‘Let me explain something: Ahmaud Arbery could have been ... ME.’
“Never let your talents box you in — always showcase who you really are.” This advice given to Charlotte Independence pro soccer player Hugh Roberts by his former AAU basketball coach, has stuck with him throughout his career.
On the surface, Roberts is a talented defenseman. He was voted defender of the year for the Charlotte Independence in 2019 and ranks in the top 15 in United Soccer League (USL) history for playoff minutes played. But it is his new found role off the field that shines a light on who Roberts really is.
Shaken by the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery while he was out on a jog, Roberts created an impassioned YouTube video that went viral, speaking out about the fear of running as a Black athlete.
He wrote for the USL website, “Why should I stick to sports? Why should I stick to sports when my kin are getting killed every day just for living? I won’t do it. You know why? Because I’m tired of seeing black families in pain. I’m tired of the injustice … Let me explain something: Ahmaud Arbery could have been my cousin. My brother. My uncle. He could have been ME. His story hit me hard because as a pro athlete, going on runs is something I do daily. The fear of having to check your shoulders while you exercise is traumatizing.”
The Black Lives Matter movement ignited a fire inside of Roberts to use his voice to help amplify others’. He began to use his Backyard Footy podcast platform to highlight Black voices in soccer, helped to found the USL Black Players Alliance, began raising money to give back to the Black community in Charlotte and recently launched a youth mentoring program.
How it all began
Born in Queens, N.Y., and raised in Northern Virginia, Roberts grew up watching his Jamaican-born father play soccer. After joining his first soccer team at 7, Roberts fell in love with the sport but always felt himself being pulled in another direction.
“In America everyone plays basketball, and I wanted to be out playing with my friends,” Roberts said. “So I played a lot of basketball and traveled the country playing on AAU teams. I still played soccer, but it was actually basketball that I went to high school for.”
Eventually Roberts had to make a choice between the sports and felt there were more opportunities for him in soccer. “It sucked to stop playing basketball, but being a dual athlete really helped me a lot and it’s something I encourage young athletes to do,” Roberts said.
Roberts’ talents earned him a spot on the George Mason University soccer team. Though Roberts did not get drafted to a pro team out of college, he was picked up by the Richmond Kickers following a series of tryouts. He would go on to play for the Bethlehem Steel and Pittsburgh Riverhounds before joining the Charlotte Independence in 2019.
Amplifying voices
In 2018, feeling frustrated by the lack of news coverage of U.S. soccer by the American media, Roberts decided he wanted to find a way to shine a light on the sport.
“I knew at least one player from each team by that point, so I thought this would be an opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation and talk about some of the behind-the-scenes things that weren’t being covered in mainstream sports media,” Roberts said. “I bought some mics off Amazon, downloaded the GarageBand app and got started.”
By the time the Black Lives Matter movement began to garner national attention in spring of 2020, Roberts had an established podcast and YouTube audience. With tensions high and soccer play slowed due to COVID-19, he decided to host what turned into several BLM podcast episodes, bringing together Black USL and Major League Soccer (MSL) players and coaches — both current and retired — for conversations.
“I knew I had a platform to make a difference and to help educate people, and I wanted to use it,” Roberts said. The result was a very frank discussion about the state of race and soccer.
In one conversation, players addressed the resignation of FC Cincinnati coach Ron Jans, who was investigated over allegations he used racial slurs in the locker room. They spoke out about the lack of substantial action taken by the club initially and the subsequent backlash faced by players. This discussion garnered national attention, and ultimately FC Cincinnati made a donation of $250,000 to Black organizations to address racial disparities.
In addition to bringing Black voices to the airwaves, Roberts helped to establish the USL Black Players Alliance in August 2020. The group’s mission is to empower Black players to use their platforms to positively impact their communities.
“We need change in higher positions — more Black coaches, more Black attendance, more Black representation to name a few,” Roberts said. “Myself and Brandon Miller got together more than 100 USL players to peacefully protest during every game last season. Now, the headquarters is forming a new impact committee to fight the injustices throughout every club based on our concerns expressed to the commissioner about representation.”
Local efforts
Roberts’ efforts are not just focused on the soccer community. He has also taken steps to make an impact in the Charlotte community. After the death of George Floyd, Roberts created Black Lives Matter CLT T-shirts and donated the money raised to Block Love and the Creative Players Foundation. He subsequently launched the FootysGotYou fundraising site to continue to raise money for these organizations.
Just last month, Roberts also extended his community efforts to getting involved with youth. He launched a four week online program called the Footy Academy, which aims to mentor young athletes on everything from the journey of becoming a pro athlete to nutrition and mental toughness. It will feature interactive Zoom sessions with Roberts and other pros.
With his activism and community efforts underway, Roberts is preparing for the start of another pro-soccer season. “When we get back on the field, I won’t just be running for my club, my teammates or myself. I’ll be running for you. I’ll be running for our culture, our people, and everyone else out there fighting against injustice,” Roberts shared with the USL community.
This story was originally published February 16, 2021 at 10:59 AM.
