From screen to field: EA SPORTS helps expand access to play
Renovated field for sports creates opportunities for youth to participate, connect, and see themselves in the game
June 26, 2026
Sport has the power to connect and inspire. It builds skills, creates opportunities, and brings people together in ways that extend far beyond the field.
That's why EA SPORTS invested in the Bay Area Host Committee’s (BAHC) Sports for All initiative, increasing access to play and enabling year-round sport-for-development programs led by the community. On June 9, together with BAHC, community partners, students, and local leaders, we celebrated the opening of a newly renovated sports hub at LIFE Academy and United for Success Academy in Oakland's Fruitvale neighborhood.
More than a refurbished playing surface, the space represents a long-term investment in young people and the community, providing year-round access to sports programming, coaching, and opportunities to play.
"At EA SPORTS, we believe sport has the power to connect and inspire, and we’re focused on expanding how people experience global football—on screen, in culture, and in communities around the world."
Building communities through the power of play
The official opening was marked by the EA SPORTS FC FUTURES Festival of Football, a community celebration that brought together partners and young people and coaches with Oakland Genesis, a Bay Area nonprofit and youth soccer club, to experience the newly revitalized pitch.
Through training activities inspired by EA SPORTS FC, participants explored the connection between the virtual and physical game while building their football skills and confidence. As football's global popularity continues to grow, EA SPORTS FC FUTURES continues to create opportunities for the next generation by investing in youth development and helping make the sport more accessible to communities around the world.
“At EA SPORTS, we believe sport has the power to connect and inspire, and we’re focused on expanding how people experience global football—on screen, in culture, and in communities around the world," said Andrea Hopelain, SVP of Global Marketing. “Moments like this bring that to life, creating real opportunities for young people to play, participate, and see themselves in the game. Through our partnership with the Bay Area Host Committee and our EA SPORTS FC FUTURES initiative, we’re helping grow the next generation of players and fans as part of a global football community.”
"The thought, effort, and resources that EA SPORTS FC FUTURES poured into giving our players an engaging, joyful soccer session spoke to the strength of their staff and soccer curriculum,” said Cody Pillon, Cofounder and Coach at Oakland Genesis. “UEFA Coach Graeme made sure our coaches were ready to lead, and blending physical and virtual play made for a uniquely FC FUTURES experience…. This is a field Oakland youth deserve -- a place to play that will generate healthy outcomes and lifelong memories for years to come."
The world’s game is for everyone
FC FUTURES is EA SPORTS FC’s long-term commitment to growing the game for all by supporting grassroots football access, community initiatives, and football education around the world.
The newly renovated field at LIFE Academy and United for Success Academy stands as a lasting example of that commitment. While the Festival of Football celebrated the field's opening, the real impact will be felt year-round as students, coaches , and community members continue to learn, grow, and connect through sport.
To date, EA SPORTS FC FUTURES has helped build or refurbish 22 pitches across 14 countries and expanded access to grassroots football for more than 500,000 people worldwide*.
Beyond creating places to play, FC FUTURES is helping develop the next generation of players and coaches through a free library of 27 football training practices. Developed with expert UEFA coaches and inspired by EA SPORTS FC in-game drills, these resources bring the game from screen to field and help unlock the power of play for communities around the world.
Fans everywhere will come together around soccer. But moments like this remind us that the future of the game isn't shaped only on the world's biggest stages, it's shaped in communities like Oakland, where a lifelong love of sport begins.
*Based on the average annual number of users of the community pitches; average annual number of visitors to the Seoul pitch; residents who live within a 10km radius of publicly accessible pitches (Rio de Janeiro, Medellín, São Paulo, Singapore, Spain, Mexico); users of the Rocky & Wrighty Arena and Sam Kerr pitches; participants in FC FUTURES or FC FUTURES-partnered programs and pitch inauguration events; and number of footballs provided through partner initiatives.
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