¡MLS Futbolito!™, one of the nation’s most successful grassroots soccer initiatives, will return to the Houston area this year to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Thousands of soccer players of all ages will again lace up their cleats to participate in Major League Soccer’s official 4-v-4 tournament, hosted locally by MLS clubs. The national tour kicks off Sunday, June 17 at the Houston Amateur Sports Park.
MLS Futbolito, one of the largest touring Hispanic events hosted by a U.S. professional sports league, is a series of all-day events targeting the League’s growing multicultural fan base and hosted by the local MLS clubs. Approximately 50,000 people, between participants ages 6 to 55 and spectators, attended MLS Futbolito 2011 across eight events from coast to coast.
“It is with great pride that Major League Soccer celebrates the 10th anniversary of ¡MLS Futbolito!™,” said Russell Sargeant, senior director of partnership marketing for MLS. “Hundreds of thousands of participants have enjoyed this grassroots initiative over the years. It has become an event for the whole family to attend. We would also like to thank all of our corporate partners who have contributed to making this program possible. Without their commitment and support, ¡MLS Futbolito!™ would not be the success that we see today.”
MLS Futbolito will continue to work with MLS W.O.R.K.S., the League’s community outreach initiative to support programs such as Active Bodies Active Minds, a soccer-center initiative that provides resources to motivate, reward and encourage children to live a healthy lifestyle through fitness and nutrition.
Local partners of the program include The Methodist Hospital System, Direct Energy, General Mills, Novo Nordisk and Conn’s.
National partners for MLS Futbolito include adidas, Allstate, The Home Depot, Makita, Pepsi, Quaker, Volkswagen and Xbox.
For further information about MLS Futbolito, visit the event’s official site: www.MLSFutbolito.com.
