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BEHIND THE STRIPES

The Stuart Family

By Atlanta United FC

July 9^th, 2025

Liam Stuart’s got one thing and one thing only in his headphones before he takes the pitch. It’s a movie that helps him get in his zone, full of energy and wonder for the world around him. It’s “The Lion King”.

“We used to joke that he spoke Swahili before he spoke English,” said Liam’s mother Thea.

He might be the only professional soccer player across the world that chooses “Circle of Life” as his pregame hype mix, but that’s just what makes Liam, Liam. He could talk about Disney movies for hours, and he will if you don’t stop him.

He’s fascinated with Pixar Theory, a popular online speculation that every single Pixar movie is from the same universe and timeline. Disney movies are his wheelhouse, and aside from the whimsical stories they tell, Liam likes them for another, more profound reason.

“They don't just tell stories,” he said. “They also teach us about lessons in life. The Lion King: don't run from your mistakes, you learn from them. Beauty and the Beast: you gotta have love in your heart, because if you don't, then, what will life offer you? Aladdin: don't try to pretend to be somebody that you're not, because eventually it’ll get revealed.”

He’s just as calculated and passionate speaking about his favorite movies as he is recounting his favorite moments of his Atlanta United Unified career. Liam, who was born with an intellectual disability, has played for Unified for five seasons now. He’s come a long, long way from his childhood, when according to his family, one therapist told them he’d never learn to speak.

“He’s worked really hard,” Liam’s father, Jim, said. “Seeing him in the first [job] interview that he did, watching it brought tears to my eyes. How articulate is he? You see the maturation that occurs over the years … I’m just so astoundingly proud of him.”

BEHIND THE STRIPES

BEHIND THE STRIPES

BEHIND THE STRIPES

Liam didn’t get to where he is today without serious resolve. As a young child, his parents said he would just make noises, like imitating planes as they flew by.

“For us, you have to remember that they’re not any different the day before than they were the day after that diagnosis,” Thea said.

His family committed wholly to getting him the help he needed. That meant speech therapy, social skills classes and other alternative education paths.

Nothing came without struggle. Liam’s parents remembered the friction of early speech therapy visits.

“That was the worst day of my entire week, Wednesday,” Thea said. “I was the worst mom because when [the therapist] brought him back to me, she said he wouldn't do anything for her and that he doesn't talk and he was never going to talk.”

Liam was always extra inquisitive and insightful in a way sometimes even his own family couldn’t believe, especially when he did begin talking. Thea remembers how he dealt with a family dog being very sick in the hospital, turning to his mom and saying, “She doesn’t want to be here anymore.” Two days later, they put her down.

“There were always glimpses of it,” Thea said. “… I realized at that point that he just sees things a little bit differently than we do, and it's just a question of what it is he sees and how he tries to communicate it to us.”

BEHIND THE STRIPES

Thea had a simple two-part rule when raising her four children:

“You have to do something in my house, that was the rule,” she said. “You can do an art, and you can do a sport. I don't care what they are, I think it makes people more well-rounded if you have both.”

Young Liam chose acting for his art, one of the ways he began to branch out socially. Unsurprisingly, he found his way into a junior production of “The Lion King” as Simba. The photos are just as adorable as you’d think.

To fulfill the second part of mom’s rule, Liam ran cross country, played basketball and more. But soccer didn’t come until a little later. No, the beautiful game he would find later, in quite a unique way. In a social skills class, he met a friend who played for North Fulton United.

The club is made for special abilities individuals, hosting leagues for athletes 9 and older. Liam heard from his friend of how fun it was, and he thought that could be a good idea for him. After all, soccer runs through the Stuart family, starting with Thea and running down to all three of Liam’s sisters. They were the ones who introduced him to the sport in his early years.

It was at North Fulton United where Liam met the founder of the club and now-Atlanta United Unified coach Marty Jelleme. Soon after, Jelleme asked Liam to play for Unified, something he never could’ve imagined doing.

“It's great how they have programs like these for people with disabilities,” Liam said. “I never thought that my family and I would have a bit of an involvement with Atlanta United. I'm very lucky that I get to be a part of it, because you never know where the dream will take you.”

