Home Industries Business Services RIFC Corner Kicks: Stadium provides special place for sensory-sensitive fans

RIFC Corner Kicks: Stadium provides special place for sensory-sensitive fans

By

James Bessette

-

06/12/2025

Sensory room web photo — PAUL BYRNE, Centreville Bank Stadium's general manager, sits inside the venue's sensory room. It is only the third sensory room housed inside a major sports and entertainment venue in New England. / PBN PHOTO / JAMES BESSETTE

(Editor’s note: This is the fifth installment in a weekly series spotlighting Rhode Island FC and Centreville Bank Stadium from a business perspective throughout the 2025 United Soccer League Championship season. To read past stories in this series, click here.) PAWTUCKET – Amid the cheering, chants, drumming and pyrotechnics during a Rhode Island FC match,

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(Editor’s note: This is the fifth installment in a weekly series spotlighting Rhode Island FC and Centreville Bank Stadium from a business perspective throughout the 2025 United Soccer League Championship season. To read past stories in this series, click here.) PAWTUCKET – Amid the cheering, chants, drumming and pyrotechnics during a Rhode Island FC match, a small room located on Centreville Bank Stadium’s south end provides a brief respite for those with elevated sensory issues. Adjacent to the Defiance 1636 supporter group seating in Section 115 and concession area exists a sensory room, sponsored by national organization KultureCity and The Groden Network, a Providence-based organization that offers treatment services for those with autism spectrum disorder. The room, which was originally slated be used for storage, contains beanbag chairs, fidget tools, specialized lighting, mirrors, noise-cancelling headphones and other elements to help relax those who are experiencing sensory overload. It is also a room that both promotes inclusiveness and healthy well-being for all who attend events at the 10,500-seat venue. Sensory rooms are also a rare find around the six New England states, even though similar rooms are popping up in other arenas across the U.S – especially in the National Football League. Rhode Island’s new outdoor stadium joins Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., and TD Garden in Boston as the only sports and entertainment venues throughout New England equipped with a sensory room. The Providence Performing Arts Center does offer “sensory-friendly performances,” where shows are modified to relax the theatrical environment. However, Centreville Bank Stadium to date is the only large-scale venue the Ocean State to house a specific sensory room. “[This room] sets us apart,” Centreville Bank Stadium General Manager Paul Byrne recently told Providence Business News. “We put together a very good accessibility plan that I’ve been working with fans on making sure they have everything they need. Our building was built across the board to make sure it was accessible.” Byrne said KultureCity first partnered with Rhode Island FC last year by providing “sensory bags” – consisting of headphones, fidget spinners and other calming tools – when the team played its home matches at Bryant University. That partnership continues into this season with both the sensory bags being provided to fans and, now, an accommodating room at the stadium. The room was originally designed to be for storage, but stadium officials felt that space could be put to better use. So far, the sensory room has been used at least once in all of the stadium’s large-scale events, such as Rhode Island FC matches, the June 1 international friendly between Puerto Rico and Nicaragua and the recent Boston Banshees rugby matches, Byrne said. He didn’t have a specific number of users. “People who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder who can’t handle loud noises, or just need a few minutes to reset, this room is critically important for those folks,” Byrne said. Various autism organizations and groups state that loud noises and large crowds – regular occurrences within stadiums – can elevate senses within those who are on the spectrum. As a result, people on the spectrum struggle to cope with the environment, such as having to cover their ears to minimize loud louses or do other self-stimulatory behaviors – known as “stimming.” Including the sensory room as part of the stadium’s infrastructure was a pet project for Byrne from the start. His daughter has sensory needs to wear headphones during Rhode Island FC’s first couple of matches. Byrne empathizes with fellow parents of someone who struggles with loud noises and large crowds given his own experiences. Michael Pearis, Groden’s CEO who has a 24-year-old nonverbal autistic son, can relate. “I know [from] a very young age, trying to take him to sporting events and getting overwhelmed by the crowds, sudden changes in sound and atmosphere, [is challenging],” Pearis said. [caption id="attachment_497264" align="alignright" width="328"]

THE GRODEN NETWORK, a Providence-based autism health services organization, and national organization KultureCity sponsor Centreville Bank Stadium's sensory room located on the venue's south end. / PBN PHOTO / JAMES BESSETTE[/caption] Pearis said Groden’s partnership with the stadium and Rhode Island FC on the new sensory room “by accident.” While touring the stadium before its May 3 opening, Pearis heard randomly that the stadium would have a sensory room. Immediately, Groden wanted to get involved, he said. Pearis declined to say how much Groden is financially investing in the room per its sponsorship, but said money contributed by the social services nonprofit was used to design and complete the room’s construction. However, Pearis did say Groden, as part of the partnership, wants to down the line train stadium staff on de-escalation of individuals that may have sensory issues, such as an outburst, “beyond just a fan maybe having too much to drink.” Groden has also committed to having some of its clients work at the stadium during matches greeting people and handing out sensory bags to fans, as well, Pearis said. The sensory room is also a major piece in the stadium’s and soccer club’s push to include anyone and everyone at events. Plus, that philosophy aligns with Groden’s mission in helping those on the spectrum and related disabilities through relaxation techniques so its clients can experience community activities like everyone else, Pearis said. “For us, the ‘why’ on what we do is so families can go to a Saturday afternoon soccer game, grab a hot dog, soda and sit and watch a game,” he said. “If the behaviors sort of peak, they have a space to go to. They won’t feel like ‘well I can’t him to the game because it’s too crowded or it’s hard to get to or he’s going to freak out because the crowd is too loud.’ We want an opportunity for them to normalize family activities, and that’s what we’re about.”

Current team record (wins-losses-draws): 3-6-3, 12 points; 8th place of 12 in USL Championship Eastern Conference
Result of previous match: Louisville City FC 2, Rhode Island FC 1 (from Wednesday)
Next match: June 14, vs. North Carolina FC at Centreville Bank Stadium, 7 p.m.

James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on X at @James_Bessette.