New to Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC for 2020, Dakota Barnathan has found Highmark Stadium a beacon of light during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During quarantine, Barnathan said he didn’t see anyone other than his family in that three-month period, watching Hulu and working out to pass the time.
Perhaps the most exciting part of quarantine for Barnathan, besides the weekly Zoom trainings and spending time with family in New York, was watching “The Last Dance,” the Michael Jordan documentary on ESPN.
“I would have loved to see that game live, those were ‘goats’ of that generation. That basketball era was just iconic,” Barnathan said.
One of his favorite things about Pittsburgh so far, the New York native said he gets excited seeing the view of the city while training with the team.
“As a group when you get back on the field,” Barnathan said. “I think that’s the best way to have fun and that’s where you’re going to be able to be with your friends and just play soccer.”
While training, Barnathan said he has been able to connect with the team more than cracking a few jokes over Zoom training.
“Since we’ve been back, we’ve been really able to take a step forward as a group,” Barnathan said.
The former Ottawa Fury FC team member said the buy in and intensity of the group has him looking forward to the season start in July.
“As a player it’s comforting,” the 26-year-old said. “To play with a group that already has such a strong bond and to just kind of find where you fit in and excel there.”
During training, Barnathan said he has been working on his final third passing, something he wants to work on to help fellow teammates get a good ball to put in the net.
“Since I’ve been here, coach has really shown to me that he likes me in the back but trusts me in the midfield,” the Virginia Commonwealth University product said.
Barnathan said he is looking forward to playing in their regional group which was recently announced, and winning the group with the Hounds.
The midfielder said he is prepared for any challenges ahead this season and learned one important life lesson from soccer.
“There’s going to be times where there are setbacks and it’s how you respond to those situations,” Barnathan said. “Are you going to be able to get past it and get over it?”
