Dr. Jeff Hendred Mini-Pitch at Wilson Elementary School

Ottumwa’s Wilson Elementary Provides Inclusive Space For Youth and Community Sports with Musco Mini-Pitch System™

The Challenge

Serving nearly 4,900 students, Ottumwa Community School District has a pair of complementary goals: to help make Ottumwa, Iowa, a destination for families; and to be the best district in the state. The district’s “Be the Best” Initiative includes a variety of projects designed to increase student achievement, enhance school safety and culture, and promote community collaboration and school pride. At one of the district’s six public elementary schools, Wilson Elementary, leaders saw an opportunity to enrich the community by transforming an underutilized patch of asphalt into an inviting and well-lit sports environment for students, staff, and neighbors. They planned for an outdoor space suited for a variety of free sports activities, from pickup games to youth clinics and community programming.

The Solution

The school district chose to partner with Musco to install a Mini-Pitch System™—a modular sports solution complete with fencing, goals, ADA-compliant access, and environmentally responsible TLC for LED® lighting. The mini-pitch at Wilson Elementary is equipped for basketball and soccer, a combination that keeps the pitch busy with participants of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. District leaders named the facility in honor of Dr. Jeff Hendred, a champion of youth recreation opportunities and longtime school administrator who’s been with the district since 1988. Musco’s Control-Link® service allows staff to operate the lights remotely via smartphone, and Musco’s long-term warranty covers every part and all labor on the system for 10 years. The mini-pitch has been so popular the district already added two more pitches and plans to install more in 2023 and 2024.

The Mini-Pitch System at Wilson Elementary provides a safe space for students to be active and a much-needed area for people in the neighborhood to play soccer and basketball. Everyone here at Wilson and in the surrounding community loves the experience of having a mini-pitch at the school.

Aaron Ruff – Principal, Wilson Elementary School, Ottumwa, Iowa

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