NEWS BRIEF: Atlanta United branching out statewide with “mini-pitches”

Grants available state-wide for soccer fields

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Photo credit: CL FILE
Atlanta United Soccer Club Fan

Atlanta United is planning to build 100 small soccer fields all over Georgia before the next World Cup tournament in 2026. The GA 100 campaign aims to give more children access to the sport and already has 16 mini-pitches under construction.

Marissa Ahrens, Atlanta United’s director of community engagement, says the first pitch opens this week in Brunswick. Grants are available for many more. “The most important part of this project was that we open it up statewide, so that we can really start making waves, not only in metro Atlanta, which is where a lot of our grant-making comes into, but far beyond,” she says. The next application period for non-profits, schools, and public parks runs from April through mid-July.

Atlanta is among many North American cities hoping to host World Cup matches and fans four years from now. wabe.org