HTX Youth Soccer Club - Latest News

Simon Boddison

Spring Recreational Program 2023

Posted on April 30, 2023 BY Simon Boddison

The Recreational Program completed another outstanding spring season bringing soccer to multiple communities across the Greater Houston area.

The Recreational Program, presented by AutoNation, is an excellent introduction to soccer starting as early for players born in 2019. In the fall, the 2020 birth year will be added. We are proud to offer a full developmental journey for every player in the club: from recreational leagues through our nationally competitive elite teams, all the way to collegiate and professional opportunities. The club believes in providing every child a way to experience the game of soccer and develop their skills at a level that suits them.

This spring season, we have had over 4,000 recreational players on 500+ teams taking part in weekly training sessions and games to develop their soccer skills and love of the game in a fun, safe environment. Over 15,000 spectators weekly attended the 1,900+ games played at our first-class facilities in Clear Lake, Friendswood, Humble, Katy, Kingwood, League City, Sienna, Tomball, The Woodlands and Woodforest. The Recreational Program spring season featured games on Saturdays from February 17 - April 27.

“We’d like to sincerely thank the parents and spectators for creating a wonderful atmosphere at our facilities throughout the fall season," said Phil Ebner, Recreational Director. "Additionally, we extend our gratitude to the hundreds of volunteer coaches, who are the heartbeat of our program and the reason so many players fall in love with the game. We look forward to what promises to be another tremendous fall season and encourage everyone to register early to take advantage of the early bird discounts!"

"On behalf of the club, I would like to thank AutoNation for their continued support of the program," said Simon Boddison, Director of Soccer Operations. "They fully understand the important role and the positive impact that youth sports play in our local communities. The resources and tools that AutoNation help to provide allows the Recreational Program to continue to expand and be enjoyed by our membership."

Fall Season 2023: September 16 – November 11, 2023 (Registration opens May 1, 2023)

Spring Season 2024: February 17 – April 27, 2024

Please program the SCHEDULE SERVICE button to: Car Dealership Near Me | Find a Location | AutoNation

Program the DONATE NOW Button to: https://nationalpcf.org/autonation/

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Posted in Recreational

3v3 Turf Cup 2023

Posted on April 10, 2023 BY Simon Boddison

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The club hosted their annual 3v3 Turf Cup brought to you by PNC on April 8 to provide lots of excitement to kick off the Easter weekend. One hundred and sixty five teams teams were hosted at Bear Branch soccer complex, The Woodlands, TX. The event included over 1,200 boys and girls, from the ages of U7 - U14 with 7,000 spectators in attendance. It was a enjoyable action-packed Saturday for all the teams that traveled in from across the city of Houston and surrounding areas. Activities included over three hundred and fifty (350) games along with soccer tennis, live music with DJ, dance competitions, juggling stations, Easter egg hunt along with an array of awards and presentations.

"This year saw some very imaginative costumes and an array of festival activities, said Milton Arraez, 3v3 Tournament Director. "Turf Cup is a great event to help celebrate the Easter weekend for our members and the visiting teams on first class facilities."

"The club in partnership with The Woodlands Township have continued to excel in providing youth soccer tournaments for the last 18 years," said Simon Boddison, Director of Soccer Operations. "Providing positive economic impact to the local community and hosting events for our residents to attend without extensive travel is why we continue to grow our tournament series yearly. We look forward to hosting the South Texas Spring Showdown in May to close out the Spring season."

The club would like to thank Potbelly and Lenny's Grill & Subs for donating food and Memorial Hermann for first-class medical care. Fine Design T-Shirt Company were also on-site, providing a quality product for the members and our guest teams to purchase.

AGE GROUP	BOYS JUGGLE WINNERS	GIRLS JUGGLE WINNERS
U8	Johan Trojio	Kiley Palomo
U10	Michael Duan	Catherine Sanders
U12	Eli Georgas	Gema Perot
U14	Benjamin Gauvert	Addison Dimmick

Above: Juggling Competition Winners

Best Team Uniform Winner: Legacy Sour Patch

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Posted in Partnerships

US Soccer U-14 National Team Mini-Camp

Posted on April 04, 2023 BY Simon Boddison

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Congratulations to the following Girls Academy players - Baylee Corcoran, Avia Hughes & Caelyn Moore were selected to the U.S. Soccer U-14 Girls Talent ID Central Regional Mini-Camp that took place in Bradenton, FL at the IMG Academy Training Center from March 23^rd – March 27, 2023.

