Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey President and CEO Darrell K. Terry, Sr., Newark Director of the Department of Recreation, Cultural Affairs, and Senior Services Patrick Council, Urban Initiative Director and Players Development Academy (PDA) Boys Coaching Director Gerry McKeown, and 50 youth aged seven-13 opened a new soccer field on Tuesday at the Marquis “Bo” Porter Sports Complex, 378 Lyons Avenue, in Newark’s South Ward.
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, has partnered with the City of Newark and the Players Development Academy (PDA) Urban Initiative to open a premier soccer turf facility at Marquis “Bo” Porter Park, the first of its kind in Newark.
RWJBarnabas Health and PDA Urban Initiative will open similar small-sided turf fields in urban and underserved communities across New Jersey. The PDA Urban Initiative will offer coaching and playing opportunities to children, with the goal of keeping these young people active, and creating greater socioeconomic diversity on US soccer fields.