Riverhounds welcome Hall of Fame class with ties to inaugural season

Paul Child’s name has been on the supporters section at Highmark Stadium since 2015, and, now, he has a place in the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Hall of Fame.

An ambassador for soccer in Pittsburgh since his playing days with the Spirit in the 1980s and an original member of the Hounds’ coaching staff, Child was officially enshrined into the Hounds Hall of Fame along with Upper St. Clair native Gary DePalma and Randy Dedini with an induction ceremony Friday night at Highmark Stadium.

Child, a native of England, was thrilled to be honored with two fellow original Hounds.

“I think that’s what is special about it,” Child said. “It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years since the club started. Coming to the club in 1999, I came from indoor soccer and there wasn’t a professional (outdoor) club here yet. There were a lot of amateur teams, but, when they asked me to come on board, I jumped in straight away. It’s amazing how far the game has come in 25 years with MLS, USL, (Highmark) Stadium and it’s only going to get bigger. That’s what I came here to do.”

Former player and Peters Township native Justin Evans and original Hounds coach John Kowalski emceed the event. Both were members of the Hounds’ first hall of fame class in 2019.

They shared stories about each inductee before they took the podium.

Child was an assistant for Kowalski during the club’s first four seasons. He later returned to the bench to serve as an assistant to a fellow hall of famer, the late Gene Klein. Later, Child and Klein worked together as analysts for Hounds broadcasts from 2013-19.

“It’s a great honor,” Child said. “I spent a long time with Gene Klein on the field and off the field. Back in 1999, being with Gene and Paul Heasley, John Kowalski and Dave Kasper … all of those guys knew soccer, and that’s how you build it. It’s great to see what it has become today.”

DePalma was an original Hound, playing midfield for the team from 1999-2004. He also has the distinction of being one of the first Pittsburghers to play for the team. He ranks in the top five all-time in club history with 23 assists and scored 17 goals in 157 appearances.

“Timing-wise, it was perfect for me, because I had just finished my college career and it was a no-brainer to want to play in Pittsburgh. It was just a matter of if they wanted me to play here,” DePalma said. “Fortunately, I got signed and it worked out.”

Along with Dedini, DePalma was on the field at Bethel Park High School when the Hounds upset the Colorado Rapids in the 2001 U.S. Open Cup, which was the first win over an MLS team.

The win clinched a spot in the Open Cup quarterfinals, something the Hounds didn’t achieve again until last year.

“It was one of those games that was easy to get up for,” DePalma said. “You get to play an MLS team, and that doesn’t happen often, so we were ready to bring our best, especially with them coming to Pittsburgh to play us. We were still a young team, and it was almost like we were too young to know what we were getting into. Looking back at it now, you realize how big of a deal it was, maybe more than we did back then.”

Dedini, a California native, was one of the few veterans on the original Hounds roster and went on to set records that are still standing today. He played 125 games for the Hounds from 1999-2003 and is the team leader in wins by a goalkeeper (57) and shutouts (29). He’s the head women’s soccer coach at Sacramento State.

“I’m just extremely happy to be here,” Dedini said. “One of the biggest reasons I wanted to come is to see some of my buddies that I haven’t seen in 20 years. That’s a big thrill. I was one of the old guys on the team at 29, but I didn’t feel old. I knew we were a talented team, but we just didn’t know it yet. I loved playing in Pittsburgh. It was a great place to be, and that first year with the Hounds was really special.”

All three inductees will be recognized on the field at halftime of Saturday’s home match against Oakland Roots SC.