After hearing from players and parents, an amazing panel of Rush Coaches and Directors discussed concepts and ways to improve how players, parents, and coaches go through one of the most stressful periods of the season.
July 26, 2021
Rush Coaches Debate: Going Through Tryouts
When Chris P. , Rush Soccer’s Developmental Director, suggested that we should dedicate the whole month to analyze Tryouts, we decided to give the same priority to every party involved: Players, Parents, and Coaches.
That’s why Chris hosted two wonderful webinars, first with players and later with parents, and received some key suggestions and concerns for this stressful part of the season. Let’s now hear from the coaches.
- Daouda Kante – Kansas Rush.
- Randall Porter – Kansas Rush.
- Paul Furlong – Lobos TN Rush.
The goal of the discussion was to check if clubs grew during the process and how the experience could be refined for all involved. The process is stressful for all, that we all know.
Is it a regional, National or a state to state problem? How can we conduct the process more efficiently and effectively? And what methods do you feel that would provide coaches an easier way to measure performances that they can later share with players who didn’t make the top team, or didn’t make the team at all? Those are some of the questions posted during the meeting.
Both parents and players suggested that communication must be clear and face to face , whether the player made the team or not. Paul Furlong highlighted that aspect as well, stating that communication, even if it’s already adequate, should always be a priority to improve.
Another point that was remarked by Paul and Randall related to the individual experience that each child has with their coach. They both emphasized that putting better coaches with the younger age groups helps to develop them , not only from a technical standpoint but also to ensure these are coaches committed to the group and willing to go above and beyond expectations and minimum standards. Moreover, their objective is to provide a consistent experience regardless of league or level.
On a different note, Randall pointed out the incidence of state rules. In their case, tryouts must be run on the same day as the other clubs. That affects the dynamic of the process, as from a business standpoint, they are in need of making offers on day one or get ready to lose players from the club.
Complementary to this concept, Paul made a comment on how success tends to breed success . For example, if one branch had a strong 2010 group, players from other branches would migrate there. At Lobos, the pathway is defined early and the Developmental and Recreational branches do lots of work to help these players develop into the travel program, Some of the initiatives taken are weekly training sessions with competitive coaches and holding consistent meetings. Kansas Rush, with the same objective, holds a couple clinics in the fall and spring with the travel coaches.
Thanks to Paul, Randall and Daouda for their contributions, Kristian Bates PA Rush TD shared via email some of their secrets and couldn’t join us as he was in Greece with Rush Select. And congratulations to TN Lobos Rush for having 4 teams at USYS National Championships in Florida this summer!
Now it’s time to hear from you, coach. Did we miss any key point? How would you improve the Tryouts period?
The post Rush Coaches Debate: Going Through Tryouts appeared first on Rush Soccer.
Frank Meza Named East Penn Rush Director of Player Development
East Penn Rush is excited to expand our competitive opportunities through participation in the Atlantic Premier League (APL)/Acela , providing several of our younger Premier and Elite teams with another high-level environment for competition and player development. The Atlantic Premier League offers competition for boys and girls beginning at the younger age groups and features multiple levels of play. For the 2026–27 season, APL offers an Acela First Division along with a second division, creating opportunities for clubs to place teams at an appropriate competitive level. For East Penn Rush, joining APL/Acela is particularly important for our Premier and Elite teams below the U13 age groups . While many national-level leagues and pathways begin at U13, APL/Acela gives our younger players an opportunity to experience a highly competitive regional environment earlier in their development. Competing Against High-Level Programs One of the biggest benefits of APL/Acela is the level and variety of competition available throughout the region. The league attracts competitive programs from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and surrounding areas. APL/Acela competition has included teams associated with Pre-MLS NEXT, Pre-Academy and other high-level developmental programs . Published league results, for example, show APL/Acela competition involving teams such as FC DELCO Pre-MLS NEXT, Keystone FC Pre-Academy, Philadelphia Union Juniors, Real Futbol Academy and other strong regional programs. This gives our younger Rush teams an opportunity to regularly challenge themselves against different playing styles, stronger competition and organizations with established academy pathways. Building the Pathway Before U13 Our goal is not simply to enter teams into another league. The addition of APL/Acela is part of the continued development of the East Penn Rush player pathway . For our younger Premier and Elite players, the U9–U12 years are critical developmental stages. Players are learning how to apply their technical ability in increasingly faster and more demanding game environments. Playing against quality opposition requires players to make decisions quicker, become more comfortable under pressure and develop a deeper understanding of the game. APL/Acela gives us another platform to challenge those players before they reach U13 , when additional regional and national opportunities become available. The pathway is designed to progressively prepare players for the next level: East Penn Rush Development → Competitive Travel → Elite/Premier → APL/Acela → U13+ Regional & National Opportunities For players who continue progressing through the club, this experience can help prepare them for the competitive demands they will encounter as they move toward our older Premier teams and opportunities such as the National 1 (N1) League . More Opportunities. More Competition. More Development. East Penn Rush continues to build an environment where players do not have to wait until their teenage years to experience meaningful, high-level competition. Adding multiple teams to APL/Acela allows us to better match our Premier and Elite teams with competition that challenges them at the appropriate stage of their development. It also expands the range of opponents our teams can face beyond traditional local league play. Our objective remains the same: put players in environments that challenge them, support their development and prepare them for the next step in their soccer journey. Participation in APL/Acela represents another important step forward for East Penn Rush and our commitment to creating a complete developmental pathway from our youngest players through our Premier and national-level teams. One Club. One Pathway. More Opportunities.
East Penn Rush Accepted into the National 1 League
