11U-19U Recreational - Rapids South

CRYSC 11U-19U programming continues to build upon the technical foundation started in the 4U-10U programs and builds on the Colorado Rapids curriculum. Program offerings provide recreational options for all ages 11U through 19U.

Trainings are held at convenient, centralized, community locations in the South Denver and Aurora metro areas. The game format is played in a 9v9 format from 11U-14U, though 13U-14U plays on a larger field. Team sizes of 12-15 players ensure plenty of game time to apply the skills and techniques that are presented in the twice-weekly curriculum-based training.

11U-14U teams participate in our Rapids Interbranch League. All games are held on Saturdays unless there is a need for a makeup that can fall on a Sunday or during the week. Home games are based out of Rapids South fields, with away games across our Central and Castle Rock regions. All schedules are communicated to the Volunteer Parent Coaches and Team Managers, who load them into PlayMetrics. Please refer to your PlayMetrics app for a calendar.

15U+ Rapids teams participate in the Front Range League with the Colorado Soccer Association. All games are held on Saturdays unless there is a need for a makeup that can fall on a Sunday or during the week. Home games are based out of Rapids South fields, with away games across the Front Range depending on the opposing team’s home location. All schedules are communicated to the Volunteer Parent Coaches and Team Managers, who load them into PlayMetrics. Please refer to your PlayMetrics app for a calendar.

The Whole-Part-Whole (WPW) philosophy is a learning model used by the Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club to train age-appropriate curriculum aimed at the long-term development of a soccer player. 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 will put players in realistic situations, that should always includes decision-making elements.

When coaching soccer, this can be used in a variety of ways to break down a technique, skill, or tactic. Most commonly the players are taken from a practice with high game context to a low one, before returning back 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, then 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

• Registration Opens – November 1
• Registration Deadline (or when teams are full) – March 6
• Registration Late Fee – February 6
• Registration Last Minute Fee –  March 18
• Training Starts – March 18
• First Game Kicks Off – March 30

11U-19U Spring Schedule:

**Please note these are the anticipated game days. One doubleheader weekend is currently planned to avoid playing during DPS spring break. If games are canceled or delayed due to weather, they will be moved to the end of May or to a Sunday as needed. Teams participating in CSA Front Range League games will begin March 13th. The game schedule is shared once released by CSA.

Scholarship opportunities are available for all qualifying Rapids players in both our Recreational and Competitive league programs. Check out our Scholarships page to learn more about the process and to apply for financial aid. There, you can view specific recreational scholarship information and deadlines under the ‘Recreational 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.

The 11U-19U Recreational league builds on the philosophy of the 9U-10U program by providing an environment where players find both success and challenges. Teams play 9v9 in the CSA Front Range League. Teams are placed in divisions based on coach feedback and historic game information from CSA.

Teams generally consist of 12-15 players. These teams are coached by parent-volunteers who follow a curriculum provided by Program Directors to run training sessions. Teams practice twice per week (60 minutes each) and play games on Saturdays in the Front Range League which requires travel for away games. Teams play 8-9 games each season.

Each team gets 8-9 games each season during the 9-10 week season. Some weekends may consist of double-header games with a small break in-between games. This will eliminate the need for makeup games on weeknights and Sundays, maximizing the soccer experience and family time.

The Fall season runs from September through the first week of November, and the Spring season from March through May.

The 11U-19U Rec+ Training program builds off the Recreational program with a Rapids Youth staff coach training the teams during the week. Teams still train at centralized locations across Denver. The staff trainer will work with teams twice per week following the age group curriculum provided by the Program Director. A parent volunteer leads the team during the Saturday games.

Teams generally consist of 12-15 players. These teams are coached by parent-volunteers who follow a curriculum provided by Program Directors to run training sessions. Teams practice twice per week (60 minutes each) and play games on Saturdays in the Front Range League which requires travel for away games. Teams play 8-9 games each season.

Each team gets 8-9 games each season during the 9-10 week season. Some weekends may consist of double-header games with a small break in-between games. This will eliminate the need for makeup games on weeknights and Sundays, maximizing the soccer experience and family time.

The Fall season runs from September through the first week of November, and the Spring season from March through May.

Every team is required to provide a volunteer coach to coach the team throughout the season. The volunteer coach is almost always a parent of a player on the team.

The coach will be provided with a curriculum from our staff for every session, and will be provided with other training opportunities throughout the season. Our staff will help support every coach throughout the season, so even if coaches have never played soccer before, we can help you have a successful season. We recommend that each team has a coach and an assistant coach at this age to help players stay engaged throughout every session.

Team managers are a very important piece to the success of any youth soccer team. In order to take some of the responsibilities off of the coach’s plate, teams are requested to have a team manager volunteer to organize the team for the season.