Community Engagement in the West End

Soccer in the Streets announces the expansion of the new Station Soccer- West End. Since opening in October 2016, Station Soccer - MARTA Five Points has hosted more than 2,000 soccer players from Metro Atlanta, as well as the United States, and the world. These players represent every creed and color, united by a common love for soccer.  

Community engagement is a key component to these Station Soccer fields. The new, public fields have brought with them a fresh excitement to the Five Points and West End areas by providing an easy way to play soccer. The West End Station has been especially successful in bringing a community together through soccer and it continues to grow.

The Community Program Manager at Soccer in the Streets, Toussaint McClure, emphasizes that Station Soccer will highly impact the West End community.

“Cultural exposure is an extremely important piece to community engagement,” he said. “The West End Station is an important addition to the community because it provides kids and adults an easy access space to play soccer. The people who participate in the programs and events at the station will benefit both on and off the field because they get a chance to connect with people from within the community along with people from different communities.”

As the community grows through soccer in the West End area, parents of participants are also influenced. Soccer in the Street parent, Rinah Gardner, shared her thoughts on the program.

“This organization is very welcoming to my kids and I couldn’t be happier to have them involved with the coaches,” she said. “It has benefitted my kids because the sport was new to them which allowed them to grow into a sport that they now love.”

Soccer in the Streets has a vision that all children have the opportunity to succeed. This vision levels the playing field for all, affording access to the sport regardless of race, gender, religion, or socio-economic status. As the youth players grow through the community program, the Station Field provides them with another way to access the beautiful game at no cost.

The goal is to grow throughout the community in a positive way. Specifically by engaging the community together through sport.

A fellow member of the West End Community, Ehlahd Israel, works closely with the youth players and has seen the players, as well as the community, grow. He reflects on the program with sincere positivity.

“Once the community sees the initiatives are open to the public and their kids can come in receive training for free, just like at the Five Points MARTA Field. The community will think highly of it,” said Israel.

The excitement for the new Station Soccer- West End Field is nothing short of amazing. Israel has been in the West End for years now and enjoys the soccer buzz that Atlanta is now beginning to possess.

“The progress of the sport in the community and especially with the Atlanta United MLS team up the street gives the community ‘hope’. Introducing them to soccer gives a necessary platform to help these kids grow,” said Israel.

Station Soccer Expands

Atlanta United Foundation and the City of Atlanta Collaborate with Soccer in the Streets and MARTA to expand Station Soccer

Station Soccer-West End pitches to be unveiled Saturday, September 8th.
Public contest to create a new Station Soccer Logo underway;
online voting begins immediately

ATLANTA (August  15, 2018) – The Atlanta United Foundation and the City of Atlanta, through its Department of Planning and Design, today announced an official collaboration with Soccer in the Streets and MARTA to expand StationSoccer, the world's first network of soccer fields inside the perimeter of major transit stations. Officially named StationSoccer – West End, the second location of this innovative project will be marked by the unveiling of two new community pitches at MARTA’s West End station on Saturday, Sept. 8 at 12 PM.

·      To view the renderings of StationSoccer – West End, click here.

“This is a milestone moment for the Atlanta United Foundation and for our partner's Soccer in the Streets, the City of Atlanta and MARTA,” said Atlanta United President Darren Eales.  “The Soccer in the Streets - West End project represents the Atlanta United Foundation’s commitment to promoting positive change in Atlanta’s historic Westside communities. It also furthers our mission of providing access and opportunity for individuals across our city to enjoy the game of soccer.  We are very proud of this collaboration and look forward to continuing to support the great work being done by Soccer in the Streets.”

StationSoccer – West End is a culmination of a group of partners aligned toward providing access to soccer for all and connecting communities. The first StationSoccer location was opened at the Five Points MARTA Station in 2016. Additional Station Soccer locations will be announced at a later date as part of the program’s planned expansion. The Atlanta United Foundation, City of Atlanta and MARTA are committed to the growth of StationSoccer over the long term, and the StationSoccer – West End project is a result of a collaborative effort involving other key partners including the Transformation Alliance as part of the Strong Prosperous and Resilient Communities Challenge (SPARCC), MLS WORKS, the U.S. Soccer Foundation, Musco Lighting, FieldTurf, Deluxe Athletics, OxBlue, Kaboom, and Hothouse.

“Atlanta United has approached its commitment to the community with the same energy fans take to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on game day. These innovative soccer pitches are more than a new environment for young people to learn to play soccer,” said Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. “Developing safe and welcoming spaces throughout the community for youth to engage in positive activities help our neighborhoods thrive and restore pride in underdeveloped areas of the city.”

The West End event on Sept. 8 will kick-off with a 5v5 youth soccer tournament at StationSoccer - Five Points (Station Soccer’s first MARTA pitch) starting at 10 a.m. The tournament includes competition among four Atlanta-based Soccer in the Streets high school boys and girls teams. The top two teams will advance to the final, which will be played at the new StationSoccer – West End pitches following the dedication ceremony. All tournament participants will travel to West End Station via MARTA for the championship match.

“In addition to providing transit services to millions of customers, MARTA proudly supports Station Soccer as a healthy, innovative and meaningful way of deepening our connections to the communities we serve,” said Jeff Parker, MARTA’s GM/CEO. “The StationSoccer pilot at Five Points Station was a huge success and we’re excited to be working with our partners to expand the program to include more rail stations.”

