Concord Will Soon Get Its First Lighted Soccer Mini Pitch, On The Heights, At Keach Park

CONCORD, NH — The city of Concord will soon get its first lighted soccer mini pitch.

The mini pitch was budgeted in last year’s capital budget for Keach Park. The Concord Parks and Recreation Department announced Friday that construction would begin during the next few weeks. The project should be finished by early summer.

David Gill, the director of parks and rec, said there had been a national initiative to build soccer mini pitches around the country for several years. He said Keach Park was the perfect location for the pitch due to the community's interest in soccer; the park is often booked for youth and adult leagues and camps throughout the spring, summer, and fall. Gill added the park was used daily for numerous activities by the department.

“This neighborhood, and the entire community, loves soccer,” he said, “and adding a lighted soccer mini pitch here will allow soccer to be played almost year-round with no impact to grass fields or any increased maintenance costs.”

Candace Bouchard, the Ward 9 city councilor and mayor pro tem, a long-time representative of the neighborhood, said she was proud to help advocate for the park's renovation nearly two decades ago. That renovation included new athletic fields with irrigation, something other fields in the city do not have, and a new parking lot, access, and other improvements.

“I am very proud that the city’s investment in this neighborhood continues to this day,” she said.

Along with a pool and illuminated basketball court, there is a walking trail around the park.

Demolition for the project has already started. The mini pitch is expected to be installed in early May. The space where the mini pitch is being installed was under utilized tennis court.

For more information about the department, visit its website at concordparksandrec.com or visit its offices at the City Wide Community Center at 14 Canterbury Road.

For more information on soccer mini pitches, view this U.S. Soccer Foundation video and the U.S. Soccer Foundation Photo Gallery with examples of installations in other communities.

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