Phone: (888) 436-5833
Website: StationSoccer Website
Instagram: @soccerstreetsâ
Late last year, Plei officially expanded into our 13th market, Atlanta, Georgia! đ Since then, we have only been partnered with one facility, Silverbacks Park⌠until now! Introducing our latest partnership in the Peach State: StationSoccer! As part of our ongoing blog series, we will be highlighting all of our partner facilities in every region where Plei has touched down. đŹ
Keep on reading to learn more about this special city-wide community project that has now expanded to feature a total of five stunning locations across Atlanta! đ
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Thatâs exactly what happened way back in 2013 when Sanjay Patel, now the Director of Strategic Projects at Soccer in the Streets, started taking MARTA public transit. He spotted plots of unused land in and around the train stations, and it hit him that something could be done with these empty grass spaces and parking lots.
Hailing from England, he was inspired by the way transportation has been nearly perfected to be multi-functional and easily accessible from all corners of the country, no matter the age. From this, the idea sprung to life. âWhy canât we build mini soccer fields on these patches of unused land?â he thought to himself. A âLeague of Stationsâ is what popped into his head. It made so much sense to him, and he wasnât going to let this lightbulb moment go to waste.
Flash forward to 2023, and what started as a possible throwaway proposal has turned into a full-fledged, critically-acclaimed city-wide success in Atlanta. This âLeague of Stationsâ - officially known as StationSoccer - was initially approved by MARTA back in 2016.
Soccer in the Streets is a nationwide, non-profit agency that has been providing soccer, educational and life-skills programs for the youth in low-income communities since 1989. StationSoccer is their largest and most successful project to date, and theyâre only getting started.
After securing partnership with the Atlanta United Foundation as well, they brought StationSoccer to life, starting with a field inside of Five Points Station, the first of its kind in the world. It was an instant hit in the city, and more expansions followed soon after.Â
As of April 2023, there are a total of five (5) StationSoccer locations: Five Points, East Point, Kensington, Lindbergh and West End. Further expansion plans will plant fields at the HE Holmes, Bankhead, Civic Center, East Lake and Doraville train stations.
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Address: Kensington Station North Parking Lot, Mountain Dr, Decatur, GA 30032
Hours Of Operation:
Open 7 days a week
One look at this StationSoccer pair of fields from a bird's eye view says it all: this facility is stunning. đ
Once you arrive, either by car or by MARTA bus, youâll notice the sheer amount of space available. Not only is the parking lot huge since itâs the official parking area for the Kensington station, but the facility itself has so much to offer. đ
If youâre into bright colors, youâll immediately fall in love with all the wonderful art surrounding the two (2) 5v5 fields that are available. A huge mural created by local artist Kevin Bongang is vibrant and colorful, and written on the long end of the fields is âUNSTOPPABLEâ, a message for all local soccer players to keep going and not back down. â
Written on the left end of the venue is âBEYONDâ, implying that there is much more to soccer than what meets the eye. The word âRESILIENTâ is plastered on the floor on the right end to send a message of not letting anyone stop you from being unstoppable, either while on the field or in your daily grind, whether itâs work or school. đŞ
We must say, we are now big fans of Bongangâs artwork after seeing what he did here at Kensington. Check out all his other pieces via his website, Instagram or Facebook if youâre interested in keeping up with his art. He just doesnât miss! đ¨
At Station Soccer Kensington, you can look forward to various amenities, such as top-quality turf grass, stadium-quality lighting and plenty of seating areas to either catch a break or watch the ongoing action as a spectator. đď¸
You can even rent out their spaces if you want to hold a celebration or other event. Community events sponsored by Atlanta United and other unique partnerships happen all the time, so follow their social media pages (Instagram/Facebook/Twitter) and keep up with the StationSoccer website if you donât want to miss out.
Thatâs all we have about StationSoccer at Kensington! If you want to read about their four other locations, click any of the following links below. đ
Our partnership with Station Soccer is still going strong! At this time, we proudly host pickup games at their 6ď¸âŁ up-and-running locations at different MARTA stations throughout Atlanta. đ Download Plei from the App Store or Google Play today and sign up for a pickup game now! â˝
