The ECNL was founded in 2009 as a challenge to the status quo of youth soccer, with a vision to be better. In its first years, the league supported only girls programming, but that changed in 2017, with the addition of a Boys ECNL program.
ECNL is the top level of competition and player development in the country. Each step was fueled by a shared commitment to elevating the youth soccer experience.
Today, the ECNL represents the epitome of excellence in youth soccer, for boys and girls, as the league and its clubs, players, coaches, and everyone involved seeks to constantly “Raise the Game” for the future.
Rapids Youth Soccer focuses on being one of the top elite programs in the country and supporting Colorado youth to reach the highest levels of the game. Our ECNL teams train and play at our Elite Performance Center at Regis University.
With the addition of the Elite Performance Center @ Regis University, we are taking our programming another step further with wholistic development year-round, which includes:
The Rapids Youth Soccer Elite Performance Center @ Regis University will be located at Regis’s historic Northwest Denver campus. Through this partnership, CRYSC Elite programming will gain access to:
Joining an ECNL Team with the Rapids Youth Club is a commitment. It is a commitment of time, money, dedication and respect. We ask that all players who are invited to join an ECNL team follow the player expectations below:
A personalized player development tool for each elite player that initiates ongoing communication between head coach and player based on the CRYSC Player Development Plan and pathway. Each Rapids elite player will now have transparent access to a personalized development plan, allowing them to better understand and take ownership of their own personal development with the support and guidance of our professional coaches.
This position is dedicated to providing support in the areas of athletic performance, injury prevention, rehabilitation from injury (return to play), as well off-season training/fitness programs for our elite players. Using sports data and testing through Loden Sports, this Director will also include baseline athletic performance standards into each player’s Individual Development Plan.
The Rapids Elite program will have a dedicated Video & Data Analyst in our program focused on providing support, analytics, and feedback to teams and individuals based on the CRYSC Player Development Plan and Rapids Actions. Each CRYSC ECNL (13U-19U) player will have full access to a personal/team HUDL account, as this will be another valuable tool used in our individual and team development plans.
The Colorado Rapids College Placement Program (CPP) assists all players and their families with the college athletics recruiting process. The program includes standardized test prep, admission and application information, communication development, and financial aid information. The College Placement Director’s role is to help parents and players navigate the college selection process through online resource guides, quarterly workshops, ACT/SAT test prep program, and assisting with Sports Recruits.
In coordination with our new Futsal Director and access to brand new futsal courts in the Berce facility, we will use Futsal as an additional development tool by integrating it into our weekly and off-season programming options.
A personalized player development tool for each elite player that initiates ongoing communication between head coach and player based on the CRYSC Player Development Plan and pathway. Each Rapids elite player will now have transparent access to a personalized development plan, allowing them to better understand and take ownership of their own personal development with the support and guidance of our professional coaches.
This position is dedicated to providing support in the areas of athletic performance, injury prevention, rehabilitation from injury (return to play), as well off-season training/fitness programs for our elite players. Using sports data and testing through Loden Sports, this Director will also include baseline athletic performance standards into each player’s Individual Development Plan.
The Rapids Elite program will have a dedicated Video & Data Analyst in our program focused on providing support, analytics, and feedback to teams and individuals based on the CRYSC Player Development Plan and Rapids Actions. Each CRYSC ECNL (13U-19U) player will have full access to a personal/team HUDL account, as this will be another valuable tool used in our individual and team development plans.
The Colorado Rapids College Placement Program (CPP) assists all players and their families with the college athletics recruiting process. The program includes standardized test prep, admission and application information, communication development, and financial aid information. The College Placement Director’s role is to help parents and players navigate the college selection process through online resource guides, quarterly workshops, ACT/SAT test prep program, and assisting with Sports Recruits.
In coordination with our new Futsal Director and access to brand new futsal courts in the Berce facility, we will use Futsal as an additional development tool by integrating it into our weekly and off-season programming options.
Julie Graves is Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club’s first, full-time Head Athletic Trainer. As a Colorado native, Julie has been around sports her entire life. She was a gymnast until ninth grade, and then pursued being a Student Athletic Trainer throughout high school until she graduated from D’Evelyn High School in Lakewood, CO. Julie attended and graduated college at Metropolitan State University of Denver with a Bachelor’s of Science in Athletic Training. She then moved to southern California to attend Azusa Pacific University for graduate school. As a graduate assistant, her main sports were men’s soccer, women’s water polo, and men and women’s tennis. Her favorite sport to work with was the men’s soccer team. After earning her Master of Arts in Leadership and Organizational Studies, she moved back to Colorado and was offered the Assistant Athletic Trainer position at Colorado Christian University. She worked with all 15 sports at CCU.
In March 2016, Julie was hired on with University of Colorado Health and CU Sports Medicine as the Head Athletic Trainer for Colorado Storm to build a Sports Medicine Program for the elite soccer club. Julie has now joined the CRYSC through the club merger with Storm. In her spare time, Julie loves exploring all the beautiful places Colorado has to offer and trying new Denver restaurants. She is also an avid Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies fan!
Rapids Youth Soccer has partnered with the Center for Performance Excellence (CPEX) to provide opportunities for players with CRYSC to develop as individuals using soccer as a vehicle for personal development and growth. CPEX is a nonprofit consulting organization that provides sport and performance psychology and life skills coaching. Every day the mental performance consultants use performance as a vehicle for positive social change and to teach mental strategies to achieve personal excellence. CPEX consultants strive to help all their clients achieve performance excellence, which includes helping them work toward fulfillment, meaning, and satisfaction in life by increasing capability, developing consistency, and connecting to the joy of performing. CPEX consultants provide the opportunity to train the mind along with the body and to create valuable connections between thoughts and actions.
CPEX consultants are currently earning their Masters of Arts in Sport and Performance Psychology at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology. Consultants receive a minimum of 250 hours of training prior to working with clients. Training involves rigorous, multi-layered supervision, hands-on instruction and education, and direct observation of working consultants in the field. All consultants are supervised by recognized experts and leaders in sport and performance psychology with over 45 years of professional practice.
Within CRYSC, CPEX provides group and team consultations to all Elite teams as well as workshops for athletes, parents, and coaches throughout every region. CPEX also offers individual sessions for CRYSC athletes at a discounted rate. For more information on the University of Denver’s Center For Performance Excellence visit their website here.
CPEX also offers individual sessions for CRYSC athletes at a discounted rate. There is an introductory individual consult (approximately 25-30 minutes) for all CRYSC athletes at no cost. For individual session rates, see below. For more information contact [email protected].
Staff Member
Title
Contact
¿Habla
Español?
Elite Girls Director
Phone: 719-357-8217
Email: [email protected]
Habla Español?: No
Elite Boys Director
Phone: 719.401.0470
Email: [email protected]
Habla Español?: No
Elite Programming Administrator
Phone: 719.357.9747
Email: [email protected]
Habla Español?: No
Elite Regional Manager and Director of International Partnerships
[email protected]
303.834.7328
No
Elite Regional Manager and Director of International Partnerships
Phone: 303.834.7328
Email: [email protected]
Habla Español?: No
