Women of Atlanta United share their stories, paths toward working in sports

March is Women’s History Month, and to celebrate Atlanta United is shining a light on women and girls in sports.

We all root for the lads on the pitch, but women play a vital and inherent part of the club. On matchday, you see them in the stands, in The Gulch, singing the national anthem and operating the halo board. Saturday's match for Atlanta United will include more roles for women and girls, including player mascots, flag kids, the Golden Spike carriers and referees.

At Atlanta United, women operate behind-the-scenes as well. They create the videos you see on social media, help the players stay fit and healthy, cultivate relationships with supporters and the community, and negotiate player contracts. They show up each and every day, and their determined efforts drive the engine so Atlanta United can run full steam ahead.

Here are just a few of our associates whose hard work makes Atlanta United the exemplary club it is. A lot of these women work in fields that are, on average, dominated by men, such as coaching and videography. Their representation acknowledges what women are already doing in the sports industry. They share their stories of how they got here and what they'd like to pass on to others who want to live out their dreams of working and participating in sports:

You've seen a lot of moments as the second person (ever!) hired at Atlanta United. What's one memory that stands out to you?

When we played out first match at Bobby Dodd Stadium after launching the brand two years earlier. It was a tremendous sense of accomplishment and an unexpected reward after all the hard work put into the project. I have since celebrated my 10 years working for Atlanta United and still loving every minute.

Congratulations on 10 years at the club! What an amazing accomplishment. As someone who's been there since the beginning, what advice would you give other women working at Atlanta United and in sports?

My advice would be to stress the importance of confidence, perseverance, and attention to detail, as these qualities have been key in my own achievements in the sports and entertainment industries.

Why soccer? Why Atlanta United?

I grew up making art, playing soccer, and going to my family member’s soccer games. Soccer is in my blood, and I’m so grateful that I was able to find a career that combines both of my passions.

You've created so many amazing products at Atlanta United, from kit collections to Pride scarves. What's one project you're particularly proud of?

I never imagined that accepting a graphic design internship with my hometown soccer team, Sac Republic, would lead me to an incredible opportunity to move across the country and work with Atlanta United. Now, I’m proud to be part of the HERo Collection, celebrating women in sports—designed by women for women. It’s an honor to have contributed to this initiative, our first-ever custom women’s retail collection of its kind.

How much education did you complete to become an athletic trainer?

I studied athletic training at Concordia University, Wisconsin, earning a Bachelor of Science in Sports Medicine and a Master of Science in Athletic Training.

Did your background in soccer inspire your career?

I grew up playing soccer, my family was heavily involved in the soccer community, and I knew that I wanted a career in medicine helping people. Along the way I found a career path that helped me merge both passions. It's very special to be with athletes from their time of injury through their lowest and most emotional moments all the way back to the ones that mean the most, when they get back to the sport they love. I thankfully had many supportive people there for me during injuries and hard times, and I wanted to be that person for the many generations to come.

What would you like to tell young girls reading this?

Dreams aren't just dreams anymore, they are becoming reality. Make it yours!

You're involved in many aspects of production, from designing animations to editing video on matchday. What's one project you've done for Atlanta United that you’re proud of?

In the first six months working with Atlanta United, I led our 2024 schedule release. In sports we’re constantly working with tight deadlines and curveballs being thrown left and right. Our original plan for our schedule release video got scratched with only a few days out from the release date. My role and my background involves motion graphics (aka animation) so I came up with an animated concept that required little filming and no budget at all. I had never led a project to this point, nor had I animated something to this scale, but I knew I was capable. Long story short, my amazing video team backed me up and supported me in this project and we were able to get it done, and I was so proud of myself for committing to this task, even though I didn’t know all the ins and out of the project and hadn’t been at the company long, I said yes… and I slayed.

For those of us who also want to slay in our fields, what's the key?

The enemy of success is perfection. My reel was not perfect when I applied to my first internship, my first job, I make mistakes all the time, but if I wait for perfection, I miss out on the opportunities in front of me. Don’t wait, do.

Women make up a small portion of sports law, but it's an area that seems to be growing. Tell us a little bit about your path to working in player personnel.

I studied Sport Management in undergrad as a member of the women’s varsity soccer team at Baldwin Wallace with a dual minor in Finance and Legal Studies. I then received my JD from University of Miami School of Law as well as my LLM in Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law.

And why did you want to take that path?

Growing up I wanted to be a sports agent because I was interested in the legal side in terms of negotiating contracts while still being involved in sports. My family is a big sports family in all aspects, and I can’t imagine my life without that team atmosphere. After law school, I realized I enjoyed working on the team side understanding the rules, regulations and negotiation of contracts from a team perspective. I think its unique to be able to apply all the foundational legal principles like antitrust and labor law to sports on a daily basis. I also think it’s great to say I love what I do every day, even the long days in sports, I think we are lucky to have a job that doesn't feel like work.

What's one moment from your career that you're particularly proud of?

