It’s official—PoCo Eurorite Football Club has received provincial funding for a new state-of-the-art $11 million training facility that will be the new home to BC Soccer! The dream for this field has been in the works for over five years, and we couldn’t be happier for the club at the culmination of a long-held goal.
The journey to the field.
Funding for sport associations has always been a challenge, and recognizing that fact began this entire journey.
Our initial goal as a lead sponsor for this community soccer club was to help make sports more accessible for kids and promote a positive experience for all. We seek to help reduce entrance fees, provide professional development for players, coaches, and referees, outfit the club with jerseys, and upgrade equipment like nets, balls, goalie gloves, and more.
The annual scholarship program was added a number of years ago for players who embody the club’s vision of “growing our game”—and to date, the club has awarded over $42,000 in scholarships! The Eurorite Dream Kitchen Raffle every year has raised over $850,000 towards youth soccer and growing sport in the community.
A need for more facilities.
Five years ago, the club reached the point where it had to turn kids away because there weren’t enough fields for them to play on. More facilities were needed. That became a new goal for the club and Eurorite—to assist in raising money for new soccer fields.
The club connected with PoCo Sport to raise money together, and reached out to the City of Port Coquitlam. They were on board with the club’s goal, but had a busy plate with a new Recreation Center at the time so there wasn’t room for funding new fields. But the club persevered.
We then learned that BC Soccer was looking for a new place to call home, so we all started to work together. Right as the club started seeking provincial and federal support, Covid threw a wrench into the plans. Everyone kept at it and finally in 2022, everything came together.
State-of-the-art facilities.
The final result has become bigger than anyone could have hoped, and we’re thrilled to be a part of helping make it possible.
The new facility will be at Gates Park, just west of downtown Port Coquitlam. Of the existing 37 acre athletic park, 10 acres will be significantly upgraded into a new state-of-the-art synthetic turf field built to FIFA international competition standards. There will also be construction on a two-storey, 12,500 sq ft field house containing BC Soccer’s new headquarters, PoCo Soccer office space, storage, meeting space, public washrooms, and other amenities.
Altogether, this soccer training hub will cost $11.4 million. The BC Government is providing $6.7 million, the City of Port Coquitlam is contributing $2.5 million, BC Soccer is contributing another $2.5 million, and the Port Coquitlam Euro-Rite FC Soccer is providing $500,000.
Achieving dreams and setting new ones.
Looking forward, everyone has big dreams for this field. With increased soccer teams and events, we’re hoping that PoCo one day hosts a national championship!
Projects like this do more than make construction possible—they bring communities together. And that’s what Eurorite is about at our core. We exist to enhance and elevate the lives of the people in the communities we serve. Being involved in the community—making a daily difference—is essential for us. It’s not a question, but a requirement.
This project has proved yet again that everyone can come together to achieve big goals, and through patience, positivity, and persistence, anything is possible. We’re honoured to be a part of this journey and to see more kids have access to soccer camps, bringing communities together and elevating lives. We hope to see you on the field soon.