Pan Am practice fields closed to public

Security will be beefed up at several Hamilton high schools being used for Pan Am soccer practices — bad news for people hoping to watch the elite teams.

Back in January, the Toronto2015 planning committee announced Pan Am soccer athletes were staying in McMaster University dorms during the games.

To avoid the traffic into Toronto , the eight men’s and eight women’s soccer teams will practise at Hamilton high schools St. Thomas More, St. Jean de Brébeuf and Bishop Ryan, as well as City View Park in Burlington.

“The practice fields are not open to the public. Accredited media can access the practices,” Catherine Martin, a spokesperson for Hamilton Police, wrote in an email.

“The fields themselves are fenced and those who are not accredited will not be allowed entry into the fields.”

Like Hamilton’s CIBC Pan Am Stadi- um, the practice fields are part of the “field of play” of the games. The idea is to prevent competing teams and coaching staff from gaining an advantage by snooping on their practices. Closing off the fields during practice is standard procedure for high-profile sports events.

The tournament will be played at Hamilton’s CIBC Pan Am Stadium from July 11 to 26.