Home (2024)

Part 3

2024 in stories

SXSW EDU

The 4ATX team was proud to share their expertise with fellow educators at SXSW Edu through a workshop titled “Verde Leaders: The Power of Soccer and Restorative Practices.” This session invited attendees to participate in Team Circles and explore the ways that Restorative Practices can nurture community in traditional and non-traditional learning environments.

SOCCER SPACES

Lockhart Mini-Pitch

In May, we opened our ninth mini-pitch in Central Texas alongside Soccer Assist and other partners. The project transformed an underutilized basketball court in Lockhart into a brand-new public soccer mini-pitch at Jason K. LeFleur Soccer Complex.

Partners: Soccer Assist, 4ATX Foundation, U.S. Soccer Foundation, St. David’s Foundation, City of Lockhart, Lockhart ISD

Stone Hill Park Sport Court

Then, in November, 4ATX bridged club and community through a commissioned mural for the Pflugerville Parks & Recreation Department’s multi-use sport court at Stone Hill Park. The court features innovative soccer goals that pull from the ground or can be easily stowed again when used for basketball. Covering the playing surface is a stunning mural, titled “Momentum,” by longtime Austin FC collaborator Emily Eisenhart.

Partners: City of Pflugerville, Pflugerville PARD, 4ATX Foundation

Artist: Emily Eisenhart

Muralist: Jana Swec

This mural is a celebration of the playful energy within us all and the power of being in community with others.

Emily Eisenhart, Pflugerville Sport Court Artist

LEGENDS OF THE YEAR

PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA

Each year, 4ATX Foundation partners with Coca-Cola to honor three Legends at the annual "A Night in Verde" gala: one to an Austin FC player for their exceptional volunteer service, one to a local community leader for their outstanding contributions to creating a healthy Central Texas, and one to a young person in 4ATX programs who has shown exceptional growth and commitment to their community.

learn More about our 2024 Legends

Bryan Aviles

LEYENDITA "LITTLE LEGEND"

This isn’t the only honor Bryan earned through his hard work and outstanding coaching this year! In July, he was also named Texas’ only regional recipient of ESPN’s Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award, which honors young people who are “using the power of sports as a catalyst for change and making a positive impact on society.” A chance encounter brought Bryan into our coaching ranks, and we couldn’t be prouder to have him leading our students. Congrats, Bryan!

Hector Jimenez

AUSTIN FC LEGEND

Elias Barahona

COMMUNITY LEGEND

Part 4

YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS

2024 saw 4ATX’s two flagship development programs ignite and advance the leadership journeys of 190 elementary school students, 601 middle schoolers and 16 high schoolers on their way to a better future.

Verde Leaders, which uses soccer to teach critical social-emotional and communication skills to middle schoolers, delivered 13,782 hours of leadership education to 791 unique students throughout the year. During the program’s eighth year we also:

directions_run

Piloted our evidence-informed curriculum to K-5th students for the first time, through two week-long “P.E. takeovers” at Andy Roddick Foundation’s annual summer camps.

handshake

Continued and enhanced partnerships with DLA Piper & SolarWinds, EVO Entertainment, and Siete Family Foods.

forum

Refined curriculum development and coach education processes to elevate program components tied to leadership, social-emotional learning, and Restorative Justice.

how_to_reg

Implemented a new CRM system that improves our operational infrastructure, standardizes registration across all 4ATX programming, and consolidates participant data so we can better serve our students.

The Q2 Verde Youth Leadership Academy (VYLA) is an intensive year-long leadership program empowering twelve high school students from traditionally underserved areas. These young leaders meet weekly to develop personal and professional skills, are paired with mentors from Q2 Software, and serve as coaches, mentors and role models for their younger peers in the Verde Leaders program – while getting paid to do it all!

1,652

hours of leadership development, coaching and mentoring

local high schools represented

Anderson

Navarro

Northeast

Connally

LASA

IDEA Rundberg

Weiss

Harmony

Part 5

Because of 4atx...

In VYLA I learned that to be a coach and a leader, I had to step out of my comfort zone and talk to every child and start to bond with them. Leadership starts there–you know, talking to people and taking risks.

Jacki

Q2 Verde Youth Leadership Academy member

Verde Leaders students report:

94%

feel more connected to their community

92%

feel more capable of achieving their goals

95%

of students feel more hopeful about their futures

I appreciate 4ATX for giving us the opportunity to grow and learn together as a community, especially in these hard times. You all really make a difference.

Angelica

Clinics4ATX participant parent

Playing soccer with Verde Leaders makes me feel at ease. It makes me feel calm, and helps me free myself from the burdens of school.

Verde Leaders student at Gus Garcia Middle School

4ATX builds a connective community with schools, teachers, coaches, and volunteers. Together, we’re creating a network of people everyone can rely on today and in the future, all because of soccer.

Kevin

4ATX volunteer

Part 6

BRIDGING CLUB & COMMUNITY

We love to serve as a conduit between our families and Austin FC. Here are a few highlights that brought everyone together for some unforgettable moments:

Clinics 4ATX Series

PRESENTED BY ST. DAVID’S HEALTHCARE

600+ Students Attended

First-ever clinic and tour hosted at Q2 Stadium, with students from T.A. Brown Elementary

First clinic in partnership with living legend of the U.S. Men’s National Team, Gyasi Zardes

Women in Sports with

Con Mi Madre

PRESENTED BY IGT

55 mother-daugher pairs from Con Mi Madre

Toured Q2 Stadium and watched a panel discussing the importance of women in sports

Met Austin FC forward, Diego Rubio, and received adidas athletic essentials and Kendra Scott gifts

TICKET DONATIONS

800+ tickets donated to our students and families, allowing them to attend matches at Q2 Stadium at no cost

4TH ANNUAL 4ATX THEME NIGHT

July 20th, Austin FC vs Charlotte FC

4ATX patch featured on Austin FC jersey in-match spotlighting our work to fans across the globe

Program families invited to attend the match and select students were honored throughout the night

AUSTIN FC PLAYERS JOIN THE FUN

Players created countless memories for 4ATX families by attending events to play soccer and inspire the next generation of leaders

VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

Launched our volunteer program that saw 200+ Austin FC fans volunteer 822 hours and deepen their connection to our mission

Dear Friends and Supporters,

As we step into 2025, I am honored to reflect on an incredible year of impact and growth for the 4ATX Foundation. Our 2024 Impact Report highlights the transformative work we accomplished together—expanding access to soccer, empowering young leaders, and strengthening the VERDE community.

Last year, we delivered 18,720 hours of programming, directly serving 2,487 youth and family members. Thanks to our dedicated partners and supporters, 587,265 Central Texans now live within three miles of a 4ATX-cultivated soccer space, ensuring more children have the opportunity to play, grow, and ignite their leadership journeys.

Beyond the numbers, 2024 was a year of powerful stories—of students stepping into leadership, of coaches earning national recognition, and of families finding connection and opportunity through our programs. These moments reinforce our belief in the power of soccer to change lives, and they fuel our commitment to the work ahead.

As we look forward, we are excited to launch our 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, charting a bold path for the next five years. We invite you to explore this report, celebrate the progress we’ve made, and join us in building a future where every young person has access to the life-changing benefits of soccer.

Thank you for being an integral part of this mission. Your support fuels the dreams of thousands, and we can’t wait to continue this work together.

With gratitude,

Kaitlin Mauro

Executive Director

4ATX Foundation

Since 4ATX FOUNDATION BEGAN...

99,190

HOURS OF PROGRAMMING

$5.5M

DOLLARS INVESTED

12,742

STUDENTS & FAMILIES SERVED