"It was an honor to play with all of these unbelievably talented girls, and I wish it lasted longer. I made so many new friends and learned so many more things about soccer that improved my game over the course of the week, " said Baylee Corcoran. "I can’t wait to take all of the new information I have learned and give it to my club. The coaches were great and I really enjoyed it. Overall, it was an amazing experience."

"USA soccer mini camp was amazing," Said Caelyn Moore. "Having the chance to meet so many players and coaches from around the country, playing soccer in a different environment, and learning from the USA staff made the experience all the better. I am thankful for the opportunity to participate in the program."

"USYNT mini camp experience was truly one of the best in my life! It was amazing to be in this professional environment surrounded by excellent players, professional staff and elite coaches, said Avia Hughes. "The sessions on and off the field challenged every part of my game. The personalized feedback make me eager to work harder to be the best player I can be. I am so grateful to USA soccer, HDDY organization, coaches and everyone who made this possible."

"We are extremely proud that these players were selected to attend the camp in Florida to be evaluated against the best players in the country," said Steven Grave, Head Coach. "Their continuous hard work in training and excellent game day performances continues to pay off and we're excited to continue forward with their development along with all the players within the Girls Academy."

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Posted in National Team

Blinn College - West Campus Training

Posted on April 02, 2023 BY Simon Boddison

Blinn College Men’s Coaching Staff were on site in Fulshear providing training sessions for the 2004 PA, 2004/05 Orange and 2005 PA teams on Thursday night. Michael (Mac) McBride and his assistant Rudy Roediger were putting the players through their paces and educating the players regarding college opportunities. The club has currently placed 59 players from this year's 2023 graduation class onto college rosters with scholarships.

"Coach Rudy and I were excited to be invited to Katy / Fulshear to run a session for the Houston Dynamo Dash West Boy’s teams," said Coach McBride, Blinn College. "We are always looking for serious players, who can help elevate our program. There is no better way of identifying this level of player than having the opportunity to work with them. We’d like to thank the club staff for making this possible and hopefully there will be more sessions in the future."

"We have a responsibility to provide as many opportunities for our players to work with or be evaluated by college coaches from around the country," said Ristic Radjoica, West Director. "These type of events are very valuable and we look forward to strengthening our networking connections with Blinn College and the coaching staff."

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Posted in College

Golf Outing 2023

Posted on March 26, 2023 BY Simon Boddison

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The Woodlands Country Club - The Palmer again hosted this year's annual golf fundraiser, it was brought to you by SPB Consulting, on Monday, March 22, 2023.

Proceeds from the day's activities raised over $90K. Fundraising from this event supports the club's ongoing field expansion and current facilities maintenance, which is vital to the development of 9,000+ youth soccer players within Houston and its surrounding communities. The Bob Bennett Award was presented by Lynn Bennett to James Barlow, Drake Barlow, Robert Hill, Randy Lance with a very competitive overall score of 24 under. The club would like to recognize the following partners that sponsored areas within the event:

Dinner - Express Employment Professionals
Live Scoring - iScoreGolf
World Cup - Womack & Associates
MLS Cup - AutoNation, Oakridge Roofing & Construction, UpTown Asian Fusion, Limitless Pools & Backyards, The Dunn Family
Back Swing Challenge - Complete DentalCare, CTI Cronus Technology, Inc
Longest Drive - OEM
Raffle - Woodmen Life
Dessert - On Location Anthony Travel
Beverage Cart - Adidas
Registration Packet Sponsor - Northwest Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Silent Auction Sponsor - Diamonds in the Rough

Forty-four foursomes were present over 27 pristine golf holes of undulating and mounded terrain, surrounded by challenging bunkers and intricate water hazards. The event also hosted a raffle, silent & live auction, plus a par three contest with female professional players provided by Back Swing Golf Challenge.

