DeRo Futbol.
Children participate in the DeRo Futbol Clinic at McLevin Park Wednesday afternoon.
Staff photo/NICK PERRY
To gauge whether Scarborough kids are crazy about soccer, all you have to do is ask Toronto FC captain and Scarborough native Dwayne De Rosario.
On Thursday July 15, De Rosario wrapped up his week-long De Ro Futbol Clinic at Mclevin Park in Malvern where he worked alongside a group of energetic youngsters aged five to 16 years old. During this time, kids got the chance to hone their soccer skills one-on-one with the MLS superstar, and De Rosario says the kids were bursting at the seams with soccer spirit, thanks in part to the lingering passion that swept across the city during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
"The World Cup definitely helps the sport because it's a time when the entire world pays attention to soccer," De Rosario said. "Everyone at home is watching soccer and the kids just soak it all up."
At one point, near the start of the clinic, De Rosario asked the kids if they watched the World Cup. It was followed up by a response that rivalled the blares of a stadium full of vuvuzelas.
"The kids all started shouting and yelling every different country under the sun," he said. "Toronto is very diverse, so it was nice to see that passion and to know they were following it so closely."
De Rosario says soccer has grown in popularity since he started playing it as a kid in Scarborough in the mid 1990s and has some advice for parents who are interested in getting their kids involved in the sport. Most importantly, it begins with being supportive.
De Rosario, 32, has enjoyed a successful career as a professional soccer player across North America and he credits much of this to his dedicated father, who woke up regularly to bring his son to early-mornings practices.
"I'd definitely stress to the parents that they have to be committed and they have to be involved in what their kids are doing," he said. "If the parents don't show much interest, then chances are the kids won't show much interest either."
Next, he says it's time to lace up the cleats and take to the field.
"Well the best way to get your kids into soccer is to attend one of our clinics," he said. "But I would also encourage kids to watch a lot of games, as much as possible and to get them into a local soccer club."
"You know, the best part about soccer is that it's active," he said. "The kids have to run around and they don't have to stand there waiting for the ball, so kids end up using a lot of energy. It's fun and I think that's why the sport has grown in popularity. And the parents like it too because their kids come home tired."
Since soccer is undeniably a team-oriented game, De Rosario says the sport teaches kids how to start with something basic and build it up to a bigger, more meaningful picture. By getting kids to work in a team environment at an early age, he says kids become self-aware and realize in order to achieve something, they have to work together and give it their best. More importantly, he says kids often take this discipline and then apply it into other facets of life.
De Rosario added soccer is a sport widely enjoyed by fans from almost every country of the world, and here in Toronto, that diverse fan base is reflected in our communities.
"What also makes soccer unique is that it can be a great opportunity for your children to associate with other kids from different backgrounds and cultures," he said.