Last Updated on September 26, 2026 by Miguel Manjate
Slade Starnes comes from a close Dallas family whose support has accompanied him from childhood FC Dallas matches to becoming a professional player for the club himself. Born on October 10, 2003, the American center-back grew up in the Dallas area, developed through the FC Dallas Academy and later played college soccer for Furman University and Southern Methodist University before signing a Homegrown contract with FC Dallas.
Starnes has spoken frequently about the importance of family in his life. Public family records identify his parents as Britt and Tammi Starnes and his sister as Samantha Starnes. His family were longtime FC Dallas supporters, making his eventual professional contract with his hometown club particularly meaningful. While information about his parents and sister can be verified, Slade has kept his present romantic life private and has no publicly confirmed children.
Who Is Slade Starnes’s Girlfriend?
As of now, Slade Starnes has not publicly confirmed a current girlfriend through FC Dallas, SMU, a major sports publication or another sufficiently reliable public source.
Starnes has discussed relationships in a broader personal context. In a 2025 account about his life and Christian faith, he acknowledged having dating relationships during his college years, but he did not identify any partner by name or indicate that one of those relationships was current.
His more recent interviews surrounding his move into professional soccer have focused on his faith, family, leadership and career rather than a romantic partner.
For that reason, it would be inaccurate to identify someone as Slade Starnes’s girlfriend based only on social-media photographs, comments or interactions. Unless Starnes publicly confirms a relationship, his current dating status should be regarded as private.
Does Slade Starnes Have Children?
There is no reliable public information indicating that Slade Starnes has children.
His official profiles with FC Dallas, North Texas SC, SMU and Furman do not identify him as a father. Interviews in which Starnes discusses his personal life also contain no verified reference to him having a son or daughter.
As of now, Slade Starnes therefore has no publicly confirmed children.
Who Are Slade Starnes’s Parents?
Public family records identify Slade Starnes’s parents as Britt Starnes and Tammi Starnes.
The Starnes family has longstanding roots in the Dallas area. A Dallas Morning News family notice published in 2021 identified Tammi and her husband Britt Starnes and named their children as Samantha and Slade.
Slade himself has not frequently named his parents individually during soccer interviews, but he regularly speaks about them collectively as an important part of his life and career.
One of the strongest examples came after FC Dallas offered him a professional Homegrown contract. Starnes said his immediate reaction was to call his family because they had spent years supporting the club together as season-ticket holders.
The news became particularly emotional for his mother, whom Slade recalled crying when he told his family that he would officially become an FC Dallas first-team player.
Slade Starnes’s Father: Britt Starnes
Slade Starnes’s father is Britt Starnes.
Britt has generally remained outside the soccer media spotlight, and Slade’s official player biographies do not provide information about his father’s occupation or personal background.
What is clear is that Britt was part of the family environment in which Slade developed a strong connection to FC Dallas from childhood. Starnes has described his household collectively as longtime FC Dallas season-ticket holders.
That meant Slade grew up attending matches involving the same organization he would later represent at academy, MLS NEXT Pro and first-team levels.
Rather than being introduced to FC Dallas only when he entered the academy, his connection with the club existed through his family before his professional ambitions became reality.
Slade Starnes’s Mother: Tammi Starnes
Slade Starnes’s mother is Tammi Starnes.
She appears to have remained an important supporter throughout her son’s football development. When Slade received confirmation that he would sign professionally for FC Dallas, he specifically remembered his mother becoming emotional when he called home with the news.
Starnes later explained that one of the advantages of returning to Dallas for his final college season at SMU was being able to have his family regularly attend matches.
He described seeing his relatives celebrate goals, hugging them after games and occasionally going out to eat together as experiences that meant a great deal to him.
Those comments illustrate how closely his soccer journey has remained connected to his family despite spending three college seasons away from Texas at Furman University.
Who Are Slade Starnes’s Siblings?
Slade Starnes has a sister named Samantha Starnes.
