construction through fall will show whether the Sounders' community investment matches the ambition of their year-end deadline.