The free Black Players For Change Spring Break Soccer Camp is for kids ages 10-14 and runs through March 26.
In Cleveland, the soccer fields at Saint Ignatius High School were filled with excitement on Monday as young athletes came together for the start of the Black Players For Change Spring Break Soccer Camp. This three-day program, provided at no cost, is designed to offer new opportunities for youth in Cleveland, especially those who may not have had exposure to the sport before.
Justin Morrow, a graduate from Saint Ignatius in 2006 and a successful professional player in Major League Soccer, shared his observation, “I didn’t see many Black kids playing soccer. It’s a sport that is more commonly associated with the suburbs in the United States. Coming from a closer-to-the-inner-city background, I rarely saw kids who looked like me coming from similar areas.”
The idea for the camp was conceived by current Wildcats senior, Justis Olorunto, and Morrow. Together, they are the founders of Black Players For Change, an organization that is committed to promoting diversity in soccer and establishing opportunities for black youth in the sport.
“Growing up, I never really saw anybody that looked like me playing soccer, and it was always difficult to see that,” said Olorunto, who recently signed his National Letter of Intent to play soccer at the Ohio State University. “So just finding ways to make other kids comfortable is really big for us.”
For the young participants, ranging in age from 10-14, the camp provides high-quality training, mentorship, and free equipment (each camper receives a soccer ball and t-shirt on the first day). Many of the participants are already members of Ohio City Soccer Club, a free-to-play community nonprofit in Cleveland that works to make the sport accessible to all children regardless of economic background.Â
Fourteen-year-old Lailati Mutoka, an eighth-grader, has only been playing soccer for a year, but already shows promise as a striker.
“It’s so much fun. I like meeting new people, and I really like soccer,” Lailati said. “I learned to pass to my teammates because you have to communicate to score.”
Eleven-year-old Daniel Message, who plays defense, appreciated the personalized coaching.
“We dribbled and juggled and tried to juggle with our heads and knees,” Daniel told us. “The knees ones I liked, but I didn’t like the head one. It was kind of difficult.”
The camp represents a meaningful collaboration between two generations of Ignatius soccer players. Olorunto, a three-time OHSAA state champion and 2024 High School All-American MVP, is following in the footsteps of Morrow, a former MLS All-Star and the 2021 MLS Humanitarian of the Year.
Morrow now serves as head of sports partnerships and programs at the University of Southern California’s Race and Equity Center, but remains committed to his Cleveland roots.
“It’s a way for me to give back to a city that’s given so much to me,” he said. “It was a big part of my professional soccer journey, and it warms my heart to see the kids out here.”
The camp runs through March 26 on McLaughlin Field at Saint Ignatius High School, but both organizers are already looking toward the future. They hope to expand the program in coming years, reaching even more young players throughout Northeast Ohio.
“What we want to see is just maybe every year we get out here,” Olorunto said. “The goal is to keep on doing it and just getting bigger and bigger and more kids showing up.”
The partnership with Ohio City Soccer Club helps ensure that participants have opportunities to continue playing after the camp ends, creating a sustainable pathway for development in the sport. For the campers, the impact of these three days might last a lifetime.
“I want to say thank you for creating this,” Lailati said. “It’s very fun, and a lot of kids like it. I really love it.”
The camp will conclude with a special panel discussion featuring current and former players, where parents and campers can ask questions and hear about potential pathways in the sport.
To learn more about Black Players For Change and their initiatives to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in soccer, click HERE.
