Spring 2024 Sessions

Sessions are held on Sunday afternoons from 2:00pm - 3:30pm and will run from March 3rd though April 28th, weather permitting.  The Spring 2024 sessions will conclude with an end of season party.  

Location

George Pierce Park 
55 Buford Highway NE
Suwanee, GA 30024

Soccer Fields 9-11  (park in lower soccer parking lot...turn right at 2nd stop sign)

For any general program registration information and/or questions please feel free to contact Amie Eshraghi at [email protected]

TOPSoccer is the world's most popular team sport and among young people it's the fastest growing activity in the United States. Every week a child's life is touched by the camaraderie, competition, and just plain fun that soccer has to offer. To enrich our lives through teaching soccer, AFU started a TOPSoccer Program in the spring of 2003. Until recently, children, teens and young adults with disabilities were limited to the sidelines, watching their brothers or sisters play soccer. Now, thanks to our TOPSoccer program and our wonderful volunteers, players with special needs in our area will have a chance to play.

TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer) is a community based training and team placement program for young athletes with special needs. The program, designed and administered by US Youth Soccer and its volunteer TOPSoccer Committee, provides meaningful learning, development and physical participation opportunities to these athletes through the game of soccer. The emphasis of this program is on development, training, and meaningful participation. TOPSoccer was formed to perpetuate the US Youth Soccer mission statement, which is "to foster the physical, mental, and emotional growth and development through the sport of soccer at all levels of age and competition."  Our goal is to enable athletes with differing abilities to become valued and successful members of the Atlanta Fire United Soccer Association & US Youth Soccer families.

The TOPSoccer Program has three major Goals:

1. These athletes will have FUN. "FUN" is universal and all athletes should have FUN.
2. These athletes will always feel good about themselves, improve self-esteem, fitness and social skills.
3. The athletes will have the opportunity to develop a sense of belonging to a community and learn the value of being part of a team.

Without compromising safety, the primary goal is to have TOPS players be as self reliant as possible. The overall goal is to see these athletes participate and grow in their accomplishments and have fun while they do it!

• Modifications are made to the game to allow full participation and enjoyment to each player.
• One-on-one assistance is available to those who need it from TOPSoccer Buddies.
• TOPS offers a recreational, leisure approach to the game of soccer.

TOPSoccer not only benefits our TOPS players but the whole soccer community. AFU TOPSoccer is fortunate to have volunteers of all ages participating as coaches, buddies, team parents, field crew, committee members and fans.  These dedicated people attest that in    assisting our TOPS players they have  experienced true joy and have learned wonderful lessons about themselves and others. They return season after season and are a valued members of the AFU Tops Family.

TOPSoccer was designed not as a competitor to the programs run by other sports organizations for people with disabilities, but rather as a complementary program that works hand in hand with organizations like Special Olympics to expand the overall training and competition opportunities for people with disabilities.

A TOPSoccer player is defined as any player age 4yrs through young adult who have a physical, intellectual or social disability that inhibits their ability to play soccer in a recreational or community league.