Feature Article - Dimitri Peppas

Dimitri Peppas has joined the MetroStars Sports Committee in 2011, fulfilling a promise he made to a dear friend long ago. "I promised a good friend (Ross Russo) that if I ever left the FFSA I would come here, and I am honouring that promise”. Previously competition coordinator of FFSA, Dimitri brings experience of behind the scenes operations of competition as well as expert media knowledge. "I know the media and how to raise a clubs profile….Plus I live down the road, within walking distance, so my wife doesn’t complain that I’m not home for too long”, he says. As well as carrying out a promise, Dimitri chose Metro as a club based on its professionalism both on and off the field. "They are doing everything right and I want to add to that” he says. He is already under way with his rebuilding of the clubs website, now with feature stories and player biographies, and he has big hopes for Metro as a club, envisaging them becoming more involved with the local community as a whole, rather than just the soccer community. "Metro have built an empire on the field, they now just need to build one off the field…then they will be a true ‘super’ club”, he says. Dimitri’s own soccer experience began with Olympians in juniors followed by WT Birkalla, Adelaide Cobras and South Adelaide where he played u19’s and reserves. He was always more interested in the administrative side of a club however and started to hone his skills when he was just 10 years old. At the time, all committee members and fathers at Olympians didn’t speak English well so it was Dimitri who used to organize the teams and liaise with the federation. By 18 years old he was on the committee of the Adelaide University Women’s Soccer Club and at 20 years old he became a junior delegate for WT Birkalla, coordinating 250 players. Dimitri wants to take the opportunity to thank everyone for giving him the opportunity to now come to Metro, expressing how accommodating all have been in allowing him to develop his ideas for the club and put them into practice. He thinks he may return the favour though as the last two clubs he has been a part of have won championships. Hoping his lucky charm will rub off on Metro, "I hope we win the championships this season”, he says.