With the activation of the new StationSoccer location, Soccer in the Streets will conduct a public contest for the creation of a StationSoccer logo. The submissions are posted online, and the winner will be selected by public vote. To vote for the new logo, go to the @soccerstreets Instagram page and “like” your favorite logo.

“Thousands of kids in Atlanta miss out on being able to participate in grassroots soccer because they can’t get there to play. Expanding StationSoccer provides underserved youth with new ways to thrive both on and off the field,” said Phil Hill, Executive Director of Soccer in the Streets.

Sanjay Patel, Director of Strategic Projects for Soccer in the Streets added “Collaboration has been one of the important aspects of bringing this project together. Through this initiative we look forward to building the first League of Stations here in Atlanta, growing the game of soccer and providing life skills along the way - the train has left the station.”

The StationSoccer Logo Contest winner will be announced on Sept. 4 and the banner with the new logo will be revealed on Sept. 8 at the West End opening event.

For more information on voting, contact Tess Patton: Marketing & Communications Coordinator at tess@soccerstreets.org

ABOUT ATLANTA UNITED FOUNDATION

The Atlanta United Foundation (AUF) strives to make the game of soccer accessible and inclusive for individuals across the state of Georgia. Through the global game of soccer, our grant programs stress the importance of physical fitness while building a supportive culture of play and sportsmanship. AUF invests in nonprofit organizations that make soccer fun, exciting, and accessible for individuals who otherwise would not get to participate. AUF is an affiliated fund of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.

ABOUT SOCCER IN THE STREETS

Soccer in the Streets empowers underserved youth through sports-based training, character development, mentoring, and employability programs. Our organization serves in a holistic and comprehensive way. Reaching kids on the field, in small-group classroom sessions, through hands-on experiences and activities, and participation in youth leadership councils. Equal access to quality soccer training and educational opportunities, as well as leveling the playing field across the board, are also key elements in our core mission. Our organization is behind the construction and programming of the first soccer field inside a metro hub – ‘Station Soccer’, an innovation recognized worldwide. For more information about Soccer in the Streets, visit www.soccerstreets.org, or follow us on Twitter at @soccerstreets and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/soccerstreets/.  Press inquiries contact Tess Patton at tess@soccerstreets.org

ABOUT MARTA

MARTA was established in 1979 as a combined bus and rail transit system to provide safe, convenient and affordable public transportation for Atlanta area residents and visitors. Since then, MARTA has grown to become the ninth largest public transportation system in the United States providing more than 430,000 daily passenger trips. MARTA’s funding is sourced primarily from a 1 percent sales tax in Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton counties and the City of Atlanta. MARTA is a significant part of the regional and state economy contributing an estimated $2.6 billion in economic activity every year and supporting an estimated 24,000 jobs. To find out more, visit www.itsmarta.com.

ABOUT THE CITY OF ATLANTA

Under the leadership of Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, the vision for the city is One Atlanta – a safe and welcoming city with world-class employees, infrastructure and services, an ethical, transparent, and fiscally responsible government, thriving neighborhoods, communities, and businesses and residents who are equipped for success. To learn more about the City of Atlanta, visit: www.AtlantaGa.gov or follow us on social media at @CityofAtlanta.

Joel Apudo: A positive role model and mentor at Five Points Marta Station

For Joel Apudo, being a coach and mentor with Soccer in the Streets is like working for Santa Claus. No … he isn’t taking gift requests for Christmas, but each minute he spends on soccer fields in and around Atlanta brings the satisfaction that can only come from the wide smiles on the faces of budding soccer players.

Joel, 22, was born in Dayton, Ohio, but has lived with his parents in Atlanta for the past eight years. In the eyes of many youth soccer players and adults, he is a community leader.

"I started playing soccer at my local YMCA around the age 8, my dad was the one encouraging me,” Joel said. “My parents both grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, but my mom isn’t that into sports. I kept playing and at the age of 11, I met the first coach who inspired me to be a soccer coach. He was young, but he was the best soccer player I had seen at the time. He always told me that if I ever stopped playing I should think about coaching."

The coming of Station Soccer, the field at the Five Points MARTA station, has ushered in a novel approach to soccer in the city and Joel is all-in on the concept and the positive results that have come from the program in a relatively short time. Joel has been inspired and motivated by the power of soccer to bring together youngsters from all over the city -- attracted to a game, but taking away much more from their time on the field.

“Joel is an excellent example of what we strive for in terms of our coaching staff,” said Lauren Glancy, Director of Programs at Soccer in the Streets. “His ability to connect and build relationships within the community through the medium of soccer allows him to serve not only as a coach but as a role model and mentor.”

“The kids are all so eager to learn and they are respectful,” Joel said. “I love that it gives me a chance to teach the kids about the mental part of the game. I think it’s something that is hard to talk about especially with young kids but for me, it’s something that needs to be understood early. Being mentally tough, and intelligent is much more than just a soccer lesson.”

That said, the lessons have been a two-way street for Joel. The interaction with the youngsters at the Five Points MARTA Station has had a profound impact on him, presenting Joel with the opportunity to help the players deal with their emotions within the context of a sport. The program has also seen Joel become an important, positive influence in the lives of the players. Each time on the field, Joel learns a bit more about himself and becomes a better coach while also recognizing that his words and actions have an unquantifiable but important influence on the young players as they grow with the game and into themselves.