CONTESTANT HOLE	WINNER
Deacon Men's Longest Drive	Ryan Thorpe
Deacon Women's Longest Drive	Mendi LaRue
General Men's Longest Drive	Drake Barlow
General Women's Longest Drive	Blair Brame
Deacon Longest Putt	Scott Peterson
King Longest Putt	Eric Romero
General Longest Putt	Robert Hill

The live auction consisted of Anchor of The Soul Beach House, United Airlines flight tickets, and a Bluejack National foursome. Phil Ebner, Recreational & Youth Academy Director, emceed the live auction.

"We would like to thank all the golfers, sponsors, committee members, teams, club staff, team reps, and The Woodlands Country Club - Palmer Course for their valuable support throughout the event," said Simon Boddison, Director of Soccer Operations. "A huge amount of work went into delivering a first-class outing for everybody involved, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly very positive. We look forward to hosting again next year.”

Save The Date for next year - Monday, March 18, 2024!

Winners Golf Picture 2023

Bob Bennett Award winners - James Barlow, Drake Barlow, Robert Hill, Randy Lance (presented by Lynn Bennett)

Express Employment Professionals - Dinner Sponsor

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Posted in Partnerships, Golf

Champions Cup Finals - Girls Academy

Posted on March 24, 2023 BY Simon Boddison

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The Girls Academy headed to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida from March 9-14 and played twenty four (24) games in six (6) days on first class facilities with hundreds of college coaching staff present. All age groups played a minimum of four games with a maximum of one game per day.

For this specific event, participants qualified based on final league standings and consisted of two (2) clubs from each of the eight (8) conferences. Additionally, for the U14 through U19 age groups, the top (2) best-performing and highest-ranked wildcard teams at the National Playoff from each age group were added to the mix for a total of twenty (20) teams per age group. Click here to learn more about the qualification process.

The following teams had tremendous success against the best teams in the country. The 2009 age group finished up as back to back finalists for the second year running along with the 2010 and 2007 age group finishing as semi-finalists.

“The Champions Cup Finals once again produced an unmatched, competitive atmosphere, said Steven Grave, Girls Academy Head Coach. "The GA put on a tremendous event providing elite competition for our athletes to be scouted in front of hundreds of college coaches.”

One hundred percent of the 2023 GA graduation class have all committed to college and we look forward to following them through their collegiate careers starting this fall season.

CUP (128)

Pictured above: Houston Dash Girls Academy 2009 Finalists

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Posted in Tournament, Girls Academy

Dash City North teams travel to Las Vegas

Posted on March 04, 2023 BY Simon Boddison

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Dash City 11 North and Dash City 12 North attended the Las Vegas Mayor's Cup | International Tournament and Showcase over the weekend of February 24-26

Day 1:
The trip started with a training session with Coaches Mike Openshaw (Dash City North Director) & Stuart Taylor (GA2 Head Coach) in preparation for the event. After a team lunch, both teams visited the Las Vegas welcome sign for a photo opportunity before heading to their hotels for downtime. After dinner, the teams walked to the Bellagio hotel fountains for another photo opportunity.

Day 2:
The second day featured game competition. Dash City 11 North beat ISC Gunners 11G Pre-GA & Boise Timbers 11G Nationals to secure their place in the semi-finals on Sunday. Dash City 12 North came out on top against Colorado Rapids Central 12G Select 1 & Boise Timbers 12G Nationals.

Both teams advanced to their finals after their 3rd game. Dash City 12 North beat Mustang Soccer 12G Pre-ECNL & Dash City 11 North beat Arsenal Colorado 11G Academy in the semi-final.

Dash City 12 North fell in the final to the Las Vegas Heat 12G Pre-ECNL team, while the Dash City 11 North came out on top beating La Roca 11G C Santos.

“We are incredibly proud of the 2011 and 2012 North City teams’ efforts last weekend, competing outside the state of Texas for the first ever time. Both teams have worked extremely hard in training over the last several weeks and to come home from Nevada with 7 wins from 8 games is a great return." said Mike Openshaw, Dash City North Director. "I would like to thank the parents for being on board to make this trip happen. The players gained some valuable experience playing against great competition from California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Washington, thus creating some fantastic memories. I look forward to seeing the players continue to grow within our City Program."

