Atlanta United recognized at Atlanta Sports Awards

Atlanta United has obviously had a lot of success in a short time since joining MLS last season. The team has broken attendance records, set records as an expansion team, and has helped set the bar for expansion teams in the league. Add to it getting recognized for their achievements among other Atlanta sports teams. Atlanta United took home three awards at the 2018 Atlanta Sports Awards.

That’s right, Coach of the Year went to Tata Martino, Miguel Almiron won Professional Athlete of the Year, and the club won Team of the Year. If there’s a key to Atlanta’s success, it has been that the fans are giving the team tremendous success. Without the support and noise that the crowds bring week in and week out, the team might have a good product to put on the field, but the energy and atmosphere that has made Atlanta United so prominent wouldn’t be the same.

It probably bears repeating that Atlanta United has done this as an expansion team. Other Atlanta teams have been really successful over the last year so it isn’t like the competition wasn’t stiff either. The Atlanta Falcons returned to the playoffs in 2017, winning their wild card round game and only losing to the future Super Bowl champions the Philadelphia Eagles. The Atlanta Braves opened a new stadium in 2017 and while they weren’t exactly successful, it seemed to set the stage for what’s been an exciting season in Marietta this year. The Hawks may not have had a noteworthy season, but the team has the best social media account you could hope to follow. Still, Atlanta United took home three trophies:

The awards come after Atlanta United was nominated for Sports Team of the Year in the 2018 Sports Business Awards, which was won by the Las Vegas Golden Knights, and Sports Executive of the Year award, won by Arthur Blank. With Nashville SC seemingly taking a cue from the Five Stripes and hiring Ian Ayre, a former Liverpool executive, to be the CEO, teams who are joining the league are looking to follow the successful model that United has created. With the team winning awards like this, they have good reason to do so.