Dwayne De Rosario received Order of Ontario on the same day his dad died
August 25, 2020
Navigating grief and celebration on the same day is quite the emotional roller coaster.
Just ask former national soccer player Dwayne De Rosario.
In the early hours of March 11, he received the dreaded phone call that his father – Tony De Rosario – had died in hospital after a lengthy illness.
A few hours later, it was with a heavy heart that the Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment brand ambassador accepted the Order of Ontario that is the province’s highest honour.
“It was like a dark room was suddenly lit up with bright lights when I got to Queen’s Park for the ceremony,” he said. “I needed to be there and my father would have wanted me to be there. I know he was looking down on me, saying ‘Son, I am so proud of you’. That moment, however, was far bigger than me. The way I saw it was that honour was acknowledgment of the sacrifices my parents made and it was also about showing my three sons what’s possible when you work hard and achieve success.”
Losing a parent is never easy and De Rosario is still grieving and trying to cope with the pain.
He enjoyed an extremely close relationship with his dad who was an avid record collector and a respected soccer coach and referee.
“He was not only just a father,” said De Rosario who last year became the first Canadian soccer player to be inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. “He was a good friend, mentor, teacher and coach. When you lose someone like that who played a lot of roles in your life and was so close and dear, it’s almost like a piece of you is gone. It was the first time that I have endured so much pain since 2007 when I lost my 94-year-old aunt (Lea DeSouza) that helped raise me.”
Dwayne De Rosario was presented with the Order of Ontario on the same day his father died
Sensing a finality, he said the last conversation with his dad was gut-wrenching.
“I remember asking him if he was tired and he said ‘yes’,” recalled the all-time Canadian goalscorer who, accompanied by his father and older brother Mark, visited Guyana for the first time in December 2013. “I didn’t want to see him suffer anymore and I said ‘it’s okay to go’ while assuring him that everything and everyone would be all right. I had planned to go back later that day with my son as soon as he arrived from New York, but I knew dad had visitors and he would be tired. I told my son we would let him rest and then we would go and see him early the next morning.”
Two weeks before his passing, De Rosario had the opportunity to demonstrate how much he cared for and loved his father by presenting him with the Community Excellence Award at the inaugural DeRo Foundation gala dinner in Scarborough.
The foundation was established six years ago to support local community initiatives, using soccer as a platform.
“It was such a moving experience to have my father attend the event and honour him for all the work he has done and the enormous contributions he made to the community,” said De Rosario who represented Canada at the 1999 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg and was handed the Pan Am torch by his dad that he used to light the community cauldron outside the Pan Am Aquatics centre prior to the 2015 Pan Games.
“Before his death, I met people who inquired how he was doing and many of them mentioned that he coached them. It’s amazing to see the impact he had on so many lives. Beyond the coaching aspect, he left a positive impression on everyone he interacted with.”
Tony De Rosario was the Director of the DeRo United Futbol Academy his son started in 2012.
His nearly 30 years of coaching experience, including Head Coach of the Wexford Under-12 and 14 teams from 2007 to 2009, Assistant Coach of the Under-16 Ontario team in 2012 and Assistant Coach of the Guyana men’s soccer team nine years ago.
A celebration of his life took place on August 8.
“Because of COVID, dad got his wish because that is what he would have wanted,” said his son who enjoys deejaying and listening to music. “He didn’t want a funeral and people to be sad that he’s gone.”
Dwayne De Rosario grew up in Scarborough playing soccer
Growing up, De Rosario and his older brothers Mark and Paul played much of their soccer in Scarborough and were coached by their father.
The youngest of the three siblings made his professional debut in 1997 with the Toronto Lynx and spent two seasons with German club FC Zwickau and Richmond Kickers based in Virginia before joining Major League Soccer (MLS) side San Jose Earthquakes 19 years ago.
