MARTA, Soccer in the Streets, and the Atlanta United Foundation officially opened a new soccer pitch on Saturday as part of the StationSoccer project.
Located at Kensington station in DeKalb County, this is the fifth of 10 pitches opened as part of a planned “League of Stations” – an effort to make youth soccer more affordable and accessible.
StationSoccer was launched at Five Points Station in 2016, resulting in the first soccer field in the world built inside a transit station, and has since expanded to West End, East Point, and Lindbergh Center Stations.
Doraville, East Lake, Bankhead, H.E. Holmes, and Civic Center rail stations will, eventually, complete the “League of Stations.”
StationSoccer – Kensington features two pitches and will house community gardens and showcase a mural by Kevin Bongang, commissioned by MARTA’s public art program Artbound, and painted in partnership with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Art In The Paint.
“We are excited to partner with Soccer in the Streets, the Atlanta United Foundation, DeKalb County, and others, to bring the popular StationSoccer program to Kensington Station on the East/West Line in DeKalb,” said MARTA Interim General Manager & CEO Collie Greenwood. “MARTA remains a proud, committed partner in developing transit-accessible opportunity and enriching the communities we serve.”
“Soccer in the Streets is excited to open this new location and expand 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.”