40 Under 40: Lindsay Kraun

It’s hard to say what’s more important to Lindsay Kraun, her love of soccer, her love of fun, or her love of the career as a pediatric OT which has led her, roundabout, back to the first two.

“I fell in love with it. I get to have that individual attention with kids, I get to work on things that are meaningful to them and their families. I get to be creative. I don’t have to be at a desk all day, I get to play all day. I’ll call that one like it is every time.”

Her job at Kids Creek Therapy in Johns Creek led her to one particular patient who loved soccer even more than she did. But, as a child with cerebral palsy, he was likely to have limited chances to play it, if at all. So, she searched for a solution, finding the national CP soccer league – and also learning they didn’t have a branch in Atlanta.

“My famous last words were ‘how can I help?’”

Now the founder and coach of the Atlanta team, Kraun still finds time to play recreationally with JAM Sports Atlanta and is also a certified referee with the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF). But coaching is her new greatest passion.

“I’m so much more grateful to be coaching an adaptive team because when you play at a high level for so long, sometimes it becomes all about the competition, so it gave me back a lot of my love and joy for the sport.”

This summer, two CP Soccer Atlanta players attended CP Soccer US’s national summer camp, where Lindsay also served on staff.

“Two Jewish values have particularly guided my life: B’tzelem Elohim, the belief that we are all created in G-d’s image, and Tikkun Olam, our responsibility to repair the world. I carry these values into my work as a pediatric occupational therapist and as the founder and coach of CP Soccer Atlanta. I believe all kids deserve the opportunity to participate, grow, and feel a sense of belonging. When those opportunities don’t exist, we have a responsibility to create them.”