Playing for Toronto FC ranks among his career highlights even though the club, in a sense, might have done him a huge favour by declining its contract option on him in December 2014 after a season filled with career lows in games played, goals scored and assists and the team missing the playoffs for an eighth year.
Starting just four games and scoring a goal in 19 appearances, De Rosario – who had a trial with English club Nottingham Forest in 2004 -- announced his retirement in May 2015.
“There’s no better time to retire than at home,” he said at a press conference at BMO Field before Toronto FC took on the San Jose Earthquakes. “This is a dream come true for me and I couldn’t have planned it any better. When Toronto FC became part of Major League Soccer, I was probably one of the happiest people on earth. It’s something I always hoped for in my city so kids like me who came out of Scarborough could have a viable dream and could see themselves playing in their hometown instead of going overseas.”
De Rosario had two stints with Toronto FC during a stellar 14-year MLS career.
Leaving in 2011 after three games because of a contract dispute, he returned in January 2014 after being selected in the MLS re-entry process second stage. The return coincided with the high-profile signings of former England international Jermain Defoe and United States midfielder Michael Bradley.
Retiring as the club’s leading goalscorer with 33 goals (he’s now fourth after Sebastian Giovinco, Jozy Altidore and Jonathan Osorio), De Rosario is a four-time MLS Cup champion, an MLS Most Valuable Player and Golden Boot Award winner in 2011, a two-time MLS Cup Most Valuable Player and a seven-time MLS All Star who was named to the MLS Cup Best XI on six occasions.
Dwayne De Rosario enjoys giving back to the community. As the captain of Toronto FC, he cuts the wood to officially declare open the Toronto Kiwanis Boys & Girls Club
He also led Toronto FC to back-to-back Amway national titles and is ninth on the list of MLS goalscorers with 104 in 343 games.
In late 2018, De Rosario came out retirement at age 40 to represent the Mississauga MetroStars in the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL).
“I came back because of my love of the game and an opportunity,” the 2009 Scarborough Walk of Fame inductee said. “When my friend Phil Ionadi, who was part of the management, made the proposal, I was itching to play again. I was training and playing with Scarborough GS United.”
To test the Mississauga market to see how fans would respond to the new team, MetroStars played exhibition matches in 2017 against Mexico, the United States and Brazil.
De Rosario scored four goals, including the overtime winner in a 10-9 victory over Brazil.
“The fan response, environment and energy were things that I really loved,” he recounted. “I had a lot of fun. When Phil called me around August 2018 saying he was thinking about entering a team in the MASL, I was hesitant to commit because if I am going to give 100 per cent, it meant I had to train and travel again. I promised I would play, but I couldn’t commit to travel for road games because I wanted to spend more time with my children. One of the main reasons I retired was because I wanted to be here to support them.”
MetroStars won just four of their 24 games in their only season before folding.
“I enjoyed the experience even though playing on surfaces with carpet and flooring underneath took a toll on my knees and joints,” said De Rosario who was born in the Kingston-Galloway community and raised in Toronto Housing neighbourhoods in Scarborough. “I do miss the sport I played professionally for 20 years. Mentally, I thought I was ready to step away, but I wasn’t for that transition.”
In the last few months, the four-time Canadian Player of the Year has used the pandemic downtime to bond with his three sons.
Dwayne De Rosario with his youngest child, Tinashe, announcing his retirement in May 2015
Osaze, who turned 19 last month, is a striker with the New York City FC Academy, 15-year-old Adisa is a goalkeeper with the Toronto FC Academy and Tinashe is eight years old.
Asha De Rosario, 23, is the eldest of the four siblings.
De Rosario, who growing up cherished the piece of paper that retired professional wrestler & actor Mr. T autographed for him, is also working on his autobiography expected to be published in November.
“This is a book about my upbringing and experiences,” he said. “I want young people to understand that anything they want to do is possible once they put their minds to it and are prepared to work hard. There are no shortcuts in life.”
De Rosario scored 22 goals in 81 appearances with the Canadian senior team from 1998 to 2015.
