The Clay Youth Soccer Club is excited to announce it has been awarded an amazing grant in the amount of $20,000 from the Clay County Community Foundation, part of the Wabash Valley Community Foundation. CYSC has always strived to provide an affordable soccer experience for children and families in the community who want to improve their soccer skills and play at the high school and college level. As a nonprofit soccer club in a small, rural community, providing opportunities similar to clubs in larger, metropolitan areas can be a challenge. Thanks to the generosity of farmers, local businesses, former players, the city of Brazil, and other volunteers in the community CYSC has been able to provide this opportunity without turning anyone away for financial reasons.

In 2013, CYSC became a member of Indiana Soccer, offering travel soccer for boys and girls ages 8-19. Until 2017, the club was provided field space to hold practices and games at Northview High School, but due to expansion and construction of other programs, that area no longer was available. Fortunately, the City of Brazil offered the use of land at Craig Park to the club, and Forest Park Elementary was able to house the needed fields while Craig Park was seeded. The land at Craig Park has been a great opportunity for the club as well as the city to increase park usage. Much time and what funds could be spared has been put into making 2.5 acres of the land playable. Many volunteers have worked the land, fertilized and seeded it. The fields are still in need of improvements, but sections were able to be used beginning in the Spring of 2019.

With the help of this grant, Clay Youth Soccer Club can start building the fields for every age group at Craig Park to allow for expansion and improve the experience for our youth. This grant will also go towards new equipment including new goals, as well as a storage building in addition to the field improvements and expansion. CYSC cannot thank the Clay County Community Foundation enough for being chosen as a grant recipient.