Meet Brian Stoddart | Director of Coaching and Founder of Champions Football Academy FC

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brian Stoddart and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brian, what’s the most important thing you’ve done for your children?
The most important things I have done as a parent are building a strong and loving relationship with my daughter, providing emotional support, and fostering open communication. Additionally, instilling values such as empathy, responsibility, and a strong work ethic so she develops into a well-rounded young lady.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

Champions Football Academy is a 501c3 organization that offers customized GRASSROOT soccer training programs in a safe and supportive environment. Our mission is to provide the fundamentals necessary to positively impact the Soccer experience for young children in their communities.  Our organization achieves this through soccer programming, mentoring, leveraging resources, and leadership that facilitate our athletes achieving their maximum potential on and off the field of play.  Our innovative training programs prepare and inspire our athletes to succeed in every area of the Champions pathway.

There are several factors that set us apart from other youth recreational soccer clubs, but one of the most important is the quality of coaching we offer. Effective and experienced coaches who are skilled in developing young players both technically and tactically can have a significant impact on the club’s success. We not only teach the game but also instill important values like teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship. We attribute our rapid growth and success to maintaining a supportive and well-organized club administration, access to proper facilities, and a positive club culture.

We are most proud of creating something from scratch and seeing it come to life. We are passionate about creating positive opportunities for youth development. It is incredibly rewarding to impact so many youth in various socio-economic communities to become champions on and off the field.

My journey in soccer youth development began over 20 years ago. Not only did I play the game in Kingston Jamaica but the foundation of my success began while working as a coach and director for InterAtlanta FC for 20 years and as a head coach for the 2009 Boys for Georgia Soccer Olympic Development Program. My initial love of the beautiful game began in my home of Kingston Jamaica. Growing up in Jamaica allowed me to see and experience the disparities for inner city youth in soccer.  This fueled me to create a non-profit organization to help address this issue, which was the birth of Champions Football Academy FC. We created a program that raised donations to help provide soccer opportunities for inner city and under resourced youth in Kingston Jamaica. For over 15 years, we have provided soccer uniforms, soccer balls, and soccer camps year round for the youth in Payneland Jamaica and school athletic programs throughout Jamaica.

We reside in The City of South Fulton Georgia and were fully aware of the lack of quality soccer programming in this area. Youth would have to travel across town to play soccer due to limited availability in South Fulton. We then decided to create our own soccer club to be able to fill the void of quality soccer programming in the area. It was not an easy task initially. We had to get approval by the City of South Fulton Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs department and the City Council in order to operate in the parks. Once we were able to show the value of our program, we were then able to launch our soccer program and have been gaining momentum ever since.

Lessons I have learned along the way include periodically evaluate your goals and assess your progress. Always be professional and give your best effort in everything. Learn from setbacks, failure and setbacks are a part of life. Consider what you can learn from your experiences, as they can provide valuable lessons for future endeavors. Don’t be afraid to step out on faith, change is inevitable and can often lead to the discovery of a better opportunity.

Champions Football Academy FC creates soccer opportunities where soccer is for EVERYONE. We are here to inspire, educate, and create a youth soccer program that has a positive impact in our community. When the call to excellence is high, and the standards for training and performance are too…Champions are created.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

I would take them to several places in the city to have a good time. We would go to The Mercedes Benz Stadium and watch an Atlanta United game. We would grab some delicious food from places like Marcus Bar & Grill, LowCountry Restaurant, and Volare Bistro. For a good time, we could hang out at a lounge such as Spaceman Atlanta. A trip to Piedmont Park for a festival or a concert at Wolf Creek Ampitheater for an exciting time.

In my view, some of the most fun, interesting, and exciting, people and places can be found in The City of South Fulton and The City of Atlanta. City of Atlanta Mayor, Andre Dickens, is making tremendous strides in moving Atlanta forward by increasing opportunities and embracing youth development in Atlanta. Atlanta’s professional sports industry is being dominated by Arthur Blank, founder of the Atlanta United and Atlanta Falcons.  Atlanta and South Fulton are home to legends in the entertainment industry such as Rap pioneers OUTKAST and media mogul Tyler Perry. Atlanta continues to be a powerhouse in the sports, music, and film industry.  Champions is ecstatic to call The City of South Fulton home. South Fulton is a city on the rise, so look out for great things to come from CHAMPIONS.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My wife Stephanie (Executive Director) and our daughters, The youth of Champions Football Academy FC, Georgia Soccer, and InterAtanta FC

Website: championsfootballfc.com

Instagram: championssocceracademyfc

Image Credits
Stephanie Stoddart