Navigating the Soccer Landscape in Georgia

Georgia Express is celebrating our 10th Anniversary this summer.  When the club was founded, youth soccer was in its adolescence in Atlanta.  There were a handful of clubs in the greater Atlanta area, venue-centric, with fairly straightforward options for parents and players.  The very best players moved through Academy ranks, up to Athena and Classic play, qualifying for Southeast Regional Championships and National Championship play.

Soccer for the Fall 2018-Spring 2019 is changing rapidly.  Our view at Georgia Express is many of these changes are not for the betterment of players nor for their families.  Here are a few facts along with our point of view on youth soccer.

Georgia Express FC is a member of Georgia Soccer and US Youth Soccer

Georgia Soccer is the primary organization within Georgia for youth soccer.  This includes Rec Soccer (U6-U19), Academy Soccer (U9-U12), and Athena/Classic Soccer (U13-U19).  For the most advanced players and teams at U13 and older, Georgia Soccer teams have the ability to qualify for Regional tournaments through Presidents Cup and State Cup, as well as for Regional and National Leagues.  Georgia Soccer clubs are governed by Rules and Bylaws voted on semi-annually by all Georgia Soccer affiliates.  This includes how games are scheduled and played, how disagreements are adressed, how infractions are evaluated, how discipline is administered.  This includes the recruitment of players by coaches outside of the agreed upon time periods per Georgia Soccer Rules and Bylaws.

A competing organization is US Club Soccer.  Some clubs in Georgia are members of both Georgia Soccer/US Youth Soccer and US Club Soccer.  With this arrangement, coaches may bypass the Rules and Bylaws of Georgia Soccer by recruiting players illegally, communicate and confuse parents, and undermine the workings of Georgia Soccer affiliates.

Georgia Express FC is focused on player development for each and every player

Our leadership and coaching staff have a common point of view when it comes to player development.  That perspective is based on the collective playing and coaching experience of our staff, men who have played in World Cup Qualfiying, who have played Division 1 soccer, who have coached players in Major League Soccer, in leagues throughout Europe, at D1, D2, D3 schools.  We work to train and develop players by providing a variety of opportunities to players based on their athletic abilities, their soccer skillset, their behavioral development, and their love of the game.  For our top players, we provide training opportunities as much as four days as week; however, we do not require this of our top players.  No Georgia Express team trains more than three days per week.  We do not require our teams to travel to tournaments out of state, although some teams decide on their own to travel to tournaments in Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Florida.  Each U11 and older Academy and Select player were provided training at our Genoa FC ID Camp.  We will do the same for our players in July at our West Ham ID Camp.  Why do we treat the best, most athletic player in a similar fashion with players who are not as skilled, not as athletic, not as enthusiastic?  Because children change physically, mentally, emotionally.  Because we care as much about helping to shape young men and women as we care about creating top soccer players.  Our elite players have plenty of opportunity to continue to improve and advance if they are willing to work hard and take the guidance of our coaches.

Georgia Express FC is a proud member of the Atlanta United Youth Partner Program

Our partnership with Atlanta United brings tremendous benefits to each player within Georgia Express FC.  Our very best boys are scouted and evaluated by Atlanta United Academy staff.  Our top U13 and U14 Boys teams have scrimmaged Atlanta United Academy teams at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Grounds.  Georgia Express players have a pathway to the Atlanta United Youth Developmental Academy through our partnership.  Our players and families have access to special ticket pricing.  Georgia Express celebrated Georgia Express Night at the Mercedes Benz Stadium, where over 100 players participated in the pre-game activities including the High Five Tunnel welcoming players to the stadium, Flag Bearers on the pitch, and Player Escorts.  Our coaches have attended invitation-only sessions with Atlanta United staff.

Georgia Express FC works to optimize the development of soccer throughout Georgia

Georgia Express actively assists smaller clubs both in our geographic area as well as those outside of our area. We assist with Academy and Rec scheduling, often bringing different communities together to assist with matchups where teams and clubs struggle.  We actively work to assist the largest clubs in Georgia when they struggle to find opponents for their Academy schedules.  We host tournaments for all clubs and teams as well as send our teams to area touraments, regardless of what other clubs’ participation in our tournaments.  Often this makes things more difficult for our staff and even for our families; however, we feel strongly that working with others lifts all of us.