Last Updated on September 26, 2026 by Miguel Manjate
Samuel “Sam” Sarver comes from a supportive Ohio family that played a major role in his journey from recreational soccer in Chesterland to the Columbus Crew Academy, Indiana University and eventually Major League Soccer with FC Dallas. Born on March 3, 2003, Sarver showed an interest in soccer while still a small child, and his parents helped turn that early enthusiasm into an opportunity to pursue the sport seriously.
Sam is the son of David “Dave” Sarver and Lori Sarver and has a sister named Sydney Sarver. His mother spent countless hours helping him reach elite youth training, while his father created a soccer field where the children could practice at home. Sydney also played soccer during her school years. Sarver has kept his romantic and parental life considerably more private, with no reliably confirmed girlfriend, wife or children as of now.
Who Is Samuel Sarver’s Girlfriend?
As of now, Samuel Sarver has not publicly confirmed a girlfriend through FC Dallas, Indiana University, established hometown reporting or another sufficiently reliable source.
Sarver has become increasingly visible since breaking into the FC Dallas first team, but interviews about his personal story have focused primarily on his childhood, family support, soccer development and professional career.
There is therefore no reliable basis for identifying anyone as his current girlfriend. Social-media photographs, comments or interactions involving private individuals should not be treated as confirmation of a romantic relationship unless Sarver chooses to make that relationship public himself.
His current relationship status should consequently be regarded as private.
Is Samuel Sarver Married?
There is no reliable public information confirming that Samuel Sarver is married.
Neither FC Dallas nor Indiana University identifies a spouse in his official biography, and established profiles of the forward have not announced a marriage.
As of now, Samuel Sarver has no publicly confirmed wife.
Does Samuel Sarver Have Children?
There is no reliable public information indicating that Samuel Sarver has children.
His official club and college profiles do not identify him as a father, and interviews covering his rise into professional soccer have not mentioned a son or daughter.
As of now, Samuel Sarver has no publicly confirmed children.
Who Are Samuel Sarver’s Parents?
Samuel Sarver is the son of David “Dave” Sarver and Lori Sarver.
Indiana University officially identifies David and Lori as Sam’s parents. More detailed hometown reporting from Geauga County has documented how both parents contributed to his development long before professional soccer became realistic.
Their involvement went beyond simply attending matches. Lori helped manage the demanding travel required when Sam entered elite youth soccer, while Dave created a place for his children to play at home and remained closely interested in Sam’s development.
That support became especially important when Sarver eventually joined the Columbus Crew Academy and had to travel significant distances from northeastern Ohio for training.
Samuel Sarver’s Father: David “Dave” Sarver
Samuel Sarver’s father is David Sarver, commonly known as Dave.
Dave has spoken publicly about his son’s earliest experiences with soccer and remembered that Sam displayed an unusual instinct for scoring almost immediately.
When Sam was approximately four and a half years old, he began playing recreational soccer. Dave recalled how young players would often crowd around the ball, but Sam would emerge with possession, run toward the opposite goal and try to score.
His father believed that ability to find scoring opportunities was visible from the beginning and remained an important characteristic years later when Sam became a professional forward.
Dave Sarver Built a Soccer Field for Sam and Sydney
One of the most memorable details about Sam’s childhood is the soccer field his father constructed for the family.
The Sarvers had access to open land, and Dave transformed a flat section into a playing area where his children could train.
He prepared the ground and installed a large net near the edge of the property so balls would not continually disappear into the surrounding area.
For Sam, having that space meant soccer was not limited to organized practices or weekend matches. He and his sister could spend additional time playing close to home.
Years later, Dave described those childhood experiences as an important part of the environment that helped his son develop.
Sam and His Father Remained Close During College
When Sarver eventually chose Indiana University, the location worked well for both his development and his family relationships.
Sam later explained that Indiana was far enough from Ohio to give him the experience of living independently but still close enough for his father to travel to many matches.
Dave regularly attended games during his son’s four-year career with the Hoosiers.
That allowed the father who had watched Sam begin recreational soccer as a preschooler to continue following him as he became one of the leading forwards in college soccer.
Samuel Sarver’s Mother: Lori Sarver
Samuel Sarver’s mother is Lori Sarver.
Lori played an equally important role in the beginning of Sam’s soccer journey.
According to Dave’s account, Lori was driving with young Sam when he noticed children playing soccer outside and asked what they were doing.
After learning that the sport was soccer, Sam told his mother that he wanted to play. Lori soon registered him in a local recreational program.
That simple childhood moment became the starting point for a journey that eventually carried him to youth international soccer, Indiana University and Major League Soccer.