During my time with the Colorado Rockies, I helped negotiate an $84 million dollar extension for our starting shortstop, and I am most proud of that because I think I was able to utilize everything I have learned in an academic setting as well as my experience on the agency and team side to negotiate a mutually beneficial contract. I also greatly enjoyed the process of researching comparative players and salaries as well as the strategy behind the negotiation. I’m excited to bring this experience to Atlanta United and continue to learn and grow professionally.

You were an educator for a long time. How did you wind up working in sports?

I majored in Art History in college, and my first job after graduation was at a museum in Washington, DC. At the time, I never imagined that my career path would eventually lead me to the MLS. Before joining Atlanta United, I spent 25 years in education, an industry traditionally dominated by women. Transitioning into the world of professional soccer, where the environment is largely male, was certainly an adjustment!

How does being an educator help you in your current role?

If there’s one thing my journey has taught me, it’s that you don’t need a sports management degree to thrive in this field. So many skills — communication, project management, relationship-building, and sales — are highly transferable across industries. The ability to connect with people, organize complex initiatives and adapt to different environments is just as valuable in sports as it is in the arts, business or education.

I believe I bring a valuable perspective. Working with young men goes beyond just coaching soccer — it’s about shaping character, fostering emotional intelligence, and helping them grow into well-rounded individuals. I often find myself reminding my male colleagues that our role isn’t just to develop players but to guide these young men through a crucial stage of their lives. Many of them are navigating challenges beyond the pitch, and it’s important that we create an environment that supports this.

Almost all of the emails that hit the Inboxes of Atlanta United subscribers have gone through your hands. How did you pick up those skills?

I earned my undergraduate degree in marketing and business management from the University of Texas at Arlington, then pursued my master’s in writing at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

What have you learned from working in sports, and how has it affected your outlook?

I approach my career in sports with optimism and authenticity. In spaces where there aren’t many who look like me, I encourage young women to show up as themselves rather than shrink. By doing so, we inspire others and create new opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds. Representation matters, and I embrace the responsibility of paving the way while staying true to myself.

You took an interesting path to get to sports photography. Do you mind sharing your story with us?

My original dream career when I was in high school wasn’t working in sports, it was to go to the United States Naval Academy and be an officer in the Navy. During my freshman year of high school, I realized that I wasn't well-suited for a nine to five desk job filing papers. One day while driving through Annapolis, Maryland with my dad, he started telling me about the Naval Academy. From that point on, I decided: "That's what I am going to do. Be in the Navy."

If you're unfamiliar with the process of applying to a service academy, they're not like other schools that you can apply to during your senior year. It's a three to four year process that includes applying to nominations from senators and congressmen, applying to be a candidate for admissions, many extracurriculars and summer programs, many interviews, physical fitness training... It's a lot.

By my senior year, I had everything completed and lined up except the fitness examination. Exactly seven days before my scheduled exam, I tore a ligament in my foot and was wearing a boot. The academy informed me that I wouldn't be able to reschedule my examination and, after four years of hard work, I wasn't going to give up on my dream. So, I had to push through the pain and try my best in the exam. Ultimately, I did not perform as well as I had hoped and was unable to go to the Naval Academy. I saw all of my hopes and dreams shatter in front of my face.

However, I always loved photography as a hobby. When I was 16, I bought a GoPro with my summer job savings and started making videos at my high school's football games. My school's media director noticed my work and lent me one of his spare Canon DSLR's to mess around with. So, I would go to all of my friends' various games after school and take photos of them.

Fortunately, I applied to other schools besides Navy and I decided to attend the University of Maryland. I had no idea what I was going to study and I was scared. A friend of mine's mom knew someone that worked for the University of Maryland's football team and she put me in contact with them about student internships. Sports photography was always a fun hobby that I loved, but when I realized that you can pursue it as a career, it was a no-brainer.

Aside from enjoying photography, I was a massive sports fan thanks to my dad. He raised me as a single parent and raised me on anything and everything sports. From listening to “Sports Talk 980” on the radio in the car everywhere we went to constantly having ESPN or various sports on the TV while I was growing up, my dad taught me everything he knew about sports, and it is one of the things I am most thankful for.

So, being able to combine my two favorite things, sports and photography, as my career… Pretty easy decision to pursue this for the rest of my life and I am so grateful to have found a career that I am so passionate about and enjoy every day!

What was one dream you had and when did you realize that you had achieved it?

When I was a freshman in college doing coaches film for the football team and driving home every Friday night to photograph my high school’s football team, I would say to myself, “Taylor, one day you are going to shoot an NFL game for an NFL team.” I would repeat this to myself often throughout the past several years in the beginning of my career.

In November, I had the opportunity to travel with the Falcons to New Orleans and shoot their game against the Saints with the Falcons’ photo squad. During that game, I had a moment to myself on the sideline where it hit me. I became flooded with emotion in that moment realizing that I had achieved the longest-term goal that I had set for myself in the very beginning of my career. I whispered to myself, “wow Taylor, you did it.”

