The 6U-19U Recreational League provides a fun, safe, and developmentally appropriate soccer environment for all age groups. The Recreational program is designed to help players continue to grow in the sport of soccer by introducing them to formalized games on Saturdays at the younger ages and expanding on the technical and physical skills as they grow in the program. The specialized curriculum helps players grow in their technical skills and learn the rules of soccer at a developmentally appropriate level for their age. Players will receive a solid foundation of coaching needed to continue into further recreational programming or competitive programming when ready.

All recreational teams are coached by parent volunteer coaches with the support of CRYSC staff on and off the fields. Interested parents can indicate their desire to coach their player during registration.

For a more comprehensive overview, continue scrolling to view the level and age group breakdown below.

RISE (Rapids Integrated System of Excellence) is a one-of-a-kind youth soccer development platform that houses our club’s curriculum. RISE provides an online space where coaches, players, and members can interact, creating a living and growing classroom. By connecting the CRYSC community online, RISE will open up new educational opportunities for players and coaches, offer a more rewarding CRYSC experience for members, and ultimately enhance the level and consistency of soccer being played across the Club.

The Whole-Part-Whole (WPW) philosophy is a learning model used by the Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club to achieve our long-term player development initiative. The WPW philosophy was first outlined by Malcolm Knowles in 1973 and is used in many learning situations, both practical and theory based. When added to a well-planned and well-thought out pedagogy, the WPW philosophy puts players in realistic situations, which should always include decision-making elements.

When coaching soccer, WPW can be used in a variety of ways to break down techniques, skills, or tactics. Most commonly the players are taken from practice with high game context to a low one, before returning to the original practice. When possible, it is best to practice the game, or elements of the game, in their entirety. An example of this could occur in a topic such as ‘Defending in the Direct Game Channel’. What do you do if the individuals or units in your squad don’t understand how to defend 1v1 or 2v2? You break it down.

‘Whole’ doesn’t necessarily mean a game. Actually, in this theory, a ‘whole’ practice could be a series of complex skills that can be broken down into more discrete skills. The ‘whole’ element should be as realistic to the game as possible. The coach looks to pull actions or components of the game and break them down into chunks so the players can understand and digest the information. The coach will then pull those elements back together into the game situation.

References: Swanson, R.A. & Law, B. (1993). Whole-part-whole learning model. Performance Improvement Quarterly. 6(1), pp 43-53.

@coachdanwright. Coachdanwright.blogspot.co.uk

Recreational registration is by a single season, and players must re-register each season. The dates below provide a general overview of the seasonal dates but members will receive more detailed dates for the specific age group and the program in their confirmation email.

Scholarship opportunities are available for all qualifying Rapids players in both our Rec and Competitive programs. To learn more about the process and to apply for financial aid click here to be brought to our scholarship page. There, you can view specific competitive scholarship information under the ‘Competitive & Elite Application Process’ tab.

It is critical to apply by the deadlines listed on the scholarship page for players to be fully considered for a financial aid package.