Coach Weitzman supports Soccer in the Streets in Atlanta!

Atlanta, Ga. (August 5, 2011)— FC Sonic Head Coach Dave Weitzman and National Premier Soccer League Technical Director and AC Crusaders owner Matt Driver paid a special visit to participants of the Soccer In The Streets program in Clarkson, Georgia while visiting Atlanta for their match with the Atlanta Silverbacks of the North American Soccer League. Driver brought the entire All-Star team and staff to the event.

Soccer In The Streets is an organization that uses soccer as a medium to make its participants employable adults.  Its program in Clarkston is in collaboration with the Decatur-DeKalb YMCA and the Clarkston Community Center.  The majority of its participants in Clarkston are refugees from around the world.  

Although heavy rain thwarted Driver and the All-Stars’ plan to run a training session with the kids, the event couldn’t have gone better.

The children and players took turns sharing their stories and laughed together as they formed an instant bond. To the kids, these All-Stars had instantly become role models and superstars.

Many of the children came from third world countries in Africa and Asia. Most of their parents or guardians don’t have the means to send them to school and provide some of the amenities Americans take for granted.

Several All-Stars including Joseph Omandi from Rocket City United and Adrian Kawuba from Mass United FC also hail from African nations. They shared their family’s stories and explained to the children some of the hardships they’ve overcome to become successful.

Coach Driver and the All-Stars stressed the importance of pursuing an education. They reminded the children that although soccer is a great part of life, a pro contract is extremely difficult to achieve and will eventually expire. However, Driver stressed that an education lasts a lifetime and no one can ever take it away from them.

The Soccer In The Streets children wanted to see the team in action and despite the rain, everyone got to play a little soccer that afternoon. The children challenged the All-Stars to one-on-one matches and skillfully matched their tricks.

Before taking off, Driver gave away several soccer balls. He told the kids if they practiced and stayed in school, one day it could be them in All-Star uniforms talking to kids who look up to them.

Soccer In The Streets is a 501©3 non-profit organization based in Atlanta, Georgia that believes all kids deserve a chance for success. The organization has been a partner of NPSL clubs Atlanta FC and the Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves, with program participants gaining valuable job experience on game day operations and getting a chance to see the day to day operations of a soccer club.  For more information, visit www.soccerstreets.org.