Hamilton’s Hillfield Strathallan shows off upgraded athletic facility

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A multi-million dollar upgrade has given Hamilton’s Hillfield Strathallan College some first-class athletic facilities.

“We’ll be coming, we’ll be coming, we’ll be coming down the road…”

While that may have been true on other occasions, teams from across the country are coming down to Hamilton this week for the Canadian Association of Independent Schools’ under-13 boys soccer tournament.

The Trojans have hosted other championships, but as athletic director Paul Masotti says, “this is our biggest, with 16 teams for the grade 7 boys, so we’re really excited, the fields look great.”

And so they should. Hillfield recently underwent a $42 million privately-funded expansion that doubled the school’s capacity, and gave their athletic facilities a huge upgrade. They now have a triple gym, a brand new weight room, and when the sod settles they’ll have seven soccer fields.

It’s just as good — if not better — than any of the athletic facilities Masotti experienced during his 12 years playing in the CFL. “Working at an independent school is not a job, it’s a way of life. And much like when I played football, when you get in that locker room, it’s a community and that’s what it’s like here, and that singly, alone is what i enjoy most.”

The legendary Toronto Argonauts receiver and Hamilton native has been the athletic director at HSC for the last five years. And college head Marc Ayotte is happy to have him. “Paul has a great vision for athletics at HSC and he brings an incredible background both as a player and an executive with the Argos.”

“But he loves kids too, so he has a great relationship with our student athletes… he’s been phenomenal in the role.”

The Hillfield Strathallan Trojans finished third in this same tournament last year in Montreal, and now they’re happy to have the home field advantage:

“Trojans, (clap), trojans (clap), trojans…wooo!”