Homestead soccer fans had a lot to celebrate on Friday, Sept. 6, when the City of Homestead inaugurated the new soccer fields at the Homestead Sports Complex in conjunction with the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) Fall Season Opening Ceremony.
More than 800 young athletes, their families, and Homestead community members came out to see the new fields and kick off the next season of soccer at the new facility.
The evening began with food trucks and music as families arrived and the soccer players explored the new fields — engaging in friendly scrimmages and contributing to the overall festive atmosphere. As the crowd thickened, the Opening Ceremony began with the presentation of Colors by the Homestead Police Explorers Honor Guard and the National Anthem sung acapella by Shonda Roberts.
Then, the parade of AYSO teams began. Each team carried a festive banner and marched with pride as they came to the front of the field and filled in on either side of the stage where Homestead’s mayor, city council members, and city manager applauded.
Following brief remarks by those on stage, young AYSO player JJ Sanchez had the honor of inaugurating the field with a first goal. As the crowd counted down, he scored the first official goal of the season on the new fields to uproarious applause.
The renovation of the new soccer fields at the Homestead Sports Complex began in June and resulted in lighted soccer fields complete with irrigation and Bermuda grass to improve resiliency for year-round play.
For more information about all of Homestead’s parks and facilities, visit www.cityofhomestead.com/parks.
