There were no pick-up games of soccer in Marion on this cloudy, rainy, Thursday afternoon. But you can certainly see why this new mini-pitch will be a popular hangout for soccer fans in the metro.

This new soccer mini-pitch, located in Hanna Park in Marion, is certainly aptly named. It definitely isn't the size of a typical soccer field that I've watched my daughter play on before. This field is actually about the size of a tennis court. It also doesn't have any out-of-bounds lines. On this field, everything is in play! Balls are allowed to bounce of the sides of the enclosure, making play fast and continuous. Since the field is smaller, you won't see any 11 on 11 games played here. Officials with the Marion Parks and Recreation Department told KCRG that they envision more 3 on 3 matches popping up.

This is the tenth mini-pitch built in the state of Iowa, but it is the only one in Eastern Iowa. The facilities are all part of a program in conjunction with Pro Iowa, Kick it Forward, and Musco Lighting. Other Iowa cities that have these new soccer facilities include Pleasant Hill, Des Moines, Sioux City, Council Bluffs, Perry, and Clive.

This is also proving to be a nice upgrade for Hanna Park too. The park was severely damaged during the derecho. Along with the new soccer pitch, the parks department is also repaving and repairing the basketball court at the park, and doing some tree planting and landscaping. Its not hard to see why this should be a popular spot for kids for years to come.

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