Jacori Hayes wants to leave the game of soccer better than he found it to ensure younger players, like his 16-year-old brother, have a different experience in the sport than his own.
“That’s not to say I had terrible or bad experiences, I just want to make the path better for him and players like him. I want to share my wisdom and things that I’ve learned so that he doesn’t have to go through those bumps and bruises,” Hayes said.
The former Wake Forest Demon Deacon and eight-year professional has worked toward that goal of improving the game throughout his career, highlighted by his work with Black Players for Change, where Hayes has been an executive board member since 2022.
Black Players for Change is a collective of MLS players that formed in 2020 with the overarching goal of creating better representation and inclusivity in the game of soccer.
“It’s creating access for players, but also that extends to more representation in front offices, coaches, medical staffs, journalism, broadcasting. It starts off small, just in terms of creating a better atmosphere for Black players, but I think it is growing into more aspects of the soccer landscape,” Hayes said.
Hayes says that representation is massively important to inspire young people to pursue a career in the soccer world.
“There’s a phrase, it’s, ‘If you can see it, you can achieve it.’ That’s so true that if you see something that is possible, you’re like ‘Okay, I can do it and I can probably one-up it a little bit.’ You can push the boundaries a little bit further than what you have seen done. It’s important for young players to see people that look like them, that they resonate with. Maybe not even just look like them, just that they resonate with their story,” Hayes said.
Others before Hayes laid the groundwork for growth and he hopes his work to build upon that foundation helps the next generation of players continue to build from an even better place.
“I’m not here because of the work I did alone. I’m here because people that I don’t even know their names did a lot of work before me to allow me this opportunity, so it’s just about making sure that the next group of players has a positive experience,” Hayes said.
Hayes has had players to look up to and learn from throughout his career. While those have often been teammates, like Ike Opara at Minnesota United or Kellyn Acosta at FC Dallas, opponents have also offered their fair share of wisdom.
“I remember having a good conversation with Darlington Nagbe my rookie year that still sticks with me to this day. It’s a lot of people that you come across that you get little tidbits of wisdom from to help you in the world of soccer,” Hayes said.
Joining North Carolina FC this offseason, Hayes was immediately impressed by the work being done by one of his North Carolina Courage counterparts, Brianna Pinto.
Pinto spearheaded the Pinto Futbol Foundation to grow soccer in underserved communities within the Triangle. Her foundation aims to minimize structural and financial boundaries to the game through program donations, camps, events and scholarship funding.
“Providing free access to soccer amid such a pay-to-play model here in the US, the work that she’s doing in providing those free soccer clinics, is impressive and incredible and much-needed,” Hayes said.
Though Hayes says he is currently unsure about the extent of his own personal impact within the larger work being done by organizations like Black Players for Change and its USL equivalent, United Black Players of the USL, he hopes to look back on the game once he is retired and be able to see that he was a part of something larger.
“I won’t toot my own horn and say I’ll have a massive impact and U.S. soccer is going to be different in 10 years because of Jacori Hayes, but I’ll just keep plugging away and see what happens,” Hayes said.
Hayes has already made a positive impact on his new team during preseason. While his leadership, both on and off the field, will be a key to the team’s success this season, his work to change the game is already a win.
We asked North Carolina FC players what Black History Month means to them, here is what they said:
“Growing up it was always learning about the first and about the important characters. Always Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, the big faces. But as I’ve grown up, it’s understanding that it’s just the average person. What people had to go through, what they survived through and the traditions and culture they created, despite all that they had to deal with in their day-to-day lives, a country that didn’t really want them to be here and saw them as something other and to persevere through that to create a culture that is respected around the world. It is something truly special to me.”
“BHM to me means recognizing the overcoming of oppression and persevering through hardship to ultimately create a better future for generations to come. It’s important to celebrate black history because it reminds us of those who came before us and paved the way for equal rights.”
“For me BHM is important because it is able to give an insight into the trial and tribulations that black people have endured over the course of history!”
“It feels good to know there’s something to be celebrated specifically for black people.”
“That it’s an opportunity to honor Black accomplishment, serve as a timely reminder to assess the areas where institutional racism still exists, and raise awareness of the individuals and groups bringing about change.”