"Both teams represented themselves, the club and Houston extremely well this weekend," said Stuart Taylor, Dash GA2 Head Coach. "The 2011's played against #1 team in Washington, the #2 teams in Colorado & Idaho and the #6 team in Utah and came out on top only conceding one goal all weekend. This group has a bright future and I am excited to be a part of it."

To arrange an evaluation with the Dash City North program, please email mopenshaw@dynamodashyouth.com

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Posted in Tournament

DYNAMO | DASH YOUTH SOCCER CLUB REBRANDS AS HTX SOCCER

Posted on February 17, 2023 BY Simon Boddison

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HOUSTON (Friday, Feb. 17, 2023) – The evolution of Houston’s leading youth soccer club continues as the Dynamo | Dash Youth Soccer Club reintroduces itself as HTX Soccer. The new identity is reflective of who the club is now and how it intends to continue growing in the future.

Beginning with the fall season, HTX Soccer’s club colors will be Black, White and Gold. The new club crest features HTX boldly emblazoned over a traditional soccer crest with five white stars representing the club’s five core values aligned inside the H. The crest also features a rocket arcing skyward, a design element that reflects the history of Texas Rush and Space City, the two clubs who merged in 2017.

The new name, colors and crest will officially launch on June 1 after the club’s six-year licensing agreement with the Houston Dynamo Football Club expires by mutual agreement.

“Our mission is to provide youth soccer opportunities for all ability levels serving the Greater Houston community, and this is an important step in enabling us to take that mission to an even higher level,” said HTX Soccer’s Technical Director Don Gemmell. “I want to thank the Dynamo and Dash for the partnership over the last six years. We all agreed that the landscape has changed significantly since 2017 and it was in everyone’s interest to forge our own paths forward.”

The new name and visual identity were developed through an extensive series of discussions with leaders from across all locations of the club, including coaches from the boys and girls programs as well as coaches from recreational teams along with the club’s elite competitive teams.

“We arrived at HTX Soccer, the color scheme and the crest after many long conversations about who we are and who we aspire to be going forward,” Gemmell said. “We want our club to be the first thing people think of when they think about soccer in our city and we are proud to make Houston a prominent part of our name. We will continue to set the gold standard for what a youth soccer club should be in all facets. That includes winning games, of course, but equally important are player development, our coaches’ professional development, recruitment services and the parent experience.”

The impact of the new identity stretches beyond the crest and name, as the club announced additional investments which will significantly improve the player and parent experience throughout all levels of the club, including facility improvements, cutting-edge technology and a full-time College Placement Strategist.

“As we evaluated the future of the partnership with the Dynamo and the Dash, it became clear that the strength of our club isn’t a name or a crest; it’s the people,” Gemmell said. “Our players and coaches are the key to everything we do and by directing even more resources where they can have the greatest impact, on the field, it enables us to provide an even better experience to everyone involved in the club.”

ABOUT THE NEW NAME, COLORS & CREST

The name HTX Soccer is representative of a club that encompasses all of Houston, serving more than 8,800 boys and girls from age 3 through 19 across a geographic region that spans the entire Greater Houston area. Already Houston’s largest youth soccer club with teams competing at the highest levels against the best teams in the country and around the world, HTX Soccer has been the standard bearer for H-Town at tournaments and in league play, and now the club has a name to reflect that responsibility.

The black and white primary color scheme is simple, timeless and immediately recognizable. Black represents power, status and sophistication while white represents virtue, balance and simplicity. The iconic combination has long represented some of the world’s greatest clubs.

The use of gold as a third color reflects both the club’s history and its ambition. Gold is synonymous with success, achievement and prosperity, a color befitting a club that has produced more collegiate players than any other in Houston and one which has had 43 players earn youth national team selections. As it looks to the future, HTX Soccer intends to be the gold standard for soccer in Houston, and the golden accents on their kits will serve to remind players and coaches alike of that responsibility every day.

