VIDEO: Grand opening of Canada’s first soccer court, named for Atiba Hutchinson from Brampton

Brampton | Caledon | Latest News |

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Published May 21, 2024 at 12:58 pm

Players were put through their paces at the grand opening of the new Atiba Hutchinson Soccer Court in Brampton, a facility that’s the first of its kind in Canada.

The new fully-lit boxed soccer court named after Brampton native and Team Canada Captain Atiba Hutchinson officially opened to the public on Friday with an event that saw the captain, players and residents break-in the field.

“A lot of kids here today, I was just like you guys looking for places like this to play,” Hutchinson told the crowd of players at the christening ceremony in Brampton last week. “I just always, you know, wished and hoped that I would be able to bring something back to Canada, to my city,” he said.

The event had kids and players practicing their moves with many wearing Hutchinson jerseys with his No. 13.

The city says the smaller pitch is based on similar training courts Hutchinson has used in the Netherlands, allowing players to strengthen their skills while encouraging creativity on the pitch. The new Atiba Hutchinson Soccer Court is one of only a few hundred training pitches in the world and the city says it’s the first one in Canada.

Located at the Century Gardens Recreation Centre, the new court is open for drop-in games and available for players to hone their skills.

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Hutchinson brought the idea for the court to the city which announced an expected opening date in the fall of 2022. Speaking to Brampton City Council, Hutchinson advocated for the project saying he’d seen first hand the way these types of pitches can allow players to develop their skills and express themselves on the field.

Affectionately known as “Captain Canada,” Hutchison scored the winning goal in Canada’s 2022 victory against El Salvador, helping secure the national team’s spot in the FIFA World Cup tournament.

A total of seven Brampton players made the cut for Canada’s 2022 World Cup roster including Tajon Buchanan, Cyle Larin and David “Junior” Hoilett.

“We jumped at the offer and said we’d like to build something that would be available for drop-in soccer that you can play at any age,” Mayor Patrick Brown said of the new court, adding that he hopes it will help Brampton develop “more Atiba Hutchinsons.”

For more on the new Atiba Hutchinson Soccer Court and more Brampton Recreation programs visit www.Brampton.ca.

 

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