Ontario Soccer body unveils new playpen in Vaughan
‘Creating soccer dreams for players across the province’

YorkRegion.com
Aug. 30, 2015
By John Cudmore

The Ontario Soccer Association has some new digs to brag about.

The provincial organization unveiled the jewel in its Vaughan location Sunday with a day-long list of activities, including two semi-pro matches involving prime tenants connected to Toronto FC.

Located next door to the Ontario Soccer Centre on Martin Grove Road, the upgraded field was unveiled officially in a day-long grand opening, which featured soccer activities ranging from grassroots instruction and a tip of the cap to 2015 Canadian soccer hall of fame inductees. The pitch has been in use throughout the season, but is in prime time readiness today for today’s events.

“Sometimes the stars align. From our perspective, the facility was due an upgrade,” said Ontario Soccer Association president Ron Smale, during intermission in a League1 game between TFC Academy and Durham Region’s Master’s FA Saints.

“We were approached by TFC as they were interested in pursuing a licence for a USL franchise. Our study showed Vaughan is a city of growth and it’s a place they wanted to be.”

A United Soccer League match pitting TFC against Charlotte Independence is slated for 3 p.m.

The stadium upgrade is one in a series of steps planned to promote and improve soccer in the region and province. The OSA is hoping to establish stronger links to TFC in future - and the centre is yet another step towards that goal.

The TFC II squad which competes in the USL will call the centre home for its 14 home games during the 2016 season.

Major upgrades include a permanent seating area with room for expansion, a new artificial playing surface and plans to enhance a media and communications centre.

The playing surface had reached the end of its life expectancy, having opened in 1998 along with the Ontario Soccer Centre, which houses the OSA offices across the parking lot.

The synthetic turf is FIFA Grade 2, which means it is suitable for professional use, although it is limited to 1,500 hours per year. It’s an upgrade from the previous surface.

OSA executive director Johnny Misley said the organization is looking toward big things in future.

“We want to make this the epicentre for soccer in Canada,” said Misley. “This one of very few fields in Canada with FIFA 2-star turf and is one of the top fields in Canada for artificial turf.”

In addition to use by the TFC entry in the USL, the pitch will host other high-profile events, including showcase events such as Ontario Cup championship games and Ontario Player Development League programs. The connection between the semi-pro team and community-based programming offers a unique opportunity for soccer to push its brand.

“It’s nice for us to be able to connect the game from grassroots amateur soccer to the semi-professional ranking in Ontario,” said Misley.  “It’s nice to have that passage in Ontario. We need that pathway. Soccer has been fragmented in Canada. We want to find ways to work with the Canadian Soccer Association and TFC. We need to simplify the pathways to the higher levels.”

Also added to the pre-existing field are washrooms and a media area, with plans for future upgrades. Additionally, seating could be expanded in future to accommodate as many as 5,000 spectators.

“This is still growing and our goal is to turn it into a professional environment,” said Smale. “We hope we are able to create dreams for kids not only in Vaughan, but all across the province. This is a great chance for kids seven, eight and nine years old who have dreams and sets a standard for them.”

For more, go to ontariosoccer.net