Olde Hornet
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‘I really thought I was done playing soccer': Tuskegee’s new soccer program is opening doors for Black student-athletes
Tuskegee University is launching its first men’s and women’s soccer teams, creating new opportunities for student-athletes at HBCUs.
thegrio.com
When Parrin Robinson committed to Tuskegee University during his senior year of high school he accepted that his time playing soccer beyond an extracurricular club had come to an end. This is a reality many students have had to come to terms with when choosing a college.
“I have some friends and teammates personally that I know that didn’t really go to the school that they wanted to because there wasn’t a soccer program there,” incoming freshman Daeyciné “DJ” Robinson told theGrio.
However, now for the first time in its 145-year history, Tuskegee University is bridging that gap. This season, the historic HBCU in Alabama, located down the road from where the Tuskegee Airmen once learned to fly, is fielding its first-ever men’s and women’s soccer teams. And the group of players and coaches building the program from scratch is betting it will be more than a footnote in the school’s storied history.
“There are only 19 men’s programs in the country at HBCUs, which is crazy to me,” Tuskegee’s men’s soccer coach Matthew Tarpley explained. “It’s a lot of pressure on our kids and our university to set the standard, to create a blueprint that other HBCUs can follow so that they begin their soccer programs. But it’s a challenge that we’re up for.”
While players like DJ and Parrin recognize the significance of being part of the inaugural team and the potential for professional opportunities, their focus extends beyond that.