BEHIND THE STRIPES

BEHIND THE STRIPES

Unified has taken Liam all over. Los Angeles, Austin, Dallas. He was selected as one of two MLS Unified All Stars from Atlanta United in 2023, playing at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. This weekend, he’ll get to travel internationally to Canada when Atlanta United Unified faces Toronto FC Unified Saturday, July 12. You can livestream the match, which kicks off at 9:30 a.m. ET Saturday morning, at atlutd.com/live, on YouTube, Facebook and X.

Liam’s first career goal came in New Jersey against New York Red Bulls Unified June 24, 2023. He found himself in front of goal and thumped a shot off the left post and into the goal. Throwing his hands in the air, his face lit up as he ran towards his teammate Dylan Lenze on the sideline. Liam jumped on Dylan’s back and promptly fell right off.

“I didn't really listen to his entire direction,” Liam said with a chuckle.

It was perhaps his most iconic moment to date, or at least that’s the word he said coach Marco Patrie used.

BEHIND THE STRIPES

BEHIND THE STRIPES

BEHIND THE STRIPES

BEHIND THE STRIPES

BEHIND THE STRIPES

Liam is growing through everything Unified has to offer. The friendships with teammates, the travel across the country and soon the continent, the healthy competition — it’s all invaluable life experience for him and the other Unified athletes.

“These aren't opportunities that everybody gets,” Thea said. “It's such an amazing experience for him to get to travel with the team and learn new skills. [He can] be uncomfortable but be comfortable with being uncomfortable and learning and growing.”

His mother, who hasn’t missed a game no matter how far away from Atlanta, can see how fearless he’s become on and off the pitch. He’s making conversations with people from all walks of life and developing lifelong friendships.

Now a five-year veteran of the Unified squad, Liam is using his breadth of experience to help the next generation of Unified players.

“He gets asked to get up in front of people to talk now, and he does a really great job,” Thea said. “I'm so proud of him. He's become more of a leader.”

BEHIND THE STRIPES

BEHIND THE STRIPES

BEHIND THE STRIPES

A driver’s license, a degree in video game design, a YouTube channel for streaming, a professional soccer career with Atlanta United Unified. Liam is living a life he’s worked for.

“All those [classes], week after week, look at you now,” his dad told him with a look of pure parental joy.

Liam rushes to thank the long list of people that helped him get there. His parents, his sisters, his extended family — some of whom will be able to watch him play for the first time when he takes the pitch in Toronto.

“It means a lot because, I have the most supportive family in the world,” Liam said.

The Stuart Family’s gratitude knows no bounds. The man who introduced Liam to Atlanta United Unified is, of course, on that list.

“Coach Marty, his wife and daughter, all the people that are involved in this, they're incredible,” Jim said. “They’re so selfless. They give up a huge part of their lives to do this. They’ve made it possible for Liam and others to get through this. There's no way we can really thank them enough.”

Liam took time to acknowledge the role the partners, the players on the roster without intellectual disabilities, play in helping the Special Olympics athletes learn and grow. He shouted out Brad Guzan and Jay Fortune, Atlanta United’s first team Unified ambassadors.

Jim and Thea thought back to a Spanish tutor Liam had when he needed to get a foreign language credit. She herself was physically disabled, not having fully formed forearms and hands. That didn’t stop her from having what Jim called the neatest handwriting he’d ever seen.

“If that doesn't tell you that people can overcome,” Jim said. “I don't know what does.”

Her attitude set an example for Liam even when assignments were difficult.

“Liam would tell her I can’t,” Thea said, “and she would look at him and go, ‘Liam, I don’t believe you.’”

So many people have uplifted Liam, but his own hard work defines his Atlanta United Unified career and his entire life.

“There are some people out there that say that people with disabilities can't do this, they can't do that, but we're proving them wrong right now,” Liam said. “It's not something worth listening to. I just ignore all those and just play the beautiful game … Just keep doing what you would you like to do. Play soccer and just try something and be the best version of yourself that you can be.”

BEHIND THE STRIPES

Footnotes

Story by Adam Jasper / Feature photos by Dave Williamson / Additional photos by Julian Alexander, Noah Goldberg, Mitch Martin, Karl Moore, Casey Sykes

FootNotes

Story by Adam Jasper / Feature photos by Dave Williamson / Additional photos by Julian Alexander, Noah Goldberg, Mitch Martin, Karl Moore, Casey Sykes

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