Soccer in the Streets is a finalist in this year’s Industry Awards from the World Football Summit

Soccer in the Streets is a finalist in this year’s Industry Awards from the World Football Summit. SITS is one of five finalists in the category of Football For Good. Overall, awards will be handed out in eight different categories. The winners will be announced on September 24-25 at the Florida Retiro, in Madrid, Spain.

The World Football Summit is a leading international event organizer with a focus on the football industry. Around the sport, a global industry has emerged creating a sector that is growing at a double-digit rate. WFS provides a platform and a voice for all stakeholders involved, allowing them to meet, discuss, promote and genera business opportunities amongst each other. The WFS has been operating since 2016.

“To be a finalist for this award is an honor,” said Phil Hill, executive director of Soccer in the Streets. “Our success is a credit to our founding partners -  the City of Atlanta, MARTA and the Atlanta United Foundation. Without their generous support, we would not be able to conduct all of the great programs that we run nor continue to expand our StationSoccer initiative.”

Other finalists in the Football For Good category include Football United (FUN) from Australia and Myanmar, Fundacion Tiempo de Juego from Colombia, and Africa’s TackleAfrica.

We’ll keep you updated on the winners. For more information and to see all of the finalists, visit https://worldfootballsummit.com/wfs-industry-awards-finalists/.

Georgia Power & Atlanta United surprise our West End youth players

A summer Tuesday afternoon practice turned into a surprise experience for the West End community youth players. Starting practice with very few details, coach Joel Apudo led the community team through their normal paces. However, waiting in the wings was Michael Parkhurst, the captain of MLS side Atlanta United, who would join training on the StationSoccer-West End pitches and announce to the youth players that they will be attending the team’s August 11th match. This incredible experience would have never been possible without the generosity of Georgia Power and Atlanta United.

“Community is an important pillar in the motto for Georgia Power,” said Mike Anderson, president & CEO of the Georgia Power Foundation. “If you take care of communities, the rest will take care of itself.”

Soccer in the Streets works to impact the communities throughout Metro Atlanta. The organization does this not only by bringing in vibrant green spaces to dead spaces but also bringing the awareness of soccer to these communities. 

“Part of our job as a professional athlete is to give back to the community,” said Parkhurst. “Hopefully, some of these kids have a dream to be in my shoes one day. I want to be a positive role model for them.”

The surprise visit was once-in-a-lifetime experience for these youth players. Being able to practice and learn from a professional athlete was awesome. Then, to watch an MLS game from a suite and walk onto the pitch at halftime for a video presentation made these young athletes dream big. 

“To have Parkhurst and Georgia Power present the kids with this opportunity and bring the importance of this partnership to their knowledge is incredible,” said Tony Carter, Soccer in the Streets Director of Programs. “When we walked out on the pitch at halftime to watch the surprise video recap, the look on the kids smiling faces let me know that we are doing the right thing with our program. These opportunities bring so much joy to our players.” 

Check out the video and pictures below to watch this experience! 

Leeds Beckett University Volunteer Program

Soccer in the Streets had the honor of hosting the Leeds Beckett University Volunteer Program as they visited our youth programs this summer. Since 2016, the volunteer program has worked with our organization and has created something special. The program volunteers strive to be leaders and impact the community. For them, working with Soccer in the Streets has allowed them to have a second family in the United States. 

Leeds Beckett University is based in the United Kingdom. The volunteer program encouraging students to have a global experience during their time at University, helping them become global citizens. Leeds Becket is known for its sports programs and their volunteers want to spend part of their summer in the USA, working at summer camps or coaching. The areas they work tend to focus on community-based programs and through a charity with sustainable and ethical values. 

This summer, eight wonderful volunteers spent their summer with theSoccer in the Streets youth programs. Not only did they provide coaching expertise at our camps but they raised $1,370 for Team Chelsea in ATL Champions League, held on July 13. All of the funds from the annual event are used to fund the Soccer in the Streets programming.

“We want to give back to the youth of Atlanta that may not have the chance to play otherwise,” said Cara McCosh, Senior Project Officer at Leeds Beckett. “The goal is to engage the youth in conversations around soccer including working as a team which could help them with employability and life skills.” 

The volunteers had a chance to explore Atlanta and experience the difference in culture from the UK. One of the stops on their trip was a visit to Atlanta United and the Atlanta United Training Ground where they met with President Darren Eales, a UK native. Eales presented each of the volunteers with an Atlanta United kit. 

“It was such an honor to have Darren give them jerseys by hand at the training grounds,” said Tony Carter, Director of Programs at Soccer in the Streets. “To have the MLS team be a part of their trip to the States was amazing and was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.” 

This summer made a huge impact on these eight volunteers. Supporting Soccer in the Streets and what we strive for as an organization has shown tremendous efforts from these once college athletes.

“It was an amazing two weeks in Atlanta with the Soccer in the Streets kids,” said Elliot Homes, a Leeds Beckett Volunteer. “It was a pleasure to coach some of the talented players in the youth community programs, whilst also visiting some amazing places.”