The Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation is donating $2 million to Pasadena Unified School District to replace John Muir High School’s deteriorated softball field with a state-of-the-art synthetic surface, expected to be completed by August 2026.
Key Takeaways
- $2 million donation from the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation funds a full field replacement at John Muir High School in Pasadena
- The new Kobe and Gianna Bryant Field will feature recyclable, PFAS-free synthetic turf with no infill, designed to reduce injuries and heat
- Alta Pasa Fastpitch, founded in 2018, runs a recreation league for ages 6U through 12U and a travel program, the California Thunder, serving players up to U-19
- Muir softball ended a 42-year playoff drought in 2024, advancing to the CIF-SS Division 7 semifinals
- NBC specials on the Eaton fire’s impact on the Muir community helped connect organizers to the foundation through Taboo (Jamie Gomez) of the Black Eyed Peas
From Gopher Holes to Synthetic Turf: A New Softball Field for Pasadena
The existing field at Muir was more liability than asset. Matt Milton, Muir’s softball coach and co-founder of Alta Pasa Fastpitch, described it plainly: “Not just gopher holes, but rocks on the infield, it wasn’t safe, it wasn’t anything that is appealing. This is going to change everything for us, and in our community.”
The new field will use a recyclable, PFAS-free synthetic turf system with no infill, engineered to lower surface temperatures and reduce injury risk. Construction begins after the spring season. Alfredo Resendiz, Muir’s athletic director, said the timeline is aggressive: “They’re expected to work fast. This has been in the works for many months. We’re grateful.”
The Pasadena Unified School District board formally accepted the donation at a recent meeting. The field will carry the name Kobe and Gianna Bryant Field.
How a Youth League’s Network Unlocked Foundation Capital
The donation didn’t come from a cold application. It grew out of years of community work by Robert Milton, president and founder of Alta Pasa Fastpitch, which he started in 2018 to give local kids a rec league they could call home.
“For many decades, our kids didn’t have a recreational league to call home. They would have to go to leagues in La Canada, San Marino or other places,” Milton said. Alta Pasa now runs a recreation league covering 6U through 12U and a travel program, the California Thunder, serving players up to U-19.
The path to the Mamba Foundation ran through NBC and a personal connection. After January 2025’s Eaton fires devastated the community, NBC aired specials on the Muir softball team’s resilience. Those producers connected Milton with Taboo (Jamie Gomez) of the Black Eyed Peas, who had previously coached youth basketball and softball alongside Milton years earlier. Taboo’s connection to the Mamba Foundation opened the door.
Milton said the foundation kept raising its commitment as organizers detailed the facility’s needs: “…As we went over all the things we needed, they kept upping their donation to make this happen.”
A Program on the Rise
The investment lands at a moment of real on-field momentum. Muir softball hadn’t reached the playoffs since 1982. In 2024, the team broke that 42-year drought and advanced to the CIF-SS Division 7 semifinals. The program’s 2026 record sits at 13-10.
Coach Milton framed the upgrade in terms his players would understand: “It’s like we’re moving into a new house. What I want our girls to know is that they have to take care of it, appreciate it, and treat it like a new home.”
Source: Pasadenastarnews
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