Another memorable night at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground Thursday, as fans, family and club leadership alike welcomed the 2018 Special Olympics Unified Team. The special signing session is the kickoff for year two of the partnership with Special Olympics Georgia, an MLS league-wide initiative to bring the world’s most popular sport to athletes with intellectual disabilities.
“Our mission as a club is to bring accessibility to soccer for everyone in Georgia, so our partnerships with Special Olympics Georgia is something that’s dear to our hearts,” club president Darren Eales said at the ceremony.
Fans from the Atlanta United supporters groups cheered the squad on upon arrival, then 14 players with and without intellectual disabilities signed their official contracts. The team will practice at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground, and will play two games – one on the road against the Chicago Fire and then one at home in Mercedes Benz Stadium.
“We’re excited today,” said Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra. “We’re excited to have you all back: the Supporters, parents, partner athletes and Special Olympics athletes. This was awesome last year. I remember watching you guys last year play Orlando before we did and it’s a great experience for all of us.”
Joining the players this year will be two members of the first team, Brad Guzan and Greg Garza. They will join the team for training sessions and cheer them on for their two matches this season. This is Guzan’s first year working with the Unified team, while Garza has a year under his belt already.
“My favorite memory last year was just being with these guys, learning from them each and every training session we had and teaching them everything I know about this game,” Garza said. "It was so awesome and I’m so excited to do it once again.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting all the players on the team, but also having more fun nights like this,” Guzan added. “This has been awesome, so I’m looking forward to getting to know the team and just having as much fun we can have on the field learning new things every day.”
For more information on the Special Olympics Unified Exchange Program, click here.
