When was your club founded, by whom, and what is the mission?
Buckhead SC was founded in 2019 by me, Silviu Raducu. It started out of a personal ambition to prove myself, but has evolved into a Sunday league club whose mission is to bring people together who love the game of football and want to compete at a high amateur level. We want to win games, have fun, and if any of our players go on to play at a higher level, we're happy to support and assist them in their journeys any way we can. Assistant manager, Brad Belk, and team captain Kareem Michael, have been instrumental in the continued growth and development of our team along with a solid group of guys that have been with the club since inception.

Tell us about your badge and colors – what is the inspiration, and does it connect to your community in any way?
Our badge and team name represent a well-known Atlanta neighborhood. I live right outside of it, but we played a lot of our home games in a Buckhead venue or a few miles north of it, depending on fields availability. I am a member of Buckhead Toastmasters, a public speaking group, and I saw first hand that the name itself attracts members, so I wanted to replicate their success in branding our team. The badge colors, red, black, and white are inspired from AC Milan colors, of which I'm not necessarily a big fan, but I just love the colors.

What league or leagues do you play in? Why did you choose that league?
We play in ADASL Division 1 currently. We started in Division 2 in 2019 and got promoted to Division 1 within 2 years. I have played in this league for over 10 years, and I'm still a manager player. The league has a community feel to it and while there is a healthy competition between teams, we're all a big family. I consider the other managers my friends and have played with or against them in some capacity as either player or manager. While the league is not as flashy as some of the newer ones out there with better marketing and financing, it has been around for over 50 years, if I'm not mistaken, and has a Premier league status in Atlanta and the Southeast. Disclaimer, I'm currently on the Board of the league in a Treasurer (non-paid) function.

Do you sell merchandise or have plans to? If so, where can we find it and what are you most excited about?
We currently do not offer any merchandise for sale, but that may change in the future as our club evolves. Anyone that is interested in partnering with us or the league can reach out to us @buckead_sc or @adasl, respectively. Currently, our main focus is to be as competitive as we can possibly be and attract talented players that can take us to a higher level.

How has this season gone for you? What were the goals and aspirations heading into it? What is something to work on for the future?
Our last season (2022-2023) has been our most successful one yet. We finished 3rd in ADASL in our second season in Division 1, credit to a talented and hard working group of players. Our challenge this season will be to maintain this same competitive level. What I love even more about our team, however, is that we are one big family. We are one of the most ethnically diverse teams in Atlanta, with players representing at a minimum 13 different countries (in a current roster of about 22 players) including US, Mexico, Spain, Nigeria, Ghana, Uruguay, Vietnam, Honduras, Colombia, Brazil, Romania, and Antigua. Past club members included players from Holland, Venezuela, or Ivory Coast.

If there were one or two teams, within a 100 miles of you, to play a friendly against – who would you play and why?
If you live in Atlanta and you love the game of football, you have to be an Atlanta Utd fan. So, if we could play a friendly game with any team within 100 miles, we'd still stick in our lane. But, give us a couple of years and a couple of sponsors, and you may get a different answer! I'm very proud of the amazing group of guys that we have and the rapid growth and success our team has experienced in the 4 years since inception. We will continue to improve and become even stronger as we grow in experience.

Follow Buckhead SC on Instagram HERE