HIGH PERFORMANCE TRAINING FOR PLAYERS TAILORED TO OBTAINING SCHOLARSHIPS FROM D1 & D2 US SCHOOLS & CDN UNIVERSITIES
More than a decade after envisioning a year round training facility designed specifically for student athletes who aspire to play soccer at Canadian and American colleges and universities, Toronto Blizzard Head Coach and Director Joe Parolini stood at a podium and wept.
The podium was situated in the centre of a newly renovated high performance athletic complex in the Greater Toronto Area, the “360 Soccer Centre”, on the day of its inauguration, October 21, 2023.
“This place has taken probably 11 years,” said Parolini, fighting back tears. “(Blizzard administrator) Christina (Romanelli) brought me here to rent the facility and I wasn’t interested. I saw a bigger vision.”
That vision has now become a reality as an intimate group of Blizzard players, parents and affiliated partner club members were given an opportunity to view and experience the 360 Soccer Centre, the new year round hub of all Blizzard activity.
The 50-thousand square foot complex features two indoor turf fields, multiple change rooms, a weight room, athletic track, snack bar, merchandise shop, and party rooms available for rent. A section of one of the two fields is reserved for a high tech training system called “Top Ballers”, that will revolutionize the art of soccer training and skill development.
Former Canadian Olympic Gold medalist Mark McKoy operates his high performance strength, conditioning and fitness training from the new facility.
“I’ve had the good fortune of seeing this (type of facility) around the world,” McKoy said. “Academies and universities, they all have these types of centres where you can get everything in one place. Toronto wants to be a world-class city but we haven’t had this type of facility (until now). That’s the reason why we struggle so much.”
Blizzard ambassador and alumnus Sarah Owusu, who earned full ride scholarships to two different American universities, said a facility like the 360 Soccer Centre will help young athletes reach their objectives of playing collegiate soccer because they’ll have put in the time and effort to train in a similar environment.
“When I look at this facility,” Owusu declared, “it reminds me of what you’ll see if you go off to a (NCAA) Division 1 or 2 school. It’s like a hub. You have a place to study, you have your fields, you have a weight room. It definitely emulates what you’ll see at that next level.”
With the help of an investment group, Parolini now has a central venue for his players to take advantage of year round access to turf fields, training systems, equipment, nutrition and more. The 360 Soccer Centre is a one-stop shop for elite skill development and athletic improvement.
“The three things we ask (of our players) are passion, desire and commitment,” Parolini stated. “My motto is very simple: there is a school for everyone. But you have to put in the work.”
The 360 Soccer Centre will soon become the central facility that will allow Blizzard players and others to develop, grow and achieve their ambitions in their soccer careers.
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