Lori Sarver Made Long Trips for Sam’s Soccer Career
Family support became even more demanding when Sam joined the Columbus Crew Academy.
Training required travelling from the Cleveland area toward Columbus, creating an extremely difficult schedule for a high-school student and his family.
Reporting about Sarver’s development explains that Lori would sometimes pick him up early from school with food ready in the car.
Sam could eat and complete schoolwork while his mother drove him toward training.
The journey could take approximately two and a half hours in each direction, meaning the commitment involved far more than a normal trip to local practice.
Those drives became an important example of the sacrifices Sarver’s family made while he pursued higher levels of youth soccer.
Lori Sarver’s Photography Career
Lori has also worked professionally in creative fields.
A Beachwood community profile published while Sam was still young described her as a former makeup artist who transitioned into photography.
She had already spent years photographing Sam during his sporting activities before beginning to approach photography more professionally.
That means Lori was not only transporting her son to soccer but also documenting parts of his childhood sporting journey through her own creative work.
Who Are Samuel Sarver’s Siblings?
Samuel Sarver has one publicly documented sibling, a sister named Sydney Sarver.
The relationship is confirmed by detailed hometown reporting in which Dave discusses raising Sam and Sydney together. Older family records also independently identify Sam and Sydney together as members of the Sarver family.
Sydney was part of many of the same childhood experiences as Sam, including outdoor activities around northeastern Ohio and playing on the soccer field their father created.
She also played soccer herself during her school years.
Samuel Sarver’s Sister: Sydney Sarver
Sydney Sarver is Samuel Sarver’s sister.
Public high-school athletic records show that Sydney played girls varsity soccer at Beachwood High School.
She appeared on Beachwood’s varsity roster during multiple seasons, providing another soccer connection inside the Sarver household.
Unlike Sam, Sydney did not pursue a highly public professional soccer career, and details about her present personal or professional life should remain private.
What is publicly established is that the siblings grew up together in an active family environment and both participated in soccer.
Sam and Sydney Grew Up in an Outdoors-Oriented Family
Soccer was important in the Sarver household, but it was not the family’s only childhood activity.
Dave recalled that when Sam and Sydney were young, the family spent significant time outdoors.
The children enjoyed activities such as riding ATVs and tractors and regularly experienced the rural and recreational environment of Geauga County.
The family also attended local community events and spent time exploring outdoor areas together.
Those experiences helped give Sam strong memories of his childhood in northeastern Ohio even after soccer eventually required him to spend increasingly long periods away from home.
Growing Up in Chesterland, Ohio
Sarver grew up in Chesterland in Geauga County, Ohio.
He has spoken warmly about the community and the places associated with his childhood.
His earliest organized soccer experience came through local recreational football before he progressed into increasingly competitive club environments.
Those included Cleveland Select, AC Premier, Cleveland Internationals and eventually the Columbus Crew Academy.
His progression was gradual rather than the result of immediately entering a Major League Soccer academy as a very young child.
Samuel Sarver’s Early Soccer Talent
Sarver was already playing competitive soccer above his normal age group when he was young.
A community profile published when he was 13 described him as having started soccer at approximately five years old before moving quickly into premier-level club football.
By his early teens, he was training several days per week and travelling regularly for competitive matches.
The commitment placed increasingly heavy demands on the Sarver family, especially as Sam’s potential became more obvious.
The Columbus Crew Academy Changed Family Life
Joining the Columbus Crew Academy represented one of the biggest steps in Sarver’s development.
It also created one of the biggest logistical challenges for his family.
Academy training could require more than two hours of travel each way from his home area.
Initially, Sarver and other players shared transportation when possible. His mother also handled numerous long drives herself.
As the schedule became increasingly difficult, the family had to consider alternatives that would allow Sam to remain in the academy without spending an enormous amount of time travelling every day.
Sam Lived Away From His Parents While Still in High School
Eventually, Sarver spent periods living away from his parents in order to remain closer to Columbus Crew training.
Major League Soccer reporting states that he spent some time living with an uncle’s family before later staying with a trusted figure connected with the Crew Academy.
The arrangement reflected how much Sam and his family were willing to change their normal routine to give him the opportunity to pursue elite soccer.
Sarver attended four different high schools over four years while balancing education with the demands of the academy.
Although that experience was unconventional, it exposed him to an elite professional environment while he was still a teenager.
His Family Supported the Decision to Attend Indiana University
Sarver eventually left the Columbus Crew pathway without receiving a first-team Homegrown contract.
