Hayden Gaetino is one of those soccer players you notice on the pitch right away – and not just because he’s tall but because of the way he plays the game. There aren’t enough o’s in the word smooth to describe the way the Dexter junior plays the greatest game on earth.
There are many reasons for this – he started young, soccer/family background, incredible work ethic – and we will kick around each one of these factors. But let’s start with the family and his soccer background which even he credits as a reason for his incredible success and is quite unique to say the least.
Hayden’s sister Eva Julianna Gaetino plays center back for Premiere League club Paris Saint-Germain after playing college soccer at Notre Dame where she was a two-time First Team All-American. She signed with PSG in January, forgoing the 2024 NWSL Draft, and received her first senior National Team call-up at the 2024 SheBelieves Cup.
His other sister, Bella, is a Dexter HS graduate who played club soccer with Michigan Hawks and is a freshman at the University of North Carolina. She has started in 10 of 11 games for the fourth-ranked Tar Heels in just her first year with one of the best programs in the country.
So, Hayden doesn’t hesitate when it comes to passing kudos to his older sisters.
“My sisters have taught me more than anyone about this game,” says Hayden. “They have always been bigger than me, especially Eva who is currently playing at PSG. Both Bella and Eva would never go easy on me, and always push me to be my best every single time I played with them.
“And both sisters always put maximum effort into everything they did, whether it was school or soccer. Which has gotten them into their positions today.”
The soccer tradition starts at the top of the Gaetino tree. Hayden’s mom, Katherine, played college soccer at Virginia Tech and his father, Brandon, played soccer at Bucknell.
“My parents threw me into the soccer world at around 3 years old,” Hayden said. “I’ve always been an energetic kid, so having a hobby where I can run around in circles as a little kid made me really happy. I think that’s what really got me into it at first.”
And now he’s really into it. “Now I’ve come to love the tactical side of the game, and always improving my craft on and off the field,” he said.
Hayden, 16, who plays striker and attack midfielder for Dexter and left back for his club team, the Michigan Tigers, says his fundamentals “have improved significantly” over the past two seasons.
“During the off-season I learned you don’t need fancy skills to beat players, just a simple faint step, and due to me being a left back in club, my dribbling was never really top notch,” he says. “But during the off-season I focused on my dribbling mainly. It has helped me become a more well-rounded player and I have seen progress with my play.”
Hayden’s off-season consists of playing with the Detroit City FC II team, which earned him a couple call ups to first team training with DCFC. He also worked out on his own and with friends getting ready for Dexter’s 2024 season as the Dreadnaughts look to improve on last season.
“Last year we had a lot of ups and downs,” said Hayden, who has played varsity soccer all three years at Dexter. “But when it came to the postseason we were a completely different team. We won Districts and eventually fell short in Regionals, but I couldn’t have been more proud of the team with the significant improvement we had.”
This year Hayden is working on his game but also trying to become more of a team player. “I have been too selfish recently and need to be more conservative at times,” he says. “Our team goals are obviously to beat the Ann Arbor teams, win Districts, and continue to improve every day.”
Dexter Coach Jaimie Lewis says Gaetino is the best player in the SEC.
“He is having one of the best seasons I have witnessed in my nine years at DHS,” Lewis said. “He was First Team the last two years at center back because we needed him there. His leadership and work rate this year have been exceptional.”
Hayden says this year’s Dexter team is “like a big friend circle.”
“Everyone knows each other, everyone says hi in school, and we all love and care for each other,” he says. “But on the field we expect the best out of each other even if that means getting on someone for a bad pass – not negatively, but in a pick-em-up type of way.”
Even though he’s only a junior, Hayden is starting to get some interest from colleges around the country. “It’s just the start of my recruiting journey and I am excited for what these next two years have in store.”
And why wouldn’t he be. He’s not following in his sister’s footsteps but creating his own with a little help from the family.
