New Galloway Soccer Field
Announced back in April of 2023, the new Galloway soccer field has finally been finished. Located in the back half of the NYO complex on Chastain Park Avenue NW, the field is a quick walk from Galloway’s campus, allowing students to get there and back easily. The new stadium has plenty of seating for students, staff, and family members to come to support the girls' and boys' teams throughout the season. With the ability to record and live-stream match coverage, the new field will allow the boys' and girls' soccer teams to hold practice and matches regardless of rain, a factor that had restricted matches in previous years. Additionally, the new field will have lights allowing games to be played into the late evening, and a digital scoreboard that will make the score easy to see. The field and its amenities will officially be finished around the middle of the soccer season, roughly early April, when the locker rooms are completed, allowing the coaches and players to conduct the best pre-match preparations possible.
Previously, the soccer teams had played and practiced at the Galloway Athletic Complex on Defoors Ferry Rd NW, around a twenty-minute drive from school. However, due to the deteriorating conditions over the past few seasons, they had been forced to play several games at Franklin Gateway. Practices were also relocated from the Complex to Franklin Gateway, the Green and Upper fields. Due to the multitude of different locations, all needing more convenience for spectators and players alike, the support for the team has slowly dropped over the past few seasons.
When asked about their thoughts on the new pitch, most players had only positive things to say. Avner Belsky (‘25), stated, “I think it’s a great opportunity for our soccer program to grow. We had a great year last year, making the state tournament for the first time in over five years, and the field will only make us better and offer us a place to call our new home.”
Jackson Armstrong (‘24), who has been with the team for the past four years, said, “I’ve never had such a close soccer field to practice on so I’m super excited for the rest of the season.” Even new players, such as Gavin Morrissey (‘25) are beyond excited to have the opportunity of playing on the new pitch as “It’ll create a lot more opportunities for our soccer team to hone in our skills and for our fans to watch our games.” Cole Ruberti (‘26) added, “Our bodies and minds will be thoroughly advanced through the usage of the field.” All conclude the positive viewpoint of having the new field at the team’s proposal.
With the new field open, the team welcomed fans for the first time against Atlanta Classical Academy, with the girls winning six to zero and the boys winning by two goals to one. Further wins against Kings Ridge, Weber, and Saint Francis at the new field were not enough to secure state for either squad, but these results demonstrated the new power of home-field advantage for the Scots. Heading into next season, all those involved with Galloway Soccer hope to see more and more students at the fields next season, to emphasize Galloway’s community outside of the school walls.
By Luke Birch