Altanta United Special Olympics Unified Team

Released September 13, 2024

In this special mini-episode, we cover the history of Atlanta United Special Olympics Unified, a team of athletes (those with intellectual disabilities) and partners (those without intellectual disabilities) that come together to play soccer in an inclusive manner.

On Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, Unified plays their first home match of the season at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Following the first team match between rivals Atlanta United and Nashville SC in Major League Soccer, the clubs' Special Olympics Unified Teams will kick off. After the final whistle of the MLS match, supporters are welcome to stay and cheer on the Unified superstars as they take the pitch.

Atlanta United's Special Olympics program has been baked into the club's identity since the inception. The Unified Team played its inaugural season in 2017, just like the first team. That first year, there were 14 members and the team played two matches, one home and one away against Orlando City SC.

Atlanta United director of community engagement Marissa Ahrens shares the story of how the program got started. We also hear from Unified team manager Lina Saul on what to expect at a Unified matchday and play-by-play announcer Mike Conti on his memories and observations calling Unified matches.