Football, fútbol, futebol, voetbal, calcio, soccer. The language used to describe the sport might be different, but the root is the same: a beautiful game played with a ball at our feet. Whether you’re kicking off from a state-of-the-art facility like Mercedes-Benz Stadium or on a street-side mini-pitch, soccer fosters competition, promotes pride and evokes joy from all those who participate.
May 25 is World Soccer Day, and as Atlanta United comes together with clubs and nations all over the world to celebrate the beautiful game, we’re harkening back to those first moments. The first time we saw Pelé make the impossible possible, the first time we felt the ball hit the sweet spot at the boot’s laces, the first time the tifo was raised at Bobby Dodd Stadium and the 5-Stripes marched onto the pitch.
Those around the game know all the good things soccer can bring. Here are a few of what soccer has given to the world, the sport’s fans and players, told by local supporters in Atlanta:
Connecting people through conversation
Carter Nichols grew up playing soccer. He started in kindergarten when he was five or six years old and never looked back. He went through his own pathway – rec leagues, middle school, club, high school. Now, he plays intramurals.
“The biggest thing for me is being able to connect with people from so many different cultures, so many different backgrounds, over something so common as a game. When you meet someone from abroad, one of the first questions I always ask is, ‘Oh, do you watch soccer?’ or ‘What’s your team?’ It's always a good way to connect with people, meet new people and always gets a good basis for a conversation with them.”
Bringing in new fans through their support
For Safiya Said, who played collegiately, soccer has helped her develop as a person, both on and off the field. She’s met some of her best friends through soccer. Although her family wasn’t the biggest soccer family to begin with, they’ve supported her pursuits, so the game has brought those close to her even closer.
“I’ve been playing soccer since I was like seven years old, and I really fell in love with it, probably in high school, my senior year, because I thought I wasn't going to play anymore. That’s when I realized that I loved it and I wanted to keep playing. I ended up last minute committing to play collegiate soccer. That’s when I was like, ‘I love the game.’”
Uniting different countries through competition
Countries around the globe come together every four years to watch the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Those tournaments are a magical time when fans root for their favorite country and watch their top club players represent their own.
Haiti is one of those teams that represents on the global stage. It’s the country where Jefferson Toussaint grew up. Haiti, a country in the Caribbean known for its fierce family loyalty and vibrant blue and red uniform colors, introduced him to the beautiful game.
“I first fell in love with football when I was about seven years old, playing soccer in Haiti, in the street in Haiti. It was fun. I really enjoyed every single moment of it. I've met a lot of my friends there… the people that I've met throughout that time, we still keep in touch. I enjoyed every single moment of it. I enjoyed the competitiveness, the drive. It’s just fun.”
Embedding individuals into a passionate culture
Alan Jose Avila was just four or five years old when he was first introduced to soccer. But it wasn’t on the pitch – it was in front of the television.
“I can remember watching my dad watch soccer, watching my family watch soccer, watching everybody kind of getting hyped all together, and I became a part of it.”
Since that moment, his life has changed. He became a part of the soccer community. The introduction in his youth translated to passion and community.
“Being a part of soccer has always brought energy to my life that I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else.”
Creating stability, a focus for those that need an outlet
Playing sports can teach players invaluable skills, more than how to juggle a soccer ball and use your non-dominant foot. It also teaches listening and time management skills, how to work together as a member of a team, the importance of working hard on your own to enhance your skills. Mohamed Diakite knows firsthand those lessons, an education he got through playing soccer.
“[Soccer] changed my life because I got to stay focused on one thing, which was able to help me with discipline. I was trying to achieve my goal, just making sure that whatever I wanted to do I achieved it. It’s something that keeps your mind straight so you're not outside doing the wrong thing. Soccer helps you stay on track of what you really want to do, and helps you as an individual, where you unite in the streets. It takes you away from the streets. In the country where I come from, without football it's not really anything you want to do. It brings joy.”
Kicking off a fun, rocking environment where everyone is included
Matchdays are about wearing the colors of your team. It brings people together you may never have met before, but on that day, you stand side-by-side cheering on the same players, the same team and wishing them a successful result.
Matchdays are also about fun – tailgates, music, beer, chanting. Scarves raised, flags flying. Enrique Rodriguez, also known as DJ 6lactino, is an expert at bringing the good vibes to matchdays. As the official DJ for Apotheos FC, a metro Atlanta club that competes in USL League Two, he brings the swagger and pumps up the crowd – a position he’s grateful and proud to have reached.
“As a kid, soccer keeps you out of trouble. It keeps you busy. It's something that occupies your time, and it keeps you working to strive to something, to strive to be greater in something. Those lessons of hard work and dedication and everything lead to better opportunities in your life, as long as you keep that mentality.”
