Maine summers always seem to rush me by. We’re deep into August already and there’s that little hint of fall around the corner. It’s that last stretch of summer when families are sneaking upta camp before the kids go back to school, and friends who moved away are boomeranging back home to get their Maine summer fix. For us here at Hearts, this month also brought some of the biggest news in the history of this club: our plans to build our permanent home at Cassidy Point.
It’s remarkable to be at this point less than two years into playing competitively. A soccer-specific stadium on Portland’s peninsula. A place where we can gather year-round in support of both our men’s and women’s teams can call home, and where we can continue building a club that belongs to all of us.
To even be writing about this is remarkable, and it brings me right back to the gratitude I feel at every major milestone for this club. Gratitude for the people who said yes to this club before it had a name. From the long-distance fans repping Maine at World Cup Stadiums to the local die-hards of the Dirigo Union; from the partners who’ve been so key in supporting this vision, to the staff, coaches, and players themselves; gratitude for every Mainer who’s made this team their team.
Most of all, I’m grateful for the way we’ve all found connection, pride, and joy through this club.
That said, there’s a lot of work ahead of us. The stadium is still years away. There is a lot of community conservation and public planning between now and then. In the meantime, we still have a whole lot of soccer to play at Fort Fitzy.
I’d be doing us all a disservice if I only wrote about the good stuff. The results haven’t been going our way, and we’re heading into the business end of the season with twelve matches to play. We all know how much joy this game can bring, which is exactly why the tough stretches sting.
From day one, we set out to create a new standard for lower division soccer both on and off the pitch. That’s a lofty goal, which is exactly why we pursue it. In a season where things haven’t been going our way on the pitch, it can be incredibly hard and frustrating. Winning is important. We must have clear, unyielding eyes in both our reflection on this stretch and our preparedness for the matches ahead, but we also have to be measured in response when we come up short.
This club is a project larger than a single result, and we have to continue to put the work in daily to improve, to be the best version of ourselves. We have to pick ourselves up, we have to stick together, and we have to go again.
Off the field, there’s a lot for this community to be proud of. In its first year, The Hearts of Pine Foundation delivered more than 215 hours of programming, and this fall we’re bringing the Portland Soccer Project to schools in Biddeford and Wiscasset. We may play in Portland, but as the Soccer Club of Maine, we want kids in every corner of this state to have a little more access to this game and the community that comes with it.
Supporting that work, we’ve just launched our new Soccer for Good merch collection, with every dollar going directly to supporting the Foundation. Check it out here.
There’s so much on our horizon. A season to fight for. A new home to build. A women’s team launch just around the corner. A Foundation that’s just getting started. A whole lot more work to do to make this club everything we believe it can be. Every once in a while, it’s worth looking around and realizing just how far we’ve come.
Soak up these August evenings while they last, and enjoy every moment of these summer days. I’ll see you back at Fitzy soon enough.
Yours in building community through the beautiful game,
Gabe Hoffman-Johnson
Heartsapalooza
📅 Thursday, September 10th
🕤 5:00 p.m.
📍 Thompson’s Point
Heartsapalooza returns for its third annual celebration of soccer, music, and community, bringing Hearts of Pine supporters together for one of the club’s favorite traditions.
Look forward to an afternoon filled with live entertainment, local food and drink, interactive activities, player appearances, and plenty of opportunities to celebrate everything that makes the Hearts community special. Whether you’re a longtime supporter or experiencing Heartsapalooza for the first time, there’s something for everyone.
While an RSVP is not required to attend the event, please help us plan better by RSVP-ing for your estimated group of attendees.