Hamilton's first indoor soccer facility is reinventing itself with a new logo and a renewed commitment to the community.

Founded in 1985 by Ancaster resident John McGrane, Soccerworld hosts more than 1,000 athletes each week. Its Web site gets more than 16,000 hits weekly. And it's a preferred indoor training facility for hundreds of athletes, including the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Now Soccerworld is teaming up with Hamilton's public and separate school boards. The organization will offer inner city kids free use of its west Hamilton indoor sports facility, while promoting good sportsmanship and combatting childhood obesity.

"These are all very much a part of what we do," Mr. McGrane said.

Mr. McGrane has also arranged mentoring sessions with pro athletes. Tiger-Cat greats Jesse Lumsden and Danny McManus are both on the agenda. Willow Valley golf pro Dave Drewitt will offer golf tips. Soccer World is also the official indoor training facility of the Hamilton Thunderbirds of the Intercounty Baseball League.

John Laverty, superintendent of education for the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, said 75 inner-city youth will use the Soccer World facility each week through the new partnership.

"John (McGrane) was instrumental in providing a facility to bring those kids together," Mr. Laverty said.

Mr. McGrane is a former Canadian Olympian. He played 10 seasons in the North American Soccer League and was recently inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame.

Today Soccerworld also designs and builds indoor sports facilities for clients across North America.

Soccerworld's new Web site offers local businesses a chance to advertise products and services.

"There's a lot of good, hard-working entrepreneurs we can give exposure to," Mr. McGrane said.

Carolann Bosett, manager of membership sales and service for the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, said Soccerworld marketing manager Carina Fato deserves credit for helping to create the organization's new logo and brand image.

Amazing lady

"As far as the creative inspiration, she's an amazing lady," Ms. Bosatt said.

The new logo features a stylized blue and white soccer ball above blue and green lettering that reads Soccer World Hamilton.

Chris Farias of Kitestring Creative Marketing was part of the team that designed the logo. He said it was important to create something that demonstrates Soccer World's athletic focus.

"It better articulates who they are as a company," he said.

As Mr. McGrane explained, "It's all about launching a new brand. What we want to do is take it to the next level."

Soccerworld's new Web site is found at www.soccerworldhamilton.com.