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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"The players' development is our #1 priority and it starts with the coaching staff providing the correct curriculum and training environment. The club must provide opportunities for our staff to learn, grow and have a clear coaching pathway to succeed personally. If that opportunity is apparent, this results in a more productive training environment which will reflect in a detailed player developmental platform across the club. We have a joint responsibility of developing players and coaches in the club to the highest level possible." 
"Over the last few years the club was hugely supportive and helpful towards my coaching education and personal development. Sending me to acquire my USSF “B” License and providing opportunities to attend the United Soccer Coaches Conventions in Baltimore 2020 and Chicago 2019 was extremely educational. There were also various opportunities to attend the following seminars that were hosted by our club - 'Every Moment Matters' and 'Changing The Game Project' by John O'Sullivan and Soccer Starts at Home by Tom Byer. The tools and resources provided on a daily basis are invaluable to our growth and development as coaches.
"Coaching development is a continuous process, I am thankful for the opportunities provided by the Dynamo|Dash Youth Soccer Club. The tremendous support received within the club during my journey to obtain my USSF "B" License speaks volumes about the culture of the organization. The club has consistently provided me with the tools to develop young soccer talent physically and mentally while contributing to my own personal growth. My transition from a retired professional player to coach has been extremely rewarding thanks to the club's continuous support."
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“The Houston Dash are thrilled to be participating in the Frontier Development League this year. We value the opportunity to compete against other clubs across different platforms. We are 100 percent sold on the development model associated with the club vs. club format. Clubs take responsibility for the development of every team and every player, then you go to battle against other top clubs to evaluate the progression of their program. US Youth Soccer has done a great job to evaluate the landscape and make changes to enable this type of format and we believe it will help raise the level of play both regionally and nationally.”