Samantha is particularly well documented because Slade himself has publicly discussed the influence she has had on him. Family records also identify Samantha and Slade as the children of Britt and Tammi Starnes.
No additional brothers or sisters are identified in the available reliable family records. Therefore, Samantha is the only publicly documented sibling of Slade Starnes.
Slade Starnes’s Sister: Samantha Starnes
Samantha Starnes is Slade’s older sister and has played an important role in his personal development away from soccer.
Samantha grew up in Dallas and later attended Texas A&M University. She subsequently became involved professionally in ministry at Watermark Community Church in Dallas.
Watermark’s official staff profile identifies Samantha as part of The Porch, the church’s young-adult ministry. She has described growing up within Watermark’s student ministry before eventually pursuing vocational ministry herself.
Her career has particular significance to Slade because he has publicly identified Samantha as someone he admired while developing his own Christian faith.
During a 2026 podcast interview, Slade specifically discussed watching his sister’s example. He said Samantha’s faith and the way she treated other people made a strong impression on him long before he developed the same level of personal commitment himself.
Slade has also referred more generally to his parents and sister as examples of people whose faith he observed while growing up.
Slade Starnes’s Family and Christian Faith
Christian faith has become a significant part of Slade Starnes’s public identity, and his family was closely connected to his early exposure to Christianity.
In a personal story published by Watermark Community Church in July 2025, Starnes explained that he grew up watching his parents and sister practice their faith.
He acknowledged that for a period he was participating in church activities without developing the same personal conviction himself. His perspective changed during college, particularly after experiencing personal struggles and reconsidering what he wanted his identity to be based on.
Starnes has subsequently spoken openly about placing his faith ahead of his identity as a soccer player.
His sister Samantha has remained particularly significant in that story because Slade viewed the consistency of her faith as something worth following.
The Starnes Family Were FC Dallas Supporters
FC Dallas was part of the Starnes family long before Slade signed a professional contract.
After becoming a Homegrown player in January 2026, Starnes revealed that his family had been FC Dallas season-ticket holders while he was growing up.
That made the signing substantially different from an ordinary professional transfer. Slade was joining the first team of the club he had watched with his parents and sister as a child.
When FC Dallas informed him that the contract would become official, Slade immediately called his family. He described the reaction as a celebration and recalled his mother crying.
The moment represented the completion of a childhood ambition. Starnes said that whenever adults asked him what he wanted to become, his answer was consistently a professional soccer player rather than another profession.
How Slade Starnes Grew Up in Dallas
Slade Starnes was born and raised in the Dallas area and attended Lone Star High School.
His local upbringing allowed him to enter the FC Dallas development structure while remaining close to his family.
Starnes did not immediately enter the academy as one of its biggest prospects. He progressed through different levels of the FC Dallas system before eventually reaching the academy and establishing himself.
By the end of his academy career, he had developed into a leader and served as captain of the FC Dallas under-19 team.
That progression required patience. Starnes has recalled periods during his teenage years when he questioned whether decisions he had made regarding his soccer development were correct.
By the end of his junior year, however, his rise from a player fighting for opportunities to academy captain demonstrated how dramatically his position had changed.
Slade Starnes’s College Years Away From Family
Starnes left Texas to begin his college career at Furman University in South Carolina.
The move represented one of the first periods in which he lived away from the family environment that had surrounded him in Dallas.
He played three seasons for Furman and developed into one of the Southern Conference’s leading defenders. As a freshman in 2022, Starnes earned Southern Conference All-Freshman honors after starting 17 matches and contributing three goals and two assists.
His second season was affected by injury, but he returned to earn First Team All-Southern Conference recognition in 2024.
Starnes later reflected that living away from his family also forced him to grow personally. College challenged some of the habits and beliefs he had carried from home and eventually contributed to the development of the faith and leadership qualities for which he later became known.
Returning Home to Dallas and SMU
After three seasons at Furman, Starnes returned home for his senior year and transferred to Southern Methodist University.
