Join us as Dedham Youth Soccer kicks off 50 years of community, soccer, and building healthy athletes for life! This free, family-friendly fair celebrates the whole child—body, mind, and spirit—with expert-led panels, hands-on activities, local vendors, and plenty of fun for kids of all ages. Whether your player is lacing up cleats for the first time or dreaming of the next level, there's something here for every DYS family.
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
10:00 AM: Doors Open – Explore Vendors & Activities
10:30 AM: Welcome & Opening Remarks - Main Stage · Ric "Papi" Gonzalez
11 AM - 1:30 PM: Panel Presentations
1:30 PM: Raffle Drawings – Revs & Legacy Giveaways
2:00 PM: Event Closes – Thank You for Celebrating With Us!
VENDOR VILLAGE
Explore our Vendor Village, where local businesses and organizations dedicated to health, wellness, fitness, and youth development come together in one place. Stop by to discover resources, grab samples, and connect with partners who share DYS's commitment to raising strong, healthy kids.
- Marathon Sports
- Nike Dedham
- BILH Urgent Care
- The Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention
- Stretch Lab
- Whole Foods
- Sparq Fitness
- Fierce Football
- Breaking Free
- Next Step Training
PANEL PRESENTATIONS (Community Room)
11:00 AM — Lessons From the Game: A Player's Journey From Academy to Coaching
Prince Loney, Next Step Training, will share lessons from his playing career and how those experiences shaped his approach to coaching today. From the New England Revolution Academy to NCAA Division I and now coaching the next generation, Prince offers a candid look at what it takes to grow in the game. Players, parents, and coaches are welcome to ask questions about development, mindset, and training habits.
11:45 AM — Keeping the Human in Student-Athlete
Learn to distinguish between productive and unproductive stress — and walk away with practical mental skills strategies for parents, athletes, and coaches. Join Kelsey Roberts, MS, mental skills specialist at The Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention (Boston Children's Hospital, Division of Sports Medicine) for this engaging, interactive presentation.
12:30 PM — Finding the Right Fit: Helping Your Child Thrive at Every Level
Join Meotis Erikson — former U.S. National Team player, Notre Dame standout — for a candid conversation about helping your child find the right fit at every stage of their soccer journey. Meotis will share insights on choosing if club is the right fit, tying in your high school programs, and what parents should prioritize at different ages, and what the path to college soccer really looks like.
1:15 PM — Introduction to DHS Boys & Girls Soccer
Let’s Go DHS Marauders! Meet girls head coach Don Savi and boys assistant coach Andrew Podolski for a brief overview of the high school programs, plus Q&A. Team captains will also be in attendance.
⚡ FAIR A L L - D A Y A C T I V I T I E S
▸ DYS Gear Swap — Bring cleats & gear to trade!
▸ Soccer Journey Badges — Visit stations to collect badges!
▸ Outdoor Soccer Skills — Challenges with DHS players & Nike
▸ Arts & Crafts — Tattoos, coloring, stickers & face painting
▸ DYS Info Table — Meet the Board & learn about reffing
▸ Food & Refreshments — Snacks, coffee & more
