Calgary soccer teams have two new places to play, and they're opening as the sport grows across the city.
The City officially opened the $26-million Rocky Ridge Athletic Park on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 9700 Country Hills Boulevard N.W., next to the Shane Homes YMCA at Rocky Ridge.
It has two artificial turf fields, each 100 by 65 metres, lined for soccer with nets and corner flags. There are lights for evening games, spectator seating, washrooms and parking.
The fields come after a big year for soccer in Calgary. More than 1,000 youth teams played this spring, the city now has two professional clubs, and Canada co-hosted the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer. More players means more teams competing for field time.
More than 1,000 youth teams
When the Calgary Minor Soccer Association kicked off its outdoor season on April 25, 1,088 youth teams were registered. The association reported record registrations in its under-13 and older age groups.
It's been pushing for more space through a campaign called Fields for Our Future.
The City sees the same problem. More than 700 sports groups book City fields every year, and the City's research found some couldn't get the time they needed, while others had to travel across Calgary to find a field.
"Quality fields are essential to giving youth the opportunity to develop their skills, build confidence and experience the benefits of team sport," said Bernie Morton, the association's president, at the opening.
"These new fields will provide more opportunities for kids to practice and compete while helping meet the strong and growing demand for soccer space in Calgary."
Mayor Jeromy Farkas said the city has to keep building as it grows. "That's what we need to do to keep up, but to be a great city we need to do something a bit more," he said.
The two new fields bring Calgary to 15 City-run athletic parks, with 31 soccer fields.
Two pro clubs
Calgary now has professional soccer for both men and women.
Cavalry FC has played in the Canadian Premier League since 2019, at ATCO Field at Spruce Meadows. In 2025, Calgary Wild FC joined the new Northern Super League, Canada's professional women's league, giving young female players a pro team to watch in their own city.
The pro clubs are also working with youth soccer. This year, Calgary Minor Soccer and Cavalry FC expanded the Soccer in Schools program, which aims to reach up to 15,000 students from kindergarten to Grade 9 in 2026, with equipment, coaching and visits from pro players.
A World Cup summer
Canada co-hosted the 2026 FIFA World Cup with the U.S. and Mexico. Calgary wasn't a host city, but it joined in.
The City teamed up with Cavalry FC, Calgary Wild FC and Calgary Minor Soccer for public watch parties downtown, and a free program called Soccer City FC, with soccer sessions at Peace Park for kids aged eight to 17.
Across the country, a survey for Canada Soccer by Abacus Data found 54 per cent of Canadian adults had at least some interest in soccer after the World Cup. It ranked soccer as Canadians' second-favourite sport after hockey, and ahead of hockey among adults aged 18 to 29.
Why turf matters in Calgary
Calgary's outdoor soccer season is short. Grass fields can be unplayable after heavy rain or during the spring thaw, and need rest after heavy use.
Artificial turf can open earlier in the spring, stay open later in the fall, and handle more games. The lights add evening hours. The City says the new fields will also let it rest and repair its grass fields.
The trade-off: turf costs more to build, maintain and eventually replace, and it costs more to rent.
At $26 million, Rocky Ridge works out to about $13 million a field, though that also covers the lights, seating, washrooms and parking. The City estimates building it supported about 100 full-time jobs and added $11 million to the economy. Those are construction estimates, not permanent jobs.
How to book the fields
The fields can be booked through the City for soccer games and practices, and for other field sports.
Right now, they're available on Thursdays from 5 to 10 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To book, call the City at 403-268-3800, option 2, and confirm times and rates when you call. Check the City's field status page before heading out, since fields can close for weather.
Fourteen years in the making
The fields were first identified in a recreation master plan for Rocky Ridge in 2012. The Shane Homes YMCA opened next door in 2017, but the fields stayed on the drawing board.
Council approved money for the park in its revised capital plan in 2021. Construction began in September 2024, at an estimated $25.1 million. Teams started booking the fields on Sept. 24, ahead of the official opening.
An indoor field, if council funds it
The outdoor fields are the first phase of the Rocky Ridge Athletic Complex. The second is an indoor fieldhouse with a FIFA-standard field, which would give northwest teams somewhere to play all winter.
It isn't a sure thing. The City has approved $7.5 million for design, which runs from 2026 to 2028. The fieldhouse is expected to cost about $75 million, and construction won't start until council approves the money, which it'll consider in the 2027-2030 budget. The City lists the construction start as "to be confirmed."
Another indoor field is closer. The $71.8-million Belmont Fieldhouse and Library, in Calgary's far south, is under construction and set to open in 2027.
Calgary wants 89 fields by 2050
Under its recreation strategy, GamePLAN, the City wants 89 athletic park fields by 2050, about one for every 22,000 residents, and 2.5 times as many bookable hours at athletic parks and indoor fields.
It won't be cheap. A recreation plan council approved in February 2025 says the City needs to invest about $200 million to $250 million a year across its whole recreation system, including pools, arenas and fieldhouses, not just soccer. That's a target, not approved funding.
One of the next projects is a new athletic complex in Saddle Ridge, in northeast Calgary, planned with four turf fields, a cricket field and a future fieldhouse. The City has the land, but no construction dates yet.
Keeping soccer affordable
Fields are only part of the cost of playing. In August, Calgary Minor Soccer froze its player fees for the 2026-27 indoor season and the 2027 outdoor season, its second straight year without an increase. The association said it wants to keep soccer affordable as more kids sign up and costs rise.
Sources
Rocky Ridge Athletic Park opens new opportunities for sport in northwest Calgary, City of Calgary, October 2026
Rocky Ridge Athletic Complex, City of Calgary
GamePLAN: research and planning, City of Calgary
This summer, downtown Calgary comes alive through sport, community and connection, City of Calgary
Calgary's youth soccer season kicks off as World Cup momentum builds, Calgary Minor Soccer Association
Calgary Minor Soccer announces collaboration with Cavalry FC, Calgary Minor Soccer Association
Growing the game without growing player fees, Calgary Minor Soccer Association
Mayor Jeromy Farkas's comments as reported by the Calgary Herald. Abacus Data survey as released by Canada Soccer.
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