ATLANTA (July 11, 2022) – The Atlanta United Foundation, Soccer in the Streets, MARTA and DeKalb County today announced the newest award-winning StationSoccer location at the Kensington MARTA Station. Officially named StationSoccer – Kensington, the newest location is the first in DeKalb County and features two mini pitches. The official launch event will be held on Saturday, July 16th at 10 a.m. in the north parking lot of the station.
To view the rendering and construction photos of StationSoccer – Kensington, click here.
Together with the other locations of Five Points, West End, East Point and Lindbergh, StationSoccer is the world's first network of soccer fields connected to a transit network. The project aims to build a League of Stations and overcome the transportation hurdle that limits accessibility to soccer for urban youth. This new location will also include community gardens and a mural in partnership with MARTA Artbound and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The one-of-a-kind mural is designed by renowned muralist Kevin Bongang and painted with additional support from the team at Art in the Paint.
The Atlanta United Foundation is a grant-making program administered by The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. A committee of Atlanta United associates review and recommend grants designed to make the game of soccer accessible and inclusive for individuals across Georgia.
“We have a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate our rich soccer culture and commitment to growing the game when the eyes of the world are on Atlanta for the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” said Atlanta United President Darren Eales. “StationSoccer is a great example of an innovative project that enriches the lives of youth across the city by making the game accessible, and we are proud to support it through the Atlanta United Foundation.”
“Soccer in the Streets is excited for the upcoming launch of this new location and the continued expansion of our vision to grow the game across the transit network,” said Brian O'Neill, Chairman of Soccer in the Streets. “As StationSoccer grows, we will continue to provide much needed access to the game of soccer and also provide youth with new ways to thrive both on and off the field.”
“We are excited to partner with Soccer in the Streets and expand the popular StationSoccer program to Kensington Station on the East/West Line in DeKalb County,” said MARTA Interim General Manager & CEO Collie Greenwood. “MARTA remains a proud, committed partner in developing transit-accessible opportunities and enriching the communities we serve.”
Together, these projects highlight the importance of collaborative public and private partnerships in terms of community building. Other partners who have helped make the project possible at the Kensington location include HKS, Decide DeKalb, Amazon, Musco Lighting, DeKalb County Commissioners Ted Terry and Steve Bradshaw, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and ESPN Replay.
Sanjay Patel, Director of Strategic Projects for Soccer in the Streets added “With the growth of this project across the region and now the World Cup matches coming to Atlanta in 2026, we are excited and thankful for this type of collaboration to help grow the game where it is needed most, with safe spaces and health equity in mind.”
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Strong4Life—the prevention arm for the pediatric hospital system—is partnering with MARTA and SITS for awareness around its biggest behavioral and mental health prevention initiative yet: the multi-year Raising Resilience campaign. This initiative aims to provide caregivers with the tools they need to teach kids how to cope with challenges, manage stress and ultimately make healthy decisions throughout their lives.
“Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Strong4Life is proud to team up with MARTA, Soccer in the Streets and other local organizations that are dedicated to Raising Resilience in kids,” said Marc Welsh, VP, Child Advocacy & Chief Diversity Officer, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. “Everyone is born with the ability to build resilience, but no one can do it alone. We’re proud to be working within our community to teach kids how to build resilience through art, reading, nature, and now sports.”
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/.
ABOUT MARTA
Established in 1971, MARTA is among the largest transit agencies in the U.S., providing 95 percent of the public transit trips in the metro Atlanta region with 110 fixed bus routes, 38 heavy rail stations, 2.7 miles of light rail, and on-demand paratransit services. MARTA is primarily funded by a 1 percent sales tax in Fulton, DeKalb, and Clayton counties and a 1 1/2 percent sales tax in the City of Atlanta. MARTA’s FY 2032 operating and capital budgets total $1.3 billion.
