StationSoccer - Connecting Atlanta

Video by Artifact Design, narrated by Odetta Macleish-White

What Is StationSoccer?

StationSoccer is a city-wide community project built around a vision to create a network of mini soccer fields and more, anchored by MARTA transit stations in Atlanta. Affordability and transportation hurdles mean many kids in metro Atlanta area do not have access to safe places to play soccer nor the resources required to travel.

Soccer in the Streets and its partners are closing those gaps by building and programming fields in and around MARTA transit stations. The goal is to build “A League of Stations” whereby kids and adults can represent their own station community and play other station teams by using the public transit system. Through this new innovative place making project, our goal is to connect communities and help cultivate healthy lifestyles through sport and transit.

The Idea Behind StationSoccer

The idea for StationSoccer was born when Soccer in the Streets, Director of Strategic Projects, Sanjay Patel began taking MARTA on his daily commute in 2013 and noticed swaths of unused land, mostly empty parking lots- in and around train stations. Knowing that transportation was the biggest hurdle to sports participation for SITS youth and low- income youth everywhere, he had a lightbulb moment.

Inspired by multi-functional transportation hubs in his native country of England, he thought why can’t we build mini soccer fields on these patches of unused land and create a “League of Stations”. Although initially considered a crazy idea, MARTA gave Soccer in the Streets the approval to pilot the project in downtown Atlanta in 2016.

Power of Partnerships

Soon thereafter, Soccer in the Streets partnered with both the Atlanta United Foundation and MARTA in bringing this project to life, leading to our first StationSoccer project at Five Points Station - the first soccer field inside a train station in the world. The success of this pilot project led to more StationSoccer projects and partners also included the City of Atlanta Planning and Design, Transformation Alliance, Musco Lighting, Fieldturf, and others.

Today, Soccer in the Streets is working with partners to promote a new model for youth development, using soccer as the “hook” to provide life-changing programs, primarily focused on job readiness, that benefit thousands of kids around the city. Soccer in the Streets is also building a social impact sustainability model whereby our adult league soccer league revenues help support our youth programs at the StationSoccer sites.

Project Growth

Over time StationSoccer has evolved into a community project whereby youth and adults are able to connect through safe spaces in and around transit promoting social equity, inclusion, life skills and more, at the same time promoting the beautiful game of soccer.

Soccer in the Streets currently has four StationSoccer locations operating at Five Points, West End, East Point and Lindbergh MARTA stations.

As we continue to build the project and programs across the City of Atlanta we are striving to build engaged equitable communities by developing soccer villages in and around transit hubs. Through our partnerships with these communities we are being thoughtful about what is needed both on and off the field, with the inclusion of additional elements like learning spaces and community gardens where possible.

Now more than ever as cities like Atlanta feel the effects of income inequality, we are working toward what could be a national model of health and well being for generations of youth to come.