Starting their inaugural season just this year, semi-professional soccer team Ballard FC is welcoming Roosevelt senior Joe Dale to their roster. Founded in 2021, the club is based at home in Seattle. With the team’s season having started only last month, Dale is thrilled to kick off his professional soccer journey.
Continuing the path that high school soccer has taken him on, Dale knew that joining Ballard FC was his next step, as it allows him to play college soccer while being on the club roster. Luckily, juggling two teams is not something Dale is new to — though playing against athletes twice his age is.
During the invitational practice that Dale attended when first trying out for the team, players ranged heavily in age, from him at the youngest at 18, to fellow athletes in their 30’s or 40’s. “I’m the only kid in high school. Most of the other kids are in college,” Dale says.
This said, the disparity in age and experience is something he is excited to witness. “I think it’s just gonna be an amazing experience,” Dale continues, “To be able to play with some of these guys that are 10 years older than me.”
Joe Dale, pictured above
As the captain of the varsity soccer team, Dale mentors many younger aspiring athletes at Roosevelt. Given this role, he says, “I get to be a community leader. I get to help these younger kids, freshman, juniors, sophomores, and help build how they are as players and people.”
But with Ballard FC, Dale’s goals are more individually focused. “It’s more about pushing myself and my limits and working to break those limits,” he says. “I always say I’d like to take it as far as I can. You can’t control injuries, and situations that arise, but I am 100% dedicated and focused toward moving to next levels.”
Working with two different sets of athletes has led to many new opportunities for Dale. “I’m just so happy to be able to bridge both worlds, and help kids here and experience the fruits of my work over in Ballard,” he says.
With the sharp increase in skill and competition from high school soccer, Dale takes notes from the older, more experienced players. He says, “It’s fun to take what they know and what I know and apply it to how I want to move forward.”
However, combining high school soccer and the professional sports world has come with its challenges. The extra commitment of playing on two teams at the same time has cut into both Dale’s free time and school time. “Trainings are in the mornings so I have to miss some of my 1st period a few times a week. Which is tough but that’s just the way life goes and that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make, ” he says. “And of course doing stuff outside of school, after school, extra trainings, talking with coaches, you know stuff like that.”
With workouts growing in intensity and number, Dale continues to learn what is necessary to stay healthy while also allotting time for rest. He comments on the increase in physical activity, “It’s a lot about recovery and kind of managing my body and keeping a balance between training too much and stretching and recovery methods.”
Despite the extra time and work, Dale is exhilarated to be playing with Ballard FC. “It’s an amazing learning experience and I’m just so grateful that I’m going to be able to have a chance to do it,” he explains.
Moving forward, Dale plans to continue playing soccer with Ballard FC in college while studying at the University of Washington. As for the future of his athletic career, he says, “I’d like to take it as far as I can.”
