Friday at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground was a busy one, with upwards of 40 media on the campus for a tour of the training ground's new expansion project and the annual Media Match.
Media members were treated to a tour inside the currently-under-construction expansion of the Training Ground facilities, a build that will nearly double the space by adding a 20,000 square-foot wing that will dramatically increase Atlanta United's training and operational capabilities.
The project comes as Atlanta United has seen incredible growth as a club since opening the Training Ground in 2017. The club's front office staff has nearly tripled, Atlanta United 2 was founded and its Academy has expanded operations thoroughly. It was only a matter of time before more facilities became imperative, and the club invested $23 million into the project.
"When we built this space, it was to be at the forefront," Atlanta United Senior Vice President of Strategy Dimitrios Efstathiou said during the tour. "Now, we're expanding it to be at the forefront again."
President and CEO Garth Lagerwey, Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer Sarah Kate "Skate" Noftsinger and Efstathiou led tours throughout the complex, taking media through each room and explaining what it will be transformed into. The two-story project is expected to be completed later in the summer.
The first commitment of the expansion is to the well-being and health of the players. The brand-new facilities will increase designated space for both First Team and Atlanta United 2 and Academy players to train, rest, recover, study and more. The project includes top-of-the-line tools for player health, including therapy treatment space, a hydrotherapy room and hyperbaric chambers.
One of the key elements of the project is its commitment to content creation. Atlanta United's in-house video and broadcast production team will get not one, but two state-of-the-art studio spaces sponsored by Emory Healthcare for photo and video shoots, live broadcast productions and more. The larger of the two has a near 33-foot ceiling and will be fully equipped with lighting and technical equipment. Upstairs, there will be a control center for the studios.
"[We are] trying to create as many different options to have different elements of the content creator," Efstathiou said.
A second, 4,000 square-foot gym will be another jewel of the expansion, creating a dedicated player performance space for Atlanta United 2 and the Academy. Its fishbowl design will allow it to feel open and inclusive, as Efstathiou stated the club is thrilled to create a safe space for its Academy members.
The additions will allow existing Academy office space to be converted into a classroom, further emphasizing the club's commitment to its educational programs for its Academy members.
Media have a reason to celebrate the expansion as well, as plans include an indoor media room to host press conferences and serve as a workspace for people who cover trainings and events at the Training Ground.
The expansion serves first and foremost Atlanta United, its players and staff. But the capabilities reach far beyond just those people, as the project would allow the club the opportunity to rent out the additional space to other clubs and football federations, particularly for international competitions like the FIFA World Cup in 2026. The Training Ground will serve as a base camp for one federation during the competition, as they will spend six weeks using the new facilities.
The day ended with Atlanta United's annual Media Match, where journalists from outlets that cover the club are invited to play in a 11v11 match on field . Some representatives for the club participated, including Noftsinger, Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director Chris Henderson, assistant coach Kenny Miller and more.
The 60-minute match was a barnburner, as the match featured a multi-goal comeback to tie the game at 4-4. Penalties decided it, and the Resurgens team defeated the Connector team 4-3 in the shootout to claim the cup.
