Overcast skies and cool winds did not deter spirited coaching or the players’ competitive juices from flowing at the West End MARTA Station soccer pitch.
On this day, nearly 75 Atlanta Public School P.E. teachers are participating in U.S. Soccer’s inaugural “FIFA Football for Schools” educator training workshop, a worldwide program that brings soccer-based education and physical activity into classrooms.
“They’re teaching us how to be better coaches, better instructors,” said Thierry Jules, a soccer coach at Deerwood Academy on the west side of Atlanta.
His favorite part of coaching is, “Impacting the kids, they’re very moldable — and they’ll listen to you — even if you yell at them.”
As Atlanta prepares to host 8-matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, “We are establishing a relationship with U.S. Soccer, bringing soccer into our schools as part of a World Cup initiative,” said, Devon Jones, Atlanta Public School’s Coordinator of Health and Physical Education. “We are trying to make soccer a little more prevalent in the communities of Atlanta.”
The new home for U.S. Soccer. The federation’s headquarters are scheduled to open this spring.
Lex Chalat, the executive director for the U.S. Soccer Forward Foundation, said integrating soccer into educational systems is the best way to grow the game. And that starts with the teachers.
“They’re learning soccer skills, and hopefully they’ll be able to implement it in their PE classes, their community groups, and their clubs for many years to come,” Chalat said.
