The beginning of a new era.

The United Black Players of the United Soccer League, formerly known as the Black Players Alliance, is proud to announce its transition to a new name and a new era of the organization. The group has established itself as an important piece of the USL soccer community. Led by President Hugh Roberts, Vice President Duke Lacroix, Treasurer Akeem Ward, and Secretary Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu; the group has established important partnerships and implemented key initiatives around the league. 

With a mission to address inequity issues within the sport of soccer, the group has set forth goals to make an impact at the youth, collegiate, and professional ranks. Developing a pathway of access and success for underserved youth is of utmost importance to the members of the group. The player pathway provides opportunities and resources at every level of the game and will help to create a sustainable future for minorities in the sport. 

The organization played a vital role in the establishment of the United Against Racism campaign in 2021, launched its youth soccer clinic initiative in 2022, and has plans to expand a number of key programs in 2023. With the support of the USL front office, and various individual teams throughout the league, the United Black Players will continue to make an impact in even more communities around the country. 

“Since our inception, we’ve been able to achieve a number of goals that we’ve set for our organization. The league has been very supportive on a few key initiatives and we look forward to expanding our work under a new umbrella in 2023. We felt the name change was important as we look to move in a more focused direction.” – Executive Director Brandon Miller

In 2020, the Black Players Alliance was formed. More than 100 professional players in the USL joined the group with a common mission to impact positive change on the soccer landscape in the United States. The organization was developed to unite players around the country and utilize the group’s platform to push diversity to the forefront of the league. Not only was the group established to enact change, it was cultivated to provide a space for minority voices to be heard and empowered. Many members have played pivotal roles in the success of the group and the organization looks forward to continuing to amplify their achievements. For more information about the United Black Players visit: unitedblackplayers.org.