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About The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation

The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation with a mission to inspire and enable sports participation. It was created by DICK’S Sporting Goods as a private corporate foundation to support DICK’S charitable and philanthropic activities. Driven by its belief that sports make people better, The DICK’S Foundation champions youth sports and provides grants and support to under-resourced teams and athletes through its Sports Matter program and other community-based initiatives. Additional information about The DICK’S Foundation can be found on sportsmatter.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Dynamo | Dash Youth is excited to announce that Express Employment Professionals will be this year's returning dinner sponsor at the club's golf yearly fundraiser which will be held at the The Woodlands Country Club - The Palmer on Monday  March 20, 2023. Register for your golf foursome or become a sponsor now!

Express Employment Professionals is a full-service staffing company with professional, administrative, and commercial workers to fit your needs. Our recruiters work with local businesses to provide them with the skilled workers they require and find the right talent for the job. Whether you’re looking for your next employee or someone to work temporarily, Express has a solution for you.

Contact one of our 3 convenient locations serving North Harris, Montgomery, and Walker Counties:

“Express Employment Professionals understands that hard work, determination, and grit are important skill sets employers look for. These skill sets are a behavior that is learned when competing in a top-notch club sport and this is why Express is excited about partnering with Dynamo | Dash Youth." said Arron Martin, Regional Vice President.  "We look forward to this partnership because we understand that today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders. Our hope is that our support today will help them grow and succeed both now and in the future.”

"Express Employment Professionals understand the importance of the role that youth sports play in the local community and we're very excited to have them on board to support our yearly golf event for the second time," said Simon Boddison, Director of Soccer Operations.  "The club partners with professional businesses that excel in their field and align with the club's core values. We look forward to continuing to grow our mutual partnership in the future." 

The Boys ECNL Program (U16, U17, U19) traveled to St. Louis, MO to close out their fall season and compete against the best teams from across the country from December 16-18.

"The St. Louis showcase was a great experience for me and my teammates, it not only helped us learn to play In very cold temperatures but also taught us how to live and grow together," said Videep Mundodi U16 ECNL. "We got to play three very exciting games and finish off our fall season on a good note."

"I would like to congratulate the players and the coaching staff for all their hard work during this last event and throughout the fall season.  Our performances in the league and our showcases against the best teams in the country have been extremely positive," said Alex Cardenas, Boys Academy Director. "We look forward to the spring season with great anticipation in continuing the success that we have attained in the fall."

Coaching Staff in attendance: Alex Cardenas (Academy Director), Alfredo Martinez, Miguel Becerra

The club hosted their annual 3v3 Winterblast Tournament brought to you by PNC on December 10 to close out the fall season. Two hundred and twenty two (222) 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 four hundred and sixty three (463) games along with soccer tennis, live music with DJ, dance competitions, Dynamo Diesel (mascot), juggling stations along with an array of awards and presentations.

"This year saw a record-breaking attendance of teams and spectators along with some imaginative costumes and an array of festival activities, said Milton Arraez, 3v3 Tournament Director. "3v3 Winterblast is a great event to close out the fall season for our members and the visiting teams. We look forward to the 3v3 Turf Cup on Easter weekend.

"The club in partnership with The Woodlands Township have continued to excel in providing tournaments for the last 15 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 two Premier Cup tournaments in January 2023 where teams will be visiting The Woodlands from Texas and the surrounding states to kick off the spring season."

The club would like to thank Potbelly for donating food and Memorial Hermann for first-class medical care. Fine Design T-Shirt Company was also on-site, providing a quality product for the members and our guest teams to purchase.

The Houston Dash Academy headed to Bell Bank Park in Mesa, AZ for this years GA Winter Showcase & Champions Cup event from December 1-5. This event was the first Champions Cup event of the season with all qualifying teams from U13 to U19 facing off. The Showcase event featured U15 - U19 teams who played competition outside of their conference during the event weekend. Colleges were represented in huge numbers from across the country with over 275 coaching staff present along with the United States Soccer Federation scouts observing the talent on the sidelines.

All six (6) Houston Dash Academy teams attended the prestigious event with three out of the six teams (U13, U14 and U16) qualifying for the quarter-final stages.

"Our first trip to Arizona and it did not disappoint!  Bell Bank Park was an impressive facility. Even after an unexpected day of rain in the dessert the grass fields were in great shape." said Spencer Bates, '07 chaperone / parent. "As the parent of a high school freshman, it was impressive to see the number and wide range of college scouts that showed up to our games. We are already looking forward to the next visit to Arizona.

"This past weekend I went to the GA Champions Cup in Arizona," said Emma Bates, 2007 Girls Academy player.  "It was so much fun traveling with my team, seeing college scouts at our games for the first time and just playing against other great teams. It was an amazing experience."

USA Men's World Cup Watch Party vs. Holland

The club is extremely excited to announce that 10-year-old Benjamin Cross departed from Texas Children’s Hospital after completing multiple rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant provided by his older brother Noah to cure acute myeloid leukemia! While most kids his age were enjoying the summer fun, Ben began his first round of chemotherapy on July 14th. He then battled for nearly four months and was released on November 5th. Even during the toughest time of his life, the love for soccer never left Ben. During his stay, former Dynamo player Tim Parker made a special visit to bring his spirits up.

Ben is in remission, and the club would like to extend their thoughts and prayers for Benjamin and his family, wishing him all the best for a full recovery.

"When describing our club and what our core values are, there is no better player who embodies every single core value that we have than Ben Cross. He’s a person that works hard every single day and fights until the very end. His compassion for others and his teammates is unmatched, and he is always willing to put others before himself. There was rarely a day where you would see Ben without a smile on his face doing what he loved," said Jason Olvera, Director of Coaching - Youth Academy. "These last few months, Ben has shown courage like no other with constant battles in the hospital and new obstacles to overcome. He continued to persevere and has made it out on the other side. And for that, we are all so grateful and ecstatic to welcome him home, where he can be surrounded by loved ones on his road to recovery. Ben has been an example of what it means to fight even when odds are stacked against you. He’s as strong as a cross."

Ben is a true example of what it means to be a member of the Dynamo | Dash family. His positive attitude and passion for the sport inspires many on and off the field.

"It's fantastic news that Benjamin was released from the hospital and is slowly making a recovery at home," said Radojica Ristic, West Director. "Benjamin is very much part of our Dynamo | Dash family, and we cannot wait to welcome him and his family back to the fields when the time is right."

Keep Ben in your thoughts and prayers as he continues his road to recovery. Ben is a son, a friend, and a young person filled with compassion. Please consider visiting https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/benjamincross to learn more.