Pitches in Peril: Fires in Los Angeles

Nathan Bowser during our documentary shoot

On 22nd September at Climate Week NYC, Football For Future teamed up with National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) for an evening on one big question: how can the beautiful game drive global climate adaptation?

The premiere

The night opened with the premiere of our short film Pitches in Peril: Fires in Los Angeles, which puts the human side of the climate crisis front and centre.

Following the story of 16-year-old Nathan Bowser from Pasadena, California, the film explores the devastating impact of the Eaton Fire on Nathan and his football community.

A particularly striking moment is when Luca Marton, Managing Director of Street Soccer USA - Los Angeles, is asked what is at stake: “what do kids lose when they lose that physical space? They lose everything.”

The documentary forms part of FFF’s wider Pitcher in Peril series, bringing to life the findings of our landmark climate risk research into the future of football.

The panel

After the screening, we sat down with our panel to talk about what climate change is already doing to the game.

As Nathan’s story in Pasadena demonstrates, it’s changing when kids can play, which pitches stay open, and how communities rebuild after a disaster.

How football can help

The conversation moved beyond the problem, as we talked about football’s incredible potential to reach billions, move fans, and shape how cities and clubs prepare, turning climate adaptation into something people will care about.

A huge thanks goes to NRDC and Dakota Fisher for hosting, fellow panelists Ann Kosmal, Becky Dale, Tim Lau, Elizabeth Carlson, and our attentive audience.

Watch the film

Pitches in Peril: Fires in Los Angeles is now live on YouTube. You can watch it here.

The beautiful game we love is changing, and this is the story of the people living it.