Love of the game takes Alpha Sowe from Freetown to SoCal.
By Sergio Ramos, Staff Reporter
International student-athletes sometimes hear that their journeys to the U.S. will be filled with challenges. Turning a dream into reality almost always comes at a cost. And for those who leave their home countries to chase sports glory, that cost can be especially steep.
For many, the obstacles are daunting: language barriers, separation from family, cultural adjustment, and uncertainty. Some never get the chance to live out their dream. Others, like Alpha Sowe, rise to the challenge.
Sowe grew up in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where he said soccer is a way of life.
“Pretty much every guy growing up in Sierra Leone is trying to play soccer and it’s the biggest thing there,” said Sowe, now a senior defender on the men’s soccer team. “My dad played soccer, my older brother played soccer, my cousin, my uncle all played soccer.”
Sowe began playing at age 3, determined to carry the family tradition forward. That determination was tested early. As a child, Sowe recalled being smaller than most of his peers on the pitch.
“I was really small, like, I was really small,” Sowe told The Bulletin. “At games people were telling me, ‘Oh, [you’re] small, you can’t play’.”
In Sierra Leone, many young players dream of joining the Craig Bellamy Foundation, the country’s only national youth league and first professional academy. Sowe tried out three times until he finally made the cut at age 11—one of eighteen boys to make the program out of four thousand to try out.
After three years at the academy, Sowe was given a scholarship to continue to pursue his dreams in California. Sowe’s new life in the Golden State brought new challenges—food, technology, and the style of play were all different from what he knew in Freetown. On the pitch, he found the American game more technical and physical.
Sowe adapted quickly while enrolled at Dunn High School in Los Olivos, where he became a standout for the Earwigs. He finished his prep career with 58 goals, 51 assists, and capped his final season with a state championship. At the same time, Sowe made an impression with the Santa Barbara Soccer Club, where his play drew the attention of Toros Athletics.
“That’s where I first met him,” recalled Eddie Soto, the men’s head coach. “Right away I saw he was a very talented soccer player. And as I got to know him, he was an even better person.”
In addition to his competitive spirit, Soto said he was impressed by Sowe’s down-to-earth personality. “He was genuine with his players, teammates, officials and fans—he has a very special heart.”
As a Toro, Sowe stood out once again. During his first two years at CSUDH, he was named Second Team All-CCAA honors and contributed to the Toros 2022 CCAA Championship win.
Sowe decided to transfer to CSU Fullerton the next year in search of other opportunities. As a Titan, he helped lead the team to a Big West Conference championship and earned Second Team All-Tournament honors.
Despite the success, Sowe said he felt underutilized. After taking a year off from the sport he had dedicated so much of his life to, he decided to return to Toros Athletics in the spring of 2025.
“I have a place for Dominguez in my heart,” Sowe said. “They’re always gonna be family no matter what.”
The 24-year-old kinesiology student said he intends to finish his American collegiate career where it began. Sowe still dreams of playing professionally, but even if his path takes him elsewhere, he can’t imagine ever hanging up his cleats.
“It’s been my goal since I was a kid. I just want to make it pro but at the same time you have to have a plan,” Sowe said. “For me, even if I don’t make it pro, I still want to be around the game.”