Madison Brow went with her mother to the East Point MARTA station in November for ... soccer.
The 7-year-old joined a youth league StationSoccer, which serves low-income communities with mini fields at six MARTA stations — Little Five Points, East Point, West End, Lindbergh, Kensington, and East Lake which opened in October.
Each station has a team associated with it. Madison was headed to the station in November for her team’s end of season party.
“One thing I most like about playing soccer here is my friends are here with me, my classmates, my teammates, and also watching myself improve,” Madison said.
Parents said the program helps develop leadership, social skills and confidence. Organizers say the locations are important for other reasons — it helps promote public transportation.
“We’ve seen (Madison) blossom in her leadership,” said Kelley Brow, Madison’s mother. “We’ve seen that transfer over to school and in church activities that she’s showing up as a leader everywhere.”
Credit: Olivia Bowdoin
Credit: Olivia Bowdoin
Every station, except East Point and Little Five Points, features two mini soccer fields, costing about $600,000 to build, executive director Elijah Miranda said. Both the East Point and Little Five Points stations have one field, due to a lack of space.
In addition to the fields, the West End station features a community garden, which the staff gardener uses to help teach kids about growing vegetables and healthy eating.
Credit: Olivia Bowdoin
Credit: Olivia Bowdoin
Stations are selected using various factors, including proximity to affordable housing and other programs in the area that provide access to youth sports, Miranda said.
The stations hold free soccer leagues for kids ages 4-14, and some adult leagues.
“Some more life lessons that are learned there around finances and financial literacy and managing your finances and responsibility and a job and that kind of thing,” Miranda said.
StationSoccer is an off-shoot of Soccer In The Streets, which was founded in 1989 by Carolyn McKenzie with the idea of starting a league that traveled to various cities, reaching children in public housing and other low-income communities. Today, the organization operates primarily in Atlanta, with leagues throughout the metro area.
“I think the way that we do it now, the impact is greater,” because the program is more consistent, Miranda said.
“Think of it as like the circus comes to town for like a week, and then it’s gone for like 51 weeks,” said Miranda, referring to how the program used to operate.
J.R. Adduci said his 7-year-old daughter, Charlie, is in her third season with the program at East Point.
“Charlie took to it like a moth to a flame. She loved it,” Adduci said.
Credit: Courtesy of: Ronnel Finley, Soccer in the Streets
Credit: Courtesy of: Ronnel Finley, Soccer in the Streets
Adduci said his wife thought it was important for Charlie to participate in a team sport because it could help keep her focused. It also gives kids a space for learning, he said.
“It’s just being outside and playing together. But in a structured environment, so that they’re learning stuff that they may or may not be getting at home,” Adduci said. “But if they are getting it at home ... it’s reinforcing manners, it’s reinforcing respect, it’s reinforcing discipline, it’s reinforcing just the common courtesy of your fellow teammates.”
Both Brow and Adduci are planning to keep their daughters in the program next season, which will begin early 2024.
The organization is working to open 10 StationSoccer locations by 2026, which will coincide with World Cup games in Atlanta. Some of the new potential locations include the Hamilton E. Holmes and Doraville MARTA stations, Miranda said.
MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood said the organization was happy to play a role in helping create a place for kids in local communities.
“When you look around at this space, it’s just space. It’s the fellowship that really makes it special,” Greenwood said.
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