Project Supports PDA Urban Initiative as 40x70ft Turf Field Provides Kids Access to the Game of Soccer
(L to R) Diane Grillo, Vice President, Health Promotion, RWJUH Hamilton; Bobby Smith, National Soccer Hall of Famer and former USA National Team player - grew up in Hamilton; Charlie Inverso, Rider University Men’s Soccer, Head Coach; Gerry McKeown, Players Development Academy (PDA) Boys’ Coaching Director; Barry H. Ostrowsky President & Chief Executive Officer, RWJBarnabas Health; Richard Freeman, President & Chief Executive Officer, RWJUH Hamilton; and Jeff Martin, Mayor of Hamilton Township are joined by two CYO Bromley Summer Day Camp campers for the ceremonial first kick to open the RWJUH Hamilton Community Field in Hamilton Township, NJ.
The PDA Urban initiative, a collaboration between RWJBarnabas Health, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Hamilton, Players Development Academy and Hamilton Township, is bringing the game of soccer to kids living in an underserved urban communities. Yesterday, campers from the CYO Bromley Summer Day Camp participated in the grand opening celebration and ceremonial first kick that officially open the small-sided turf soccer field at the Bromley Sports Complex in Hamilton Township, NJ.
This new turf soccer field, RWJUH Hamilton Community Field, provides a new and exciting space for kids in the community to stay active, promoting their physical and mental health, and keeping them away from other potential distractions and negative influences. The PDA Urban initiative is committed to providing coaching and playing opportunities for children and families living in underserved urban communities, and ultimately greater access to the game, with the hope of notably changing the landscape of soccer in the U.S. by creating greater socioeconomic diversity on the field.