About Friends of Pittsburgh Professional Soccer
Friends of Pittsburgh Professional Soccer (FOPPS), received its designation as a 501 © (3) registered not-for-profit organization in October of 2016, with mission to connect youth to nontraditional sports through scholarships and facility development. In late 2016, the organization worked together with the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County to conduct a web-based survey of community need; the survey was completed by more than twenty-five grass roots athletic clubs, all of which cited need for nontraditional practice space.
Since inception, Friends of Pittsburgh Professional Soccer worked with the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County to develop the long-anticipated Sports and Athletic Complex at Montour Junction, a 78-acre site designed to offer community access to nontraditional sports fields. Thanks to generous support from the Shallenberger Family, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, R.K. Mellon Foundation, Allegheny County, and the U.S. Soccer Foundation, the complex opened in 2018, serving 1,200 youth from eighteen (18) regional organizations. Long term plans for the Complex include a one-mile extension of the Montour Trail, complete with recreational walking paths, a playground area, and fishing access to Montour Run. Friends of Pittsburgh Professional Soccer is a proud member of the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce and annual contributor to Tour the Montour, a non-competitive fundraising ride for the benefit of the Montour Trail. Considering the tragic events at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, Friends of Pittsburgh Professional Soccer, together with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, held “Peace on the Pitch,” with all proceeds supporting the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and the City of Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety. The November 2018 event united hundreds of soccer players and dozens of seven-a-side teams, raising over $20,000 for the cause.
Friends of Pittsburgh Professional Soccer meets the third Tuesday of each month and is always seeking feedback from community stakeholders. Additional information regarding the philanthropic work of Friends of Pittsburgh Professional Soccer can be accessed under GuideStar USA, Inc. an information service for the nonprofit sector of the United States. To learn more about the organization, interested parties may also contact Michele Beener, Secretary, mrmbeener@gmail.com.