Dalton State College’s soccer program reflects the impact of the beautiful game from a local to international scope. Located just 30 minutes south of the Tennessee border, Dalton, GA is known nationally for its textile productions and mountainous scenery. For those within the community, Dalton is “Soccer Town U.S.A,”.
Before the game took its roots, existing Dalton residents in the 1970’s considered the game a “communist sport,”. It was in this decade that the first wave of Mexican immigrants would call Dalton home. The city provided employment opportunities in the mills, allowing young immigrant families to establish roots in working America. Latinos developed ways to play around their work schedules with impromptu pick up and soon after, the “Dalton League”. Immigrant families fought for decades to bring soccer to an organized and embraced staple of the community we see now. Soccer is more than a pastime to the community. Dalton soccer features a range of competitive clubs, schools, and leagues, and for some, routes to continue careers. ("'The Carpet Capital of the World' is now Soccer Town U.S.A" - New York Times )
Dalton State College is no exception. The Roadrunners are currently ranked #2 in the nation for NAIA according to the official NAIA Coach’s Top 25 as of August 28th. The Lady Roadrunners are currently undefeated this season with a record of 3-0-1. While tactics and skill play a role, players attribute a large part of their program’s success to their values around the game.
“Dalton has been a big soccer community,” says Fernanda Sierra, defender and captain of the Lady Roadrunners. “You see families teaching their kids about the sport at a very young age. It's a beautiful feeling to know that there is a younger generation growing to love the sport everyday.”
Fernanda Sierra is a homegrown player. She attended Dalton High School and is now finishing her senior year at Dalton State as a Health and Wellness Major.
“It’s a privilege to be playing college soccer, more so playing for my hometown. As a little girl I never imagined that I would be in the spot I am now. Seeing the former Dalton State players always motivated me to be like them one day… Women(s) soccer in general was never always supported the same way men soccer was. Not only in Dalton but all over the country. However, I believe that the game women have developed has gone to another level.”
Both Dalton State teams are coached by the same staff, led by Head Coach Saif Alsafeer. “Women(s) soccer is now at a much faster pace and played on the ground with tactics laid out for us,” says Sierra. “We have top notch people who care for women as much as they do for the men. Every single individual on a team will come out to the pitch and perform with hard work and commitment for the sport. Seeing the effort women give to be the best version of themselves is what brightens up my days.”
Sierra holds a number of accomplishments in her college soccer career. She was awarded Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) All Freshman team in 2021, SSAC All Academic Team, and Second Team All Conference in 2022.
“Now I want to be the reason that the younger generation will go on and reach their goals…Dalton State has been a big impact in my life and I will always be proud to say that I’ve enjoyed playing for my hometown.” Sierra has logged 2,792 minutes in game to date.
Fernanda Sierra’s story is one of many highlighting the enrichment soccer has brought to the city of 35,000. The world’s game now serves a second purpose: making space for the world itself to participate.
Antonio Bittencourt– a 5th year senior and captain of the men’s side adds, “The community is incredibly awesome, it's a family. Everyone works hard and is always willing to help.”
Antonio Bittencourt grew up in São Paulo, Brazil before bringing his centerback talents to Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio. During his three year tenure with NDC, Bittencourt was named Mountain East Conference (MEC) Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman Player of the Year (2021). He was also named to the First Team All Conference for both 2021 and 2022.
When asked how he came to play for the Dalton State Roadrunners, Bittencourt said, “a Brazilian called Tauan, who is a director of an amateur soccer club in Florida, put me in contact with Coach Saif.” Bittencourt is pursuing a BBA in Finance as he continues to lead the Roadrunners in his latter years of college eligibility. “A very special place to be because of the people,” he concludes.
The Dalton State soccer program is no stranger to players finding pipelines through amateur and certain professional-type leagues. Limits on elite-level and professional experiences are much different in NAIA from that of NCAA. NAIA gives wider grace to such development, which makes a propelling case for why many international players find a home in NAIA programs. For competitive teams like Dalton State, it is normal to see rosters with a high international presence representing various continents. Dalton State Soccer will be a program to watch as they continue to play out their fall season.
Dalton is a riveting case for how the game of soccer is more than meets the eye, especially in the American context. People of all ages, backgrounds, and stories converge to watch the game, linking humans who otherwise live in different contexts. Fernanda Sierra concludes, “The game of fútbol is much more than just a ball at your feet; building a family and being able to create memories with the people on your team is what will matter in the long run.”
✍️ & 📷: Madison Schulte
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