Back in 1997, the merger of the two Colorado-based youth soccer groups, Club Columbine and Lakewood Soccer, seemed innocuous enough.
But when the finished product was born and tasted success soon thereafter, an idea was formed by the new club’s board: expansion.
That led the new Colorado Rush to push the brand aggressively, and since making a first expansion to Virginia in 2003, there are now 26 different Rush Soccer clubs across the United States and 11 overseas, mostly situated in Africa.
“Expansion has always been a part of the philosophy, Colorado Rush technical director Erik Bushey told MLSsoccer.com. “Thinking outside the box, something bigger.”
Back in the Denver suburb of Littleton, the Colorado Rush have spawned the MLS careers of Conor Casey, James Riley, Todd Dunivant and Colleen Warner. Player development has always been a pursuit of the Colorado Rush, as well as implementing a philosophy of attacking soccer.
[inline_node:323912]“Certainly within our system here in Colorado, we certainly want to be a club that develops players, teams that show the ability to play with freedom, be creative,” Bushey said. “I think that possession-oriented is a cliché; we certainly do want to be attack-oriented and we want it to be enjoyable.”
The Colorado Rush is also one of three Rush affiliates to be a part of the Development Academy – the other two are based in Texas and Virginia.
Because of the lack of other clubs in the immediate Denver area, good games were hard to come by in the past. Bushey was grateful for the US Soccer Federation to step in and create the Development Academy back in 2007, but the team faces some interesting travel issues.
“Every game now is meaningful,” Bushey said. “You have to go to great lengths to do that. For us here in Colorado the academy budget is higher than perhaps most clubs throughout the country because, other than our two other clubs, every trip is a flight. So there’s a greater commitment immediately from the club, player and family.
“Our Rush players in the academy travel more than a college team might, or as some pro teams might, depending on where they are in the country. That has certainly been a challenge.”
Despite those issues, participating in the Development Academy has been a positive one that has helped the club push the development of their players along.
“Our experience in the academy has been second-to-none,” Bushey said. “It’s allowed us to push our players a little bit more and to raise the expectations a little bit more.”
Adding strength to the club’s resources is a partnership with an unlikely club: AJ Auxerre in France. First formed back in 2009 thanks to a connection with French soccer figure and former president of AS Monaco, Jerome De Bontin, the two-year experience has allowed Colorado to pick up a number of tips from a team known for developing young players at a high level.
“They’ve allowed us to benefit from some of their technical expertise,” Bushey said.
Along with that, the club helps the Rush from a financial perspective, assisting in covering the costs of participation in the Development Academy.
A handful of young players have trained in France because of the relationship, and the prospect of being aligned with a professional team also provides the chance for players to get a long look and perhaps start a career of their own.
“It is not only important for our players to compete here on a national level for college scholarships but also have that outlet to becoming a pro,” Bushey said. “And that happening directly through us.”
