Atlanta United, in partnership with the Atlanta United Community Fund (AUCF), embarked on a mission to Montana for a week of free youth soccer camps, celebrating another year of impactful summer programming out West. Youth players, ages 5-14, were immersed in skill-building drills and small-sided games, guided by the expertise of Atlanta United's renowned Camps and Clinics team.
A highlight of the AUCF Montana programming was the soccer camp held on the historic Northern Cheyenne Native American Reservation. The camps returned to the cities of Billings and Livingston to wrap up the week.
- 2024 marks the sixth year of summer programming in Montana.
- Over 275 youth players took part in the 2024 soccer camps learning, growing, and uniting through the love of the game.
- Since its inception, the soccer camps have welcomed nearly 2,000 youth players across the state of Montana.
- For the first time, the Atlanta United Community Fund is granting $65,000 to the three groups that participated in the 2024 programming to fuel the growth of local soccer programs.
Atlanta United's GA 100 program is an initiative aimed at expanding the accessibility of soccer in Georgia by developing and enhancing up to 100 soccer fields and facilities across the state. Augusta Arsenal Soccer Club’s pitches marked a milestone for GA 100 and were the tenth and eleventh pitches officially opened.
Through the GA 100 program:
- 29 grantees have pitches that are either completed, in development, or ready to break ground.
- Over 2,500 pieces of equipment have been donated to youth players across the state.
- GA 100 pitches have directly impacted nearly 3,000 youth soccer players.
- To date, 24 Atlanta United first team players have attended GA 100 openings.
Each youth player at a GA 100 event receives:
- Atlanta United branded soccer ball and t-shirt
- Meet and receive instruction from Atlanta United first team players
- Fun giveaways from Atlanta United Street Team and food from local vendors
The Atlanta United Unified Team hit the road for a team-first trip to the pacific coast to take on LA Galaxy’s Unified Special Olympics team. The Unified Team spent the day whale watching and later met up with LA Galaxy Unified for beach soccer and dinner.
After a nail-biting 11v11, full-field match, it was Atlanta United Unified that clinched the 3-2 victory in front of 250 fans, including the support of 5 first team players.
The match was highly received on social media with coverage outshining the first team match content that week, despite the time difference!
Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Gallagher Insurance, for all of their support and to Delta for providing an excellent California experience!
To close out the first-ever Atlanta United Unified vs. Nashville SC Unified derby, the two teams took the pitch at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 14. Earlier in the day, the teams visited the Georgia Aquarium and participated in the traditional team walk before watching the professional match.
When the teams took the pitch, there were over 750 passionate fans cheering proudly from the stands, while a record-breaking 15,000 fans tuned in to the livestream. In a thrilling finale, Atlanta United Unified emerged victorious with a close score of 3-2.
Social coverage of the match performed very well, especially the final score graphic which highlighted the second consecutive undefeated season for the Atlanta United Unified Team.
Atlanta United invited two Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta pediatric patients, Aiden Patino and Nick Colley, to design custom match day elements that chronicled their pediatric illness journey and celebrated the unique ways they remain brave throughout their fight.
Nick, a pediatric cancer patient, collaborated with Atlanta United homegrown talent Caleb Wiley to design a custom scarf that blended the essence of Atlanta United with his favorite post-treatment meal—tacos and burritos.
Meanwhile, Aiden, a spirited heart patient, teamed up with Atlanta United player Efrain Morales to create unique kit numbers that were proudly worn during the Pediatric Illness Matchday on October 5th, adding a personal touch of Aiden’s “favorite things” to the professional team’s kits.
