Like many people her age in love with the beautiful game, Leigh Jakes’ first memories of soccer come from early childhood. She was a bookworm, “mousy” as she calls it, tiny but scrappy, playing against girls well above her age group.
“I had an older cousin who played and I wanted to do everything she did,” Leigh says, “so I decided I was going to play but only if I could play on her team. She was two years older than me, so all I can really remember is just running all over the field and getting knocked down, because I was so little compared to the other girls. So I think that’s what made me tough.”
Florida-born but Georgia-grown, Leigh considers the Atlanta area home, spending much of her childhood in Stone Mountain and McDonough, but even as soccer turned from a hobby to a passion to a career, she credits Atlanta for helping her become the person she is today.
“It’s such a diverse city, and diversity is strength. Atlanta gave me the opportunity to meet a lot of people from different backgrounds, races, and social classes –– just different life experiences that have really shaped who I am and how I can relate to other people both on and off the field.”
Soccer took Leigh far away from Atlanta –– to a professional stint in Chicago with the WPSL’s Red Stars to leagues in Sweden and Finland and back to Chicago –– but when she came back to Atlanta, she wanted to bring the life-changing benefits of the beautiful game to young eager kids, just as she once was. So she got involved with Soccer in the Streets, a program that uses soccer not only to teach the game but also life skills to kids all over Atlanta.
“It’s about providing opportunities to develop through sports, opportunities to develop their character, provide them mentors and employment opportunities as well. It was a big moment figuring out that the kids are actually listening to me, even if they don’t show me at the time, realizing they’re not just learning things on the soccer field, they’re learning ways to implement these skills into their daily lives.”
When Atlanta United went from an idea to a rumor to an actual team, Leigh says she knew right away that the team would catch fire in the community the way it did from the very start.
“It fit so well because there are just so many different communities in Atlanta. We have this generation of people who grew up playing soccer, now they’re having kids, they’re playing in these adult pickup leagues like the ones we have out here at Station Soccer. They’re really taking ownership of the sport here in the U.S.”
From Station Soccer to Atlanta United, she says the beautiful game is an extension of the culture of the city –– embracing and celebrating the individuality and creativity that make its people special.
“Soccer’s not just about listening to the coach and doing X-Y-Z play. It’s about finding your style in the game, figuring things out in the moment and expressing yourself. I think it has a way of reaching people because it lets them express their identity, from their home to their second home, and pass it on to kids.”
And passing it on to the kids has become Leigh’s mission through Soccer in the Streets.
“My passion is finding a way to tap into these different communities. What’s cool with the Station Soccer project is it gives us an opportunity to meet these communities where they are. Access is an issue with this game, and we want to make sure to give people the opportunity to access quality coaching and facilities and to actually feel like they’re part of a game that’s treasured around the world.”
Building the future of the game in the United States is a process that happens step by step, and there are few doing that on the grassroots level more than Leigh and her partners at Soccer in the Streets. And her only focus now is growing it even more.
“I want to make sure this is a sustainable program and make it a model for different markets, so everyone can have access to these fields at major metro hubs with free access to more communities. We’re already at 5,000+ kids this year in 35+ locations and we’re growing, because there’s a want and a need. I’d love to see more programs across the state, more fields for kids to play in, less locked-up club fields around that no kids can get into. And obviously continue this partnership with Atlanta United, to help more people get involved.”
The presence of soccer in America is alive and well on the pitch at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but the future starts in the communities, with local kids learning the game. That’s why the mission of Soccer in the Streets –– and Atlanta United –– is building the beautiful game one block at a time, family by family, across the capital of the South and beyond.
© 2026 Atlanta United FC
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