“I waited my whole career for this”
Oakland Roots personnel manager and former captain opens up
For Nana Attakora a single team meeting with his Oakland Roots colleagues changed the course of his career forever.
Some professional footballers play well into their thirties but for Nana, the realisation that creating change in his community meant more than finding fame on the pitch came well before then.
The meeting in question came in the wake of George Floyd’s murder when the club came together to understand how the team was feeling in light of the tragic events.
“The truth is I could have played another five years if I wanted to, but it was in that moment that I decided to retire,” said Nana, who realised that his club was special and could give a platform to create real social change.
Born with the first name Clement, the Canadian international goes by Nana, a name he picked up from his Ghanaian family.
His long and decorated career grew out of a passion he cultivated in inner-city Toronto nearly 20 years ago. Since then, the world’s game has helped him travel to every corner of it.
“When I started travelling as a 16-year-old, I became very empathic,” said Nana. “I get along with people who don’t look like me because I got to go to their culture. Soccer did that.”
After playing professionally across North America for more than a decade, Nana became captain of Oakland Roots, a United Soccer League (USL) club and Common Goal member.
In 2020 the Bay Area club joined Common Goal’s Anti-Racist Project — a collective initiative tackling racism across every aspect of football in North America, including the pitch, front offices, the stands, and local communities.
For a long time, Nana’s role as a player gifted him the platform to make an impact on the pitch.
But something changed for Nana after that club-wide conversation in 2020.
The global pandemic was ravaging its way around the globe, and unrest in America was higher than ever before. Compounded by the racial reckoning sparked by the murder of George Floyd and personal tragedy in his own life, Nana had seen easier years.
Steve Aldrich, one of the team’s majority owners, brought the entire club together to see how everyone was feeling in light of the perilous and stressful world events.
To be listened to and to be heard during that moment changed the course of Nana’s career. He realised Oakland Roots truly cared for its players and community to an extent that was rare, if not unheard of, in the professional sports space.
“As a player what bothered me the most was having coaches that didn’t understand what triggered me and why and how to talk to me about it,” he commented.
“Some coaches would yell at me because they thought that's what I needed. But that’s not what I needed. I needed love.”
The defender had seen signs that Roots was different than other clubs with regards to social justice and player appreciation. They were more engaged with their players and community, and took tangible steps towards creating positive change. But, as he says, he had, “trust issues believing it until that moment.”
During the open group discussion initiated by Aldrich, Nana felt like he was appreciated as a whole human being that was allowed to struggle with all the challenges of the world, not just an athlete.
“As a player what bothered me the most was having coaches that didn’t understand what triggered me and why and how to talk to me about it,” commented Nana.
“Some coaches would yell at me because they thought that's what I needed. But that’s not what I needed. I needed love.”
The defender had seen signs that Roots was different than other clubs with regards to social justice and player appreciation. They were more engaged with their players and community, and took tangible steps towards creating positive change. But, as he says, he had, “trust issues believing it until that moment.”
During the open group discussion initiated by Aldrich, Nana felt like he was appreciated as a whole human being that was allowed to struggle with all the challenges of the world, not just an athlete.
Nana has always been a believer that, “there is so much more to sports than just sport,” and that football has the ability to change the world.
It was evident to Nana that stepping down as captain and into a staff position with Roots could give him an opportunity to create immense positive social impact.
“I love soccer, but it wasn’t soccer the game that drove me. It was creating change. I felt like as a player my impact peaked,” he said.
“So, for me, in that moment, the decision to retire and work for an organisation that allows me to be myself and help impact the community was the choice to make.”
In a world where performative activism floods social media, Nana appreciates that the Roots are committed to putting in the work to create an inclusive and equitable game, even when remaining silent feels easier.
“They start conversations that are uncomfortable and I think that is exactly what is needed,” voiced Nana.
“As a Black man I’ve been needing someone to partner with me in this battle that we face.
“To see the Roots come in as a massive organisation that’s intentional, I waited my whole career for this. They don’t care about the status quo, they don’t care about upsetting sponsors, they care about what’s right.”