“Closer Look” host Rose Scott, left, kicks around a soccer ball on June 5 with Kaseem Ladipo, executive director of Soccer in the Streets. The scaled-down soccer field is just one of the organization’s several fields located at or near MARTA stations. (LaShawn Hudson/WABE)
It’s clear: soccer, or fútbol, is the planet’s most popular sport. From young children to seniors, an estimated 3.5 billion people follow the game, and roughly 250 million actively play it worldwide.
Like millions of others, Kaseem Ladipo grew up with sport, and now his children enjoy it too.
“You have to go all the way back to when I was five or six, playing in southwest Atlanta at the Young YMCA and getting exposed to the game at an early age. I wasn’t that good at five or six, but by 10 or 12, I had a few skills,” Ladipo said.
Today, as executive director of Soccer in the Streets, Ladipo is leading the organization during a historic moment for the United States, as Atlanta is a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches.
Soccer in the Streets executive director Kaseem Ladipo grew up playing soccer in southwest Atlanta and says early exposure is critical to engaging young children with the sport. (LaShawn Hudson/WABE)
Ahead of the city’s first match earlier this month, the “Closer Look with Rose Scott” team met Ladipo across the street from East Point MARTA station. It wasn’t his official office, but one of the organization’s scaled‑down soccer fields serving as the meeting place as he outlined Soccer in the Streets’ mission and how local youth will take part in several World Cup‑related activities.
“Soccer in the Streets has been around for 37 years. A lot of people think we’ve only been around for 10 years, but that’s just when we launched Station Soccer — our innovative initiative to bring fields and quality coaches to communities,” Ladipo said.
The mission, he added, has always been the same: “To improve the lives of kids through the beautiful game. And we know the importance of the game is not just about getting on the field and kicking a ball.”
For young players, girls and boys, the organization offers clinics and camps through local parks, recreation centers and schools. And because of the World Cup matches, there’s already an increase in kids joining the organization.
Executive Director Kaseem Ladipo, left, speaks about the mission of Soccer in the Streets at the organization’s East Point soccer field with “Closer Look” host Rose Scott and producer Daniel Rayzel. (LaShawn Hudson/WABE)
The Station Soccer initiative is intentionally designed around transit access. The mini‑pitches are located at or near MARTA stations across metro Atlanta.
“Soccer in the Streets has always been about eliminating barriers. The first barrier is cost, because youth sports are getting more expensive. So, we say, let’s provide free access to quality coaching and quality programming. The other barrier is geographic,” Ladipo explained. Being connected to transit is essential, he said, “so it’s not just about having the field in your neighborhood.”
Some of the children will do more than simply attend matches; thanks to corporate partnerships, Ladipo said 150 children will serve as player escorts for every game in Atlanta.
After the World Cup host cities were announced, Ladipo noted, “While many organizations were scrambling to build infrastructure and establish credibility and community, we already had it.”
