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Morehouse College is bringing soccer back back to campus per a report by The Maroon Tiger. The soccer team will be a club team, which means that the team is started by a university or students at the non-NCAA level. The club team will be led by five captains: Tommy Mesamours, Shawn Ross, Enosh Mutenda, Amari Bowman, and Esaias Ester, and advised by Dr. Illya Davis, who serves the institution as a professor and the Director of Freshmen and Seniors' Academic Success.
Mesamours expressed the importance of bringing the global sensational sport back to Morehouse “It’s important to bring [soccer] back because, in the black community, it’s not as prevalent.”
On the soccer club's Instagram, its mission statement and values are featured. The mission statement states their goals as to “create an environment of academic, health, and competitive excellence and represent ourselves positively through a heart of service.”
Soccer holds significant importance on HBCU campuses as it promotes representation in the sport and offers Black students a pathway to explore a new athletic endeavor. This is evident through the strides made by Howard University, not only in their Swimming and Diving team but also in their Golf team, which has garnered attention through the captivating ESPN+ docuseries “Why Not Us: Howard Golf”. Fisk University is also dedicated to providing similar opportunities through their Gymnastics program. These initiatives not only showcase the potential of HBCU athletes but also contribute to their overall growth and success.
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Soccer holds great significance within the HBCU community, as it marks the first sport where an HBCU achieved a Division I National Championship. Howard University's soccer team secured two championships in 1971 and 1974, although the NCAA later vacated the 1971 title.
Morehouse has partnered with “Soccer in the Streets” to introduce children to the game at a younger age. The Morehouse club conducted tryouts from September 13th to 15th, dividing players into Team A and Team B. Team A will compete in upcoming tournaments, demonstrating their full commitment to the program. Team B consists of those who show potential but are not yet ready for Team A. They will continue to develop their skills and have opportunities to participate in future tournaments.
Recently, they participated in the Cup of Nations Tournament on September 30th, where they unfortunately lost to Georgia State University with a score of 3-2. The program welcomes anyone interested in playing soccer casually or competitively.
