Atrium Health Floyd-Polk Foundation Boosting Youth Soccer in Region

New mini soccer fields will be built in Rome, Trion and Rockmart, thanks to funds allocated by Atrium Health Floyd and Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center with the help of a grant from the Atlanta United Community Fund (AUCF).

AUCF, an associate-led fund of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, is committing $275,000 to the project, which will help construct a total of three fields, one each for the YMCA of Rome and Floyd County and the cities of Rockmart and Trion.

The hospitals, using funding provided by Atrium Health Floyd-Polk Foundation, will contribute an estimated $325,000 to help complete the projects.

The fields, also called mini-pitches, will be 104 feet by 60 feet, will be lighted and are expected to be completed by the end of this year.

The field in Rome will be built behind the Rome-Floyd YMCA building on Second Avenue. The pitch in Trion will be built at the town of Trion Parks and Recreation Department on Dalton Street. Rockmart’s pitch will be located at Hogue Avenue Park.

“This is fantastic,” said Trion Mayor Lanny Thomas. “We would not have had the financial ability to build this without the help of the Atrium Health Floyd-Polk Foundation. I know we will get a lot of use out of this.”

Scott McCreless, executive director of the YMCA of Rome and Floyd County, said he is grateful for the project.

“This will be an outstanding addition to our already busy youth soccer program,” McCreless said. “We look forward to getting this started and completed.”

Stacey Smith, city manager in Rockmart, said the field will be the first one dedicated solely to soccer in her community.

“We are very excited and grateful. This will be great for kids, and I think the Rockmart High School and Rockmart Middle School will be able to use it for practices,” Smith added.

Rockmart, Trion and the YMCA will provide staffing and programming for their respective fields, which will also be available for public use.

“This project is a perfect fit for our goal of positively affecting the health of people in our communities,” said Dan Bevels, Atrium Health Floyd-Polk Foundation president. “We know that starting healthy habits when we are young is key to staying active as we age. Providing recreational opportunities for kids will help many of them avoid serious health issues.”

The Atrium Health Floyd-Polk Foundation was established in 2021 as a result of the strategic combination of Floyd and Atrium Health. In the affiliation between Floyd and Atrium Health, the parties along with the Hospital Authority of Floyd County and Cedartown-Polk County Hospital Authority wanted to create a lasting way to positively affect the health of the citizens in our communities to avoid serious health issues at younger ages.

The mini-pitches, along with seven others being built in 2025, are part of AUCF’s GA100 initiative, which has a goal of constructing up to 100 mini-pitches in under-resourced communities across Georgia. The latest round of grants raises the total number of mini-pitches either completed or in-development to 40, while spanning 30 different non-profit organizations.

“These 10 new mini-pitches mark an exciting milestone in the momentum of GA 100,” said Skate Noftsinger, senior vice president and chief business officer for Atlanta United. “With 40 pitches now completed or in development, this program is reaching communities in every corner of Georgia and making an investment in the future by giving kids and families across the state a place to enjoy soccer and build lasting connections.”