HIGH POINT, N.C. — It's year No. 2 for Carolina Core FC as an MLS Next Pro franchise and the soccer club announced a unique partnership with the Goal 13 Foundation.

What You Need To Know

  • The Goal 13 Foundation was set up in honor of Holden Trent, who played for the MLS Philadelphia Union before he died in October

  • Carolina Core FC announced a partnership with the foundation, which aims to help amateur players with issues off the pitch

  • Trent, a Greensboro native, also played for High Point University, helping the Panthers to their first NCAA tournament victory

The foundation, created in honor of former High Point University goalie Holden Trent, aims to help amateur players with issues off the pitch.

The Greensboro native helped lead the Panthers to their first NCAA tournament win in 2022 before getting drafted by the Philadelphia Union in the first round of the MLS Super Draft.

Trent's mother, Annie B. Carter, started the foundation in memory of her son, who died in October. Carter says they used to have conversations about how to help young kids with issues that were important to him as an amateur soccer player.

"How that could translate to helping some of these student athletes, things that he had encountered when he was in school and some of his teammates encountered, ways that I could help so that was something that was kind of an ongoing conversation with us," she said.

Carolina Core FC played High Point University and Wake Forest University in two separate exhibition games to raise awareness of the foundation in the Holden Trent Community Cup.

The foundation aims to help student athletes with character development, tutoring and leadership and will start with the Carolina Core FC academy aimed at players in the U13 and U14 divisions. The foundation has received multiple donations and gotten wide support in its early stages.

"We have been overwhelmed by the number of people and people we don't know, perfect strangers that were touched by our story or that are a part of the soccer community," Carter said.

The family hopes to continue to make an impact in the soccer community and leave a legacy in Trent's name. They started by awarding High Point University soccer player Jefferson Amaya with the first Holden Trent Memorial Scholarship.

"They had a special connection, and to have him be the first recipient is extremely special for our family," Carter said.

Carolina Core FC plays the first game of the season March 14 against Inter Miami CF II.

For more information on the Goal 13 Foundation, go here.