Rather than ending his professional ambitions, he chose college soccer and committed to Indiana University.
The decision proved extremely important.
Indiana provided both stability and high-level competition after the constant movement of his high-school years.
It also kept Sam within travelling distance of his Ohio family, allowing Dave to attend many matches.
Samuel Sarver’s Indiana University Career
Sarver played four seasons for Indiana from 2021 through 2024.
He appeared in 90 matches, starting 81, and finished his college career with 24 goals and 22 assists.
He became only the fourth Indiana player in the 21st century to reach 70 career points.
Sarver helped the Hoosiers reach the 2022 College Cup final and later win both Big Ten regular-season and tournament honors.
Individually, he earned consecutive United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-America selections in 2023 and 2024 and consecutive First Team All-Big Ten honors.
The college route ultimately prepared him for professional football after the direct academy-to-MLS pathway had not materialized.
FC Dallas Drafted Samuel Sarver
FC Dallas selected Sarver with the 41st overall pick in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft.
He initially joined North Texas SC rather than immediately receiving an FC Dallas first-team contract.
The decision meant Sarver once again needed to prove himself at another level.
North Texas SC signed him to his first professional contract in January 2025.
He quickly responded with one of the most productive seasons in club history.
Samuel Sarver’s Historic North Texas SC Season
Sarver became a prolific scorer during the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season.
He finished with a North Texas SC single-season record of 19 goals.
His performances earned him the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Most Valuable Player award and a place in the league’s Best XI.
He also served as North Texas SC captain.
The season finally opened the MLS opportunity he had pursued since his youth-academy years in Ohio.
Samuel Sarver Signs With FC Dallas
FC Dallas signed Sarver to a first-team contract on July 24, 2025.
The agreement runs through the 2026 season, with club options for 2027 and 2028.
He had already made his MLS debut earlier that month after receiving a short-term call-up from North Texas SC.
For Sarver and his family, becoming an MLS player represented the completion of a journey that had involved years of long drives, multiple schools, academy moves and college soccer.
Samuel Sarver’s Breakthrough in the 2026 MLS Season
Sarver began producing important first-team moments for FC Dallas during the 2026 season.
He scored his first MLS goal in a 2-0 road victory over Red Bull New York on May 2.
One week later, he scored again as FC Dallas defeated Real Salt Lake 3-1, giving him goals in consecutive league matches.
He followed that run with a dramatic late winning goal against the San Jose Earthquakes.
The performances increased Sarver’s profile considerably and demonstrated that his success with North Texas could translate to Major League Soccer.
Samuel Sarver’s Family FAQ
Who are Samuel Sarver’s parents?
Samuel Sarver’s parents are David “Dave” Sarver and Lori Sarver.
Who is Samuel Sarver’s father?
Sam’s father is David “Dave” Sarver. He supported Sam’s soccer career from childhood, built a soccer field for his children and regularly attended his son’s college matches at Indiana University.
Who is Samuel Sarver’s mother?
Sam’s mother is Lori Sarver. She signed him up for recreational soccer after he became interested in the sport as a young child and later spent significant time driving him to elite youth training.
What does Samuel Sarver’s mother do?
A community profile described Lori Sarver as a former makeup artist who later pursued professional photography. She had also spent years photographing Sam during his youth sporting activities.
Does Samuel Sarver have siblings?
Yes. Samuel Sarver has one publicly documented sister named Sydney Sarver.
Who is Sydney Sarver?
Sydney Sarver is Sam’s sister. She grew up alongside him in Ohio and played varsity girls soccer at Beachwood High School.
Did Samuel Sarver’s sister play soccer?
Yes. Public school athletic records list Sydney Sarver on Beachwood High School’s varsity girls soccer team.
Who is Samuel Sarver’s girlfriend?
As of now, Samuel Sarver has not publicly confirmed a girlfriend through a reliable source.
Is Samuel Sarver married?
There is no reliable public confirmation that Samuel Sarver is married.
Does Samuel Sarver have children?
There is no reliable public information indicating that Samuel Sarver has children.
Where was Samuel Sarver born?
Samuel Sarver was born in Chesterland, Ohio, on March 3, 2003.
Where did Samuel Sarver play college soccer?
Sarver played four seasons for Indiana University, recording 24 goals and 22 assists in 90 appearances.
Which club does Samuel Sarver play for?
As of now, Samuel Sarver plays as a forward for FC Dallas in Major League Soccer and wears number 28.
How long is Samuel Sarver’s FC Dallas contract?
Sarver signed through the 2026 season, with FC Dallas holding club options for 2027 and 2028.
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.