ABOUT HTX SOCCER

HTX Soccer is the largest youth soccer club in the Greater Houston area with more than 8,800 players at every skill level from recreational to elite and all age levels from 3-19. The club truly represents the sport in Houston, with teams serving a 100-mile radius from Downtown Houston. Since 2017, it has developed 344 players who have gone on to play collegiately, more than any other club in the area, and 43 players have been selected to play for their respective youth national teams. HTX Soccer’s elite boys teams are part of the ECNL and Major League Soccer’s MLS NEXT league, the most competitive youth soccer leagues in America, and its elite girls teams compete in the Girls Academy (G.A.) League against the top teams and clubs throughout the country.

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Posted in Membership

Recreational Spring Season 2023

Posted on February 12, 2023 BY Simon Boddison

Dynamo | Dash Youth Recreational Program started their program on certain campuses this weekend with record breaking numbers of participants and magnificent family support from the sidelines.

The Recreational Program, presented by AutoNation, is an excellent introduction to soccer for all age groups including kids with birth years between 2004-2019. Dynamo | Dash Youth is proud to offer a developmental journey for every player in the club starting with our recreational program through nationally competitive elite teams, all the way to collegiate and professional opportunities. We believe in providing every child a way to experience the game of soccer and develop their skills at a level that suits the individual player.

This spring season, we will have over 4,000 recreational players on 500+ teams taking part in weekly training sessions and games to develop their soccer skills and love of the game in a fun, safe environment. Over 15,000 spectators weekly will attend our first-class facilities in Beaumont, Clear Lake, Friendswood, Humble, Katy, Kingwood, League City, Sienna, Tomball, The Woodlands and Woodforest. The Recreational Program spring season will feature games on Saturdays from February 11 - April 22.

“We’d like to sincerely thank the parents and spectators for continuing to create a wonderful atmosphere at our facilities throughout the spring season," said Phil Ebner, Recreational Director. "Additionally, we extend our gratitude to the hundreds of volunteer coaches, who are the heartbeat of our program and the reason so many players fall in love with the game. We look forward to what promises to be another tremendous spring season through the coming weeks."

"On behalf of the club, I would like to thank AutoNation for their continued support of the program," said Simon Boddison, Director of Soccer Operations. "They fully understand the important role and the positive impact that youth sports play in the local community. The resources and tools that AutoNation help to provide allows the Recreational Program to continue to expand and be enjoyed by our membership."

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Recreational West AutoNation

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Please program the SCHEDULE SERVICE button to: Car Dealership Near Me | Find a Location | AutoNation

Program the DONATE NOW Button to: https://nationalpcf.org/autonation/

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Posted in Recreational

Houston Premier Cup 2023

Posted on February 01, 2023 BY Simon Boddison

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The club hosted their annual Houston Premier Cup at three first class soccer complexes in The Woodlands, TX on January 21-22 and 28-29, 2023. The event included 250 high level U9-U15 boys and girls teams that traveled in from Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and the states of Oklahoma, Michigan and Louisiana were represented on consecutive weekends. Unfortunately, the girls event was interrupted by in-climate weather conditions and finished early on the Sunday.

3,000+ players had the opportunity to take part in elite competition at first-class facilities in front of large audiences. Boys and girls from U9-U15 age groups were on site competing in 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11 formats. Teams stayed in The Woodlands Township, enjoying full access to the incredible amenities provided by the local community.

"On behalf of the club, I would like to recognize and thank all the teams, coaching staff, referees, volunteers that helped to make both weekends a tremendous success," said Stuart Taylor, Director of Communications & Events. "Staging two first-class events on consecutive weekends for our teams to participate in meaningful games before the league season starts is very important. The feedback we have received has been extremely positive even after heavy rain on the Sunday. Based on commitments from 2023 attendees, we expect registration to fill up quickly for the 2024 events. Be ready to register your team once we open registration September 1, 2023”

"We are very privileged to have some of the best youth soccer facilities in the country right here in The Woodlands to host national level events where people come from great distances," said Simon Boddison, Director of Soccer Operations. "We are proud to provide all participants with world-class turf facilities along with quality host hotels located in close proximity to the fields and the vibrant amenities of The Woodlands."

The club will be hosting two further tournaments within the Spring season starting with the Turf Cup 2023, April 8 (registration deadline March 28) brought to you by PNC and South Texas Spring Showdown, May 6-7 (registration deadline April 25) brought to you by AutoNation.