CALDWELL, Idaho — What started as a dream on paper is now taking shape in Caldwell — something soccer fans across the Treasure Valley have been waiting for.
After years of planning and searching for the right location, owners Mike Villalovos and Alex Mitrovic have transformed a 50,000-square-foot former warehouse into The Pitch, now the largest indoor soccer facility in the Treasure Valley.
Watch: Learn more about The Pitch indoor soccer facility
“One conversation led to another, and we thought, hey, let's try to open something that's inside just because there's so many things that we're battling here in the Treasure Valley, weather-wise and even just finding good space outside for kids to train,” Villalovos said.
The idea grew out of conversations between the two owners, both deeply connected to the local soccer community. Villalovos said those discussions eventually turned into a serious search for a space that could serve players year-round.
“Anything that we feel is going to benefit the development of youth, we're looking at it and going to try to offer it for the youth to help them in the development,” Villalovos said.
Mitrovic said his passion for developing young players stems from growing up immersed in soccer and bringing what he learned overseas back to the Treasure Valley.
“We're able to provide clubs with the training space year-round,” Mitrovic said. "In the summer, there's heat, there's smoke. In the winter, obviously cold rain, snow. So yeah, we're able to provide that not just for the programs that we offer but also for clubs that are in the valley and that are in need of space and wanting to continue their programming year-round."
The facility features four indoor fields — two 4-on-4 fields and two 7-on-7 fields — designed to accommodate both youth development and adult league play. The owners said the size of the building allowed them to create multiple field options while still carving out space for community gathering.
Villalovos said the decision to include a lounge area was intentional, emphasizing the social nature of the sport and the importance of creating a place where families and players can spend time together beyond the game.
As for the name — The Pitch — Villalovos said it reflects soccer’s global identity.
“It was my idea, but pretty much anywhere outside of the U.S., the soccer field is referred to as the pitch,” Villalovos said. "We felt it was a cool name."
Mitrovic said the vision for the facility goes beyond competition, focusing on accessibility and a lifelong connection to the sport.
“We're super passionate about primarily youth, which is why we have all these programs for youth, but then also adults, where we have adult leagues,” Mitrovic said. "So we kind of want this to be a place where people of all ages and skill levels who love soccer can come."
With programs already filling up, the owners said the early response confirms there was a strong need for an indoor, year-round soccer space in the Treasure Valley — one designed not just for training, but for building community around the game.
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