PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Sports Commission has collectively awarded $40,000 in grants to eight youth soccer organizations across the state to support events tied to the RI Summer of Soccer, the nonprofit recently announced.
The grants are intended to provide seed funding for tournaments and programs scheduled for June and July 2026 under the Summer of Soccer umbrella, which aims to boost participation and community engagement around the sport.
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Jonathan Walker, executive director of the Rhode Island Sports Commission, said the funding reflects the organization’s belief in youth sports as a tool for development and inclusion.
“Our organization believes in the power of sport to develop discipline, promote teamwork and provide constructive, physical activity for kids in our communities,” Walker said in a statement.
The funding will support a range of programs, including tournaments, leadership development and workforce pathways.
Tatiana Baena, founder of Mundialito and a Central Falls city councilwoman, said the grant will help expand opportunities for young people while using soccer to connect diverse communities across the state.
The grants were awarded to organizations that applied through Ocean State 2026 for events connected to the international soccer spotlight expected this summer with nearby Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., hosting seven FIFA World Cup matches as the United States, Canada and Mexico jointly host the popular international soccer tournament.
The 2026 Rhode Island Sports Commission Legacy grantees are:
- Burrillville Glocester Youth Soccer Association.
- Coventry Soccer Association.
- Cumberland Youth Soccer Association.
- East Providence Youth Soccer Association.
- Mundialito.
- Narragansett Youth Soccer Association.
- Project GOAL.
- South County Youth Soccer Club.
The Rhode Island Sports Commission, a division of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, also known as GoProvidence, works to attract and develop sporting events that generate economic activity across the state.
