New sportcourt opens at Verlo Playfield

The Seattle Kraken and One Roof Foundation unveiled a new multisport court at Verlo Playfield in Tacoma on May 17, drawing a crowd of local youth and families. The event included a street hockey clinic for over 100 participants, led by former NHL players JT Brown and Andrew Ference. Every registered youth received athletic shoes, jerseys, and hockey equipment, encouraging them to return to the court. This facility is part of a broader initiative to develop five courts in the Puget Sound area, aimed at increasing access to ball hockey in underserved neighborhoods. The upgrades to Verlo Playfield included resurfacing an existing basketball court and adding features like built-in hockey goals and local student artwork.

Parks Tacoma anticipates that the new court will serve hundreds of children year-round and will introduce ball hockey programming this summer. The project received $250,000 in funding from corporate partners and community support. Elected officials emphasized the importance of this legacy project for local youth and the sport's growth.