Inducted January 2000
 

Steve Weeman is a soccer visionary, and his vision began when, along with Don Kemp, Steve founded the Fayette Count Youth Soccer League.
 

Steve, working with many dedicated volunteers, guided the creation of the soccer complex at McCurry Park, organized and worked on the installation and maintenance of the fields, the landscaping of the other areas and the construction of the concession building.  Steve also did the scheduling for the league, as well as the inter-league scheduling for the Fayette, Clayton, Peachtree City, Coweta, Griffin and Fulton County leagues.  He was the scorekeeper for all of the competitions and the source of information for all of these cooperating leagues.
 

In 1983, Steve formed and coached the first Classic Division team south of Atlanta, the Fayette Lightning, and then when single-year age groups were begun, he persuaded the Fayette, Clayton and Peachtree City leagues to join together to form the South Metro Lightning Soccer Club (now AFC Lightning).  Steve realized that youth players could learn and develop best at the most competitive levels in the State.  The Classic Club’s inaugural season was in 1984 with five teams: U-11, U-12, U-13, U-14 and U-16 (note: Brian Moore, who later coached the U-19 Girl’s State Champions, played on this team).  From this beginning, the AFC Lightning Soccer Club has grown into one of the largest and best-known Clubs in Georgia and the Country.
 

Then came Indoor Soccer.  In 1988 Steve convinced a group of investors to start Soccer Centre, Inc.  In that group were some familiar names, notably Gary Nidiffer, Don Kemp and Bryan McDermott.  As usual, Steve contributed with design work and actually built the dasher boards for the indoor arena himself.
 

In 1990, Steve and the club’s dedicated volunteers took the Club to the next higher level, and asked David “Chaddy” Chadwick to become staff Director of Coaching, at that time a radical unprecedented move in Georgia.  The payoff was immediate. “Chaddy” coached the 74’s to a Georgia Classic Division Championship that year, becoming the first of many Lightning Soccer Club teams to achieve a championship.  That same year, the U-16 team was runner-up in their age group.
 

In the mid-1990s Steve stepped back from Club leadership, but in 1997, he again took the reins as President to help reorganize and restructure operations.  He instituted a Club Executive Director, another unprecedented move in Georgia.  From his 20-year vision came a thriving Club, many State and National Championships, and the only National Championship for a Georgia Youth Team up to the year 2000.  Because of Steve, many new youth soccer players and families experienced the sport.  Soccer in Georgia has truly been strengthened by Steve’s vision and accomplishment.