The move gave him an opportunity to compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference while once again living close to his family.
That proximity became one of the parts of his SMU experience that he valued most. Starnes said having his family attend his games, celebrating with them afterward and spending time together was difficult to match.
On the field, the season became extraordinarily successful.
Starnes was named captain of SMU despite being new to the program and helped lead the Mustangs to their first ACC Championship.
He was named the ACC Tournament MVP, earned Second Team All-ACC honors, became a United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-American and was selected as a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy.
Those performances put him firmly back on FC Dallas’s radar.
Slade Starnes Signs With His Family’s Club
FC Dallas officially signed Starnes to a Homegrown contract on January 5, 2026.
The signing represented the realization of an ambition that stretched back to his childhood years attending FC Dallas matches with his family.
Rather than leaving North Texas after college, Starnes was able to begin his professional career close to his parents and sister.
He has specifically highlighted having his family attend more games as one of the motivations behind representing Dallas.
For Starnes, playing for the club therefore carries a strong local and family dimension in addition to its professional significance.
Slade Starnes’s First Professional Season
Starnes spent much of his first professional season captaining North Texas SC, FC Dallas’s MLS NEXT Pro affiliate.
He quickly established himself as a leader in the professional environment, starting throughout the 2026 campaign and contributing at both ends of the field.
Starnes scored his first professional goal in a 3-1 comeback victory over Tacoma Defiance in August 2026 and added another goal in the final regular-season match against Colorado Rapids 2.
North Texas SC subsequently named him its 2026 Defensive Player of the Year.
The award continued an impressive progression from FC Dallas academy captain to Furman defender, SMU captain and ACC champion, and finally professional team captain.
Slade Starnes’s Family FAQ
Who are Slade Starnes’s parents?
Public family records identify Slade Starnes’s parents as Britt Starnes and Tammi Starnes. Slade has frequently spoken about his parents collectively and their support for his soccer career.
Who is Slade Starnes’s father?
Slade Starnes’s father is Britt Starnes. He has maintained a relatively private public profile, but he was part of the FC Dallas-supporting household in which Slade grew up.
Who is Slade Starnes’s mother?
Slade Starnes’s mother is Tammi Starnes. Slade recalled that his mother cried when he called his family to tell them that he was signing a professional contract with FC Dallas.
Does Slade Starnes have a sister?
Yes. Slade Starnes has a sister named Samantha Starnes.
Who is Samantha Starnes?
Samantha Starnes is Slade’s sister. She attended Texas A&M University and works with Watermark Community Church’s young-adult ministry in Dallas. Slade has publicly described her as an important example in the development of his Christian faith.
Does Slade Starnes have a brother?
No brother has been identified in reliable public family records. Samantha is the only sibling currently documented publicly.
Who is Slade Starnes’s girlfriend?
As of now, Slade Starnes has not publicly confirmed a current girlfriend through a reliable source. He has acknowledged having dating relationships during college but has not publicly identified a present partner.
Is Slade Starnes married?
There is no reliable public information indicating that Slade Starnes is married.
Does Slade Starnes have children?
There is no reliable public information confirming that Slade Starnes has children.
Did Slade Starnes’s family support FC Dallas?
Yes. Starnes has said his family were FC Dallas season-ticket holders while he was growing up. He immediately called them when he learned that he would sign professionally with the club.
Where did Slade Starnes grow up?
Slade Starnes grew up in the Dallas area of Texas and attended Lone Star High School before beginning his college soccer career.
Which colleges did Slade Starnes attend?
Starnes played his first three college seasons at Furman University before transferring to SMU for his senior season in 2025.
Which club does Slade Starnes play for?
As of now, Slade Starnes is an FC Dallas Homegrown player. He captained North Texas SC during much of the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro season and was named the club’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Miguel Manjate is a football journalist and editor covering the Premier League, European competitions, and transfer news, with a strong focus on match analysis and data-driven reporting.