As someone who amazingly reached a longterm goal that you set for yourself, what would you tell young women or girls just starting out?

I am going to go with the same advice that I gave in Sonya Ivashchenko’s piece on women in sports, and that is “screw ‘em.” It may be a little unorthodox, but I mean it in the sense of believing in yourself. Sometimes on the sidelines of games or in various scenarios, I am looked at by other photographers as a young girl with blonde hair and long, painted nails that doesn’t know a thing about photography. Regardless of the comments and things that have been said to me before, I have always been able to feel that sense of judgement throughout my career and I know I am not alone in that.

Although it shouldn’t be this way, there’s always going to be people that judge you or think of you differently. But that doesn’t matter, screw ‘em. In my personal experiences of this nature, I like to use it as motivation. When you experience this, always remind yourself: You are great at what you do, you belong here, you matter. Prove them wrong!

Alright, Roshni. For those of us not so digitally inclined, can you tell us exactly what a UX strategist and developer does?

I design and develop digital experiences for our fans with the goal of enhancing their interactions and connections with the stadium and our sports teams. My primary focus is on the apps, including managing and building out experiences for the Atlanta United app, as well as the Mercedes-Benz Stadium website, but I assist with tasks like designing emails and messaging on other platforms as well.

And where did you pick up these skills?

I studied computer science at the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!) where towards the tail end of my program, I learned about the UI/UX industry. It was an opportunity for me to combine my technical background with my love for creativity and design. Admittedly, I never planned or expected to work in sports. All that mattered to me was that I was designing for people I cared about, so to get the opportunity to create work for my own community and see its impact has been so rewarding.

How has working with others at AMBSE influenced your career?

The digital experiences I’ve been able to create would never have been possible without the support and talent of the many women across our departments. I’ve always been in some form of a male-dominated industry, between studying computer science and now working in sports. Starting in college, I knew my biggest strength would come from the other women in the room with me.

Being able to have a seat at the table alongside the other talented United women has ensured that all my projects are inclusive and consider people from all walks of life, a direct representation of our own diverse and incredible fanbase. It also ensures that I’m a better designer for it! Every day I’m learning from their stories, perspectives, and skills, and I’m a more capable associate and person because of it.

What advice would you give to young women about a career in sports -- or a career in design?

For any young women and girls who either want to play in sports or have a career in it, seek out other women. Their strength is your strength, and as we’re all navigating through this industry together, we’ll need each other’s support!

My success is directly tied to the women I work with, and I’m so grateful to be working for an organization that focuses so heavily on uplifting and listening to diverse voices. United we conquer 🙂

You majored in Sport Management at Georgia Southern University. Who or what influenced your interest?

With my dad being a high school football coach, I was always around sports growing up. He got me involved with his teams from a young age, and it was a way for us to connect when work kept him away from home. Being around those environments showed me how much I enjoyed seeing what goes into running a successful program/organization.

What's been one of the highlights of your career?

I’ve been promoted internally twice since starting with Atlanta United in 2022. Knowing that my work is noticed and appreciated is something I am incredibly proud of.

What would you tell a young woman or girl who wants to follow in your footsteps?

Know that you deserve to be in these positions just as much as your male counterparts. It’s easy to have imposter syndrome and believe that you don’t deserve to work in this field. There is a place for you in this industry.

Men generally outnumber women in the video industry. As a video producer, what does being a woman in the field mean to you?

Being a woman in sports is something I never really identified as because I didn’t think of it as being something unique. However, over the last few years, I’ve realized as I have walked into rooms that I might be one of only a few women in it. I approach this with confidence, not necessarily in myself, but rather in what I can do. It brings me peace to know that I can always prove my worth with my work and skillset.

You've directed longform content series such as Rooted In The Stripes for Atlanta United. What would you tell another who wants to step behind the camera and make amazing films?

There is nothing to be afraid of in the world of sports. Your abilities and talents will be showcased in the places that you are meant to be in. Just simply walk into a room, hair up or down, heels or sneakers, and keep your head high; someone in this industry will always welcome you with open arms and the confidence you have in yourself will be what continues to drive you forward.

You were a soccer star at Northwestern University, playing collegiately while pursuing your bachelor's in sociology and your master's in sports administration. Why take your soccer skills and turn them into a career?

I wanted to give back to the game that gave me so much. It allowed me to hone and own my voice, to see the world, to fulfill my dream of being a professional soccer player, and to create an environment where kids can fall in love with this game and take pride in their local team.

How do you approach being a woman in sports, especially coming from the position as a leader and a coach?

I approach being a woman in sport with the mindset that I belong here and that my perspective is valuable in pushing this sport forward.

What would you like to share with other women and girls to encourage them as they go for their dreams?

Don’t wait to apply for a position until you can check every box. Shoot your shot, trust your gut, and never downplay the value you can add to the world of sports!