Key Takeaways
- The three new courts include two at Indianapolis Public Schools and one public court downtown maintained by Indy Parks.
- All three are built using Musco’s Mini-Pitch System, designed for basketball, soccer, and futsal with lighting and ADA-accessible features.
- Lilly is providing the downtown park and court to the City of Indianapolis as part of the company’s 150th anniversary.
- Musco has installed more than 450 mini-pitches across the U.S. and is targeting 1,000 with the U.S. Soccer Foundation before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- The Indianapolis rollout brings the Caitlin Clark Foundation’s Community Courts initiative into Clark’s home market.
The Caitlin Clark Foundation, Eli Lilly and Company, and Musco Lighting have opened three new multi-sport community courts in Indianapolis, expanding the Foundation’s Community Courts initiative into Clark’s home market.
Two of the courts are located at Indianapolis Public Schools, Clarence Farrington and Edison School of the Arts. The third is a public court at the corner of E. South Street and S. New Jersey Street downtown. Lilly is providing the downtown park and court to the City of Indianapolis and Indy Parks as part of the company’s 150th anniversary.
Three Courts, Two Access Models
The two school courts will support student programming at Clarence Farrington and Edison School of the Arts. The downtown court will operate as a free, public space maintained by Indy Parks and Recreation.
All three courts are built using the Musco Mini-Pitch System, which is designed for basketball, soccer, and futsal. Each court includes lighting and ADA-accessible features, allowing the spaces to function across multiple sports, age groups, and time windows.
“These courts give kids in Indianapolis a place to do that every day, and I’m thankful to Lilly and Musco for helping make it possible,” said Caitlin Clark, founder of the Caitlin Clark Foundation.
Lilly’s 150th Anniversary Tie-In
Lilly’s contribution to the downtown court is structured around the company’s 150th anniversary, framed as a long-term gift to the city. The land and the court are being transferred to the City of Indianapolis and Indy Parks for ongoing operation.
“Health is shaped not only by medicine, but by the spaces and opportunities that help people stay active and connected,” said Melissa Coe, Associate Vice President, Social Impact and Community Engagement at Lilly.
For Indy Parks, the project adds a programmable downtown asset. “The new park will be a vibrant and inspiring spot that encourages us to slow down and play together right in the heart of our downtown,” said Indy Parks Director Brittany Crone.
Musco’s Push Toward 1,000 Mini-Pitches
The Indianapolis openings fold into a broader Musco buildout. The company says it has now installed more than 450 mini-pitches across the United States and is working with the U.S. Soccer Foundation to reach 1,000 mini-pitches before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
That scale matters for operators and brand partners watching the small-sided play category. Mini-pitches are increasingly used as a low-footprint, high-utilization model for basketball, soccer, and futsal in urban and suburban settings where full-size fields and courts are not viable.
“Every kid and every family deserves a place where they can connect with their community, and that’s exactly what these community courts are bringing to Indianapolis,” said Jeff Rogers, CEO of Musco.
What It Signals for the Youth Sports Access Model
The Indianapolis rollout reflects a recurring pattern in the youth sports access space: athlete-led foundations partnering with a corporate funder and an infrastructure provider to deliver permanent, multi-sport play assets. The Caitlin Clark Foundation supplies the audience and brand pull, Lilly anchors the capital and civic relationships in its hometown, and Musco delivers a productized facility model that can be replicated city by city.
For operators and sponsors tracking how to invest in youth sports infrastructure, the model offers a clear template. The cost is one-time, the asset is shared across multiple sports, and the partnership stack distributes ownership across philanthropy, corporate, and municipal stakeholders.
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