dwayne "Dero"
de rosario
NATIONAL B LICENSE COACH.
RETIRED PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE.
MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER.
DeRo is one of the most decorated Canadian athletes of our generation. He is a 4-time MLS Cup Champion, the 2011 MLS MVP, 2-time MLS Cup MVP (2001, 2007) and was named to the MLS Best XI six times (2005-07, 2009-1). In 367 MLS regular season and playoff matches, he scored 109 goals with 82 assists.
DeRo also put together an impressive international career with the Canadian Men’s National Team. He finished as the all-time leading goal scorer for his country with 22 goals and third all-time with 81 caps and stands. He was also named Canadian player of the year on four occasions and in 2012 was named to Canada’s all-time XI.
DeRo’s primary objective – and arguably his biggest contribution – is his commitment to the community. Growing up as an inner city kid, he had his life transformed through soccer. He feels that there is a need in our community for more programs that inspire, mentor and motivate youth to achieve their full potential.
DERO UNITED FUTBOL ACADEMY
ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The DeRo Legacy
DUFA’s goal to help players achieve their full potential on and off the field is best exemplified by our founder, Dwayne “DeRo” De Rosario.
DeRo’s primary objective – and arguably his biggest contribution – is his commitment to the community. Growing up as an inner city kid, he had his life transformed through soccer. He feels that there is a need in our community for more programs that inspire, mentor and motivate youth to achieve their full potential.
Growing up, DeRo and his brothers (Mark and Paul) played the majority of their soccer years in Scarborough, coached by their father and mentor Tony De Rosario (aka Coach Tony De), a certified B National Coach. This partnership between father and sons has led to an accumulation of knowledge and experience that has helped to inspire the creation of the DeRo United training programs and the DeRo United Futbol Academy (DUFA).
In 2014, DeRo initiated the DeRo Foundation in association with the Toronto Community Foundation. The mission of the DeRo Foundation is to use soccer as platforms to help youth within inner city communities develop the life skills and confidence necessary to succeed on and off the field.
Since inception, the DeRo Foundation has worked with community partners at the East Scarborough Storefront KGO (Kingston Road, Galloway and Orton Park) offering free afterschool programs to kids in the KGO community, which is neighbourhood where DeRo and his brothers grew up. De Rosario and the DeRo United team have also offered free camps to youth across Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and the Caribbean (Jamaica, Guyana, and Tobago) to help promote the sport and teach kids the values it has taught him. In fact, one of the participants from the Tobago camps, Njemile Charles, was recently awarded a scholarship to play soccer at Bryant & Stratton College in Syracuse, New Jersey after she was identified at the 2014 Tobago camp.
In 2015, DeRo retired from the pitch leaving behind a legacy in Canadian soccer that will surely inspire generations to come. He is now a Major League Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) Ambassador, promoting MLSE sports in Toronto and community initiatives with the MLSE Foundation. DeRo is also a Pan Am Games Ambassador and currently sits on the Minister’s Advisory Panel on Ontario’s Sport Plan.
DERO FOUNDATION
SUPPORTING YOUTH SUCCESS THROUGH SOCCER
The DeRo Foundation was established in 2014 by Dwayne De Rosario – MLSE Ambassador, Pan Am Games Ambassador and Motivational Speaker. Dwayne’s journey as a professional soccer player and experience mentoring youth across North America through his DeRo United Soccer Academy has been the inspiration for the creation of the DeRo Foundation.
The mission of the Foundation is to support local community initiatives which use soccer as a platform to help youth in high priority neighbourhoods develop the skills and confidence they need to succeed.
Each individual associated with the Foundation is committed to helping youth achieve their maximum potential on and off the pitch – through providing mentorship and developmental tools in the area of education, leadership, self-confidence and health and nutrition.
Local Programming in Communities Where It Counts
As a registered foundation, the DeRo Foundation works with local community organizations to create programs that teach youth the importance of leadership, teamwork, education, and health and nutrition. We offer after school programs and training clinics that helps kids achieve their full potential in a fun, friendly and creative environment.
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DeRo: My Life
De Rosario, Dwayne with Brendan Dunlop
$34.95 CAD
The autobiography of the best male soccer player to ever come out of Canada. Before Beckham, Kaká, and Zlatan, DeRo was the godfather of Major League Soccer.
DeRo is the life story of one of the greatest athletes Canada has ever produced. Born and raised in Scarborough, Ontario, Dwayne De Rosario wasn’t expected to make it out of high school, let alone to the top of soccer world. As part of a family of five, growing up in a one-bedroom apartment, he had to work for everything he had and sometimes that meant doing things he realized he didn’t want to do. It was soccer that saved him from a life on the street.
For the first time, Dwayne shares many heartbreaking, life-altering stories from his mischievous childhood, an upbringing that made him the hungry, successful, superstar athlete he became. His strong Caribbean heritage shaped the person and the player the world knows as a four-time MLS Cup champion, seven-time MLS All-Star, Canadian national team captain, and record goal-scorer. He helped put Canadian soccer on the map, and it’s clear that pursuit of greatness didn’t come without struggle, both on and off the field. Now, DeRo hopes to inspire, and train, the next great Canadian soccer star.
Available May 11, 2021. PRE-ORDER NOW!
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Also available at your local independent bookstore!
DeRo-14 - The Dwayne DeRosario Limited Edition
$299
Limited Time discount exclusive to academy players
Get $140 off. Use discount code DEROAC-SP at checkout
In conjunction with The DeRo Foundation and Canada's most successful soccer player in History, Crystal Clear Audio is pleased to announce the release of the DeRo14. A portion of proceeds will go to The DeRo foundation
Chat with DeRo or have him send a personalized video with Cameo!
$75 Request
$5.99 chat
Cameo allows you to connect with DeRo to send a personalized video message or just to chat - whether it's to wish someone a happy birthday, to congratulate them on a special event, to give a shoutout or if you just want to talk football!
KickDeck - Your personal trainer in a deck of cards
KickDeck is your personal trainer in a deck of cards. Use your deck in a variety of ways to build your own custom workouts from the comfort of your home .
We encourage play and aim to inspire youth athletes around the world with simple, fun, and effective, sport training decks to help them unlock their full potential.
THE DERO - Hamsa Gems Feel Good Jewelry
$500
Black tourmaline with 14 kt Italian Gold accent and soccer ball. The Dero is inspired by the mighty Dwayne DeRosario, who has worked endlessly with his charity to improve the lives of countless youths. When you purchase this bracelet, 50% goes directly to the Dero Foundation.
Black tourmaline is known for its protective and grounding energies. Transmuted negativity into positive thoughts of self. Also known to absorb radiation and EMF’s.
CONTACT
To book DeRo for your next speaking engagement or to get more information on the DeRo Foundation please fill out the following form and we'll get back to you shortly.