Although born in Fairfax County, Virginia, David Rios would begin developing after his family moved to Raleigh (age 8).

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  His start came at XL Soccerworld Raleigh (Formerly Soccer Dome) under the coaching of Graeme Burluraux and Ollie Rupp. There David would climb the academy ladder all the way to the "XL Elite" program. At this time, the indoor facility was undergoing a "golden age" across multiple XL Elite ages, with 17 Williamsburg Regional championships between 2008-2013.

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  David would move on to youth outdoor soccer in 2009. Teams played for are credited below:

 

  -XL Soccerworld / Ollie Rupp: '99s USYS Regional 1st

  -Triangle United Soccer Association / David Allred: '99 Gold

  -Liga Maya All-Star '97s / Gerardo Perez: NCFF State Champ

  -CASL Del Sol / Ramon Gallardo: '99s USYS State Finalist

  -Capital Area Soccer League / Scott McGuinn: '99s Regional 1st

  -Garner Magnet High School / Jon Sherwin: Wake County Cup

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  David would later go on trials at various European clubs, including Borussia Dortmund Youth Sector U-19.

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  In 2017 he would return as a youth development to XL Soccerworld Raleigh, and also sign a 2 year deal for "OBR Ownership Group" owned Sporting Raleigh (Later to be rebranded as Central Raleigh FC). In his two years he would play 26 matches, score 15 goals, and register 22 assists for the Reds. David stepped away from the semi-professional level during the 2019 pandemic.

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  David Rios has once again signed to Central Raleigh FC, with the objective of assisting in the development of the younger signings, while bringing his experience to the first team as a whole.