CRYSC Partners with Regis University to Create the Rapids Youth Soccer Elite Performance Center @ Regis University!
Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club (CRYSC) and Regis University are excited to announce a new partnership that will expand player access to top-of-the-line, local facilities and create a new home for Rapids Elite programming.
Colorado youth soccer players seeking to compete at the highest levels of the game nationally now have access to train and compete at one of Colorado’s best soccer and futsal facilities, the Rapids Youth Soccer Elite Performance Center @ Regis University. CRYSC has engaged in a long-term partnership with Regis University to provide another important step towards building a fully-integrated, nationally recognized Elite program, creating new training and competition opportunities for ECNL Boys and Girls, WPSL players, local and national Futsal leagues, Elite Development Squad (EDS) teams, as well as access to Colorado’s top residential soccer and futsal camps. Regis University facilities are some of the best in the country with pro-level match pitches, synthetic turf fields with state-of-the art floodlights and winter plowing, indoor futsal courts, classrooms and auditoriums, locker rooms, offices, and concessions. It is a privilege to begin offering these collegiate-level resources to CRYSC athletes starting in spring and summer of 2022.
“As an organization that strives to compete at the highest levels in the nation alongside building great experiences and cultures, this partnership with Regis University provides our players and coaches the resources to achieve new heights of success on and off the field,” said Aaron Nagel, Executive Director for the Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club.
Establishing Regis University as the home base for Rapids Elite programming will create a convenient central location CRYSC’s Elite practices, competitions, futsal training, education, and much more. This partnership furthers the Club’s vision of connecting youth athletes across the Front Range with the top soccer and futsal training environments in the state.
“We are excited to welcome Rapids Youth Soccer to our campus so the kids and their families can enjoy competing at our new state-of-the-art facilities,” said Cody Teets, Interim President of Regis University. “Having youth, professional, and collegiate athletes all playing here will enhance an already vibrant community in Northwest Denver. Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club is a wonderful addition.”
Regis University has committed to individual scholarships for Rapids Youth Soccer players, up to $100,000 over four years, providing greater access to education for students across Colorado. Regis recognizes that sports participation is often a catalyst for greater academic achievement and college enrollment opportunities. For more information, contact [email protected].
“There are many exciting components to this partnership, but the one I’m most proud of is that Regis and Rapids Youth Soccer will be partnering to offer academic college scholarships – worth up to $100,000 over four years – to qualifying youth participants at the Club when applying to Regis University,” said Tommy Gilhooly, Executive Director, Higher Learning Partners of Regis University. “At Regis University, our top priority is human development (Cura Personalis) ‘the caretaking for the whole person’. In that spirit, it is important that dedicated student-athletes have access to scholarships to attend an institution like Regis University, regardless of what level team they play on at CRYSC.”
The Rapids Youth Soccer Elite Performance Center at Regis University will be located at Regis’s historic Northwest Denver campus on Federal Boulevard between Interstate 70 on the south and Interstate 76 on the north.
Rapids Youth Soccer is proud to call the new Elite Performance Center at Regis University home in 2022 and look forward to watching this partnership grow alongside our athletes. For further Rapids Youth Soccer + Regis University partnership details, check out the full press release and visit Regis.edu through the links below.
Elite Performance Center @ Regis University
The Elite Performance Center will be located at Regis’s historic Northwest Denver campus, conveniently located on Federal Boulevard between Interstate 70 on the south and Interstate 76 on the north, and only minutes from downtown Denver.
Explore the Campus Layout
Two Synthetic Turf Playing Fields with Lights
Two new synthetic turf fields with lights will house the majority of all Elite soccer programming, with plowing capabilities that limit days off. State-of-the-art field lights will showcase the fields and our training and game capabilities, along with stands for spectators, scoreboards, and concessions.
Match Day Pitch
The Match-Day Pitch will provide overflow for programming with one of the best fields in Colorado for training and game-day, with a scoreboard and stands for spectators with plenty of parking.
Futsal Facility
The Berce @ Regis University will be the only futsal-designated facility in Colorado, housing two full-size futsal pitches with futsal-specific lines to develop Colorado’s top futsal talent across the Front Range, with year-round programming and summer and residential futsal camps.
Office Space & Team Classroom Education
On-site offices @ Clarke Hall for our Elite staff provide an overlooking view of the two synthetic turf fields along with classrooms dedicated to player education at our convenience.
Auditoriums
Education is a priority for our players, coaches, and parents. With auditorium access, we look to host on-site player, coach, and parent education.
On-Site Dining and Residential for Camps and Traveling Teams
CRYSC is looking to develop one of the nation’s best residential camp experiences for soccer and futsal at Regis. With access to residential dorms and on-site dining, CRYSC will host Elite-level residential camps alongside Regis University and its staff.
Regis Scholarships
Regis University has committed to individual scholarships for Rapids Youth Soccer Club players for up to $100,000 over four years, providing greater access to an excellent education for students across the Front Range. Regis recognizes that sports participation is often a catalyst for greater academic achievement and college enrollment opportunities. For more info, visit regis.edu/rapidsyouth or contact [email protected].
Fellowships / Internships
As part of Rapids Youth Soccer and Regis University’s commitment to providing academic advancement opportunities for local students, our organizations are working together to create internship and work experiences within Rapids Youth Soccer for Regis students in fields like finance, marketing, leadership, health and wellness, event management, coaching, and more. Students will work alongside Rapids Youth staff to gain real-world experience and help shape the organization for future Rapids Youth players.
More Details On The Partnership | FAQ
Who will this affect?
While we are incredibly excited about the opportunities that this partnership will create for players in Rapids Elite programs, we recognize that some members will be more impacted by the move than others. In particular, families residing in our Castle Rock and South regions who have players that participate in Elite programming will now be asked to travel further than in previous years. This change will be felt in different ways across the Club, but the core goal is to offer our players access to the highest quality Elite experience, environment, and facilities possible.
We are here to work with you to make the transition to our new long-term home at Regis as seamless as possible and ask that you reach out to your Head Coach or Program Director with any questions or concerns.
Why is this happening and what is the rationale?
The Gates Soccer Complex has been a wonderful location for hosting Rapids Elite programming for many years, but also limiting when compared to facilities used by athletes developing at the highest levels of the game not only nationally, but internationally. We have always had ambitions to create a ‘home’ around top-of-the-line facilities in the area and build a more consistent culture of excellence at Rapids Elite.
The facilities at Regis University will allow Elite programs to provide a holistic education for players through the use of classroom areas, indoor futsal fields, and floodlit, plowable, high-quality turf fields. This is the first opportunity for us to offer this level of facility access to our players and the only partnership of its kind in the state.
What are the benefits to the rest of the organization?
The creation of the Elite Performance Center will have benefits that extend beyond Elite programming. Coach Education is a major beneficiary, allowing for use of indoor, outdoor, classroom, and auditorium resources all year round as we seek to build on our strategic objective of being a home for ‘Developing Remarkable Coaches’. New on-campus education events and services will be available to our volunteer coaches, paid coaches, and full-time staff across the Club.
For the South region specifically, the shared access to Gates South between Rapids Elite and Competitive programming has always been a difficult balancing act. Time is needed for the fields to regenerate to a high standard and the packed schedule caused by the two programs hasn’t allowed our fields to be as healthy as they can. The redevelopment of Gates South will allow for improved surface quality, a reinvigorated facility, and more room to meet the growing demand for field space.
The Elite Performance Center will be open to CRYSC athletes and members outside Elite programming when available. With the potential use of on-site housing, the option of creating a fantastic residential youth camp experience for our members is another exciting opportunity we are hoping to explore.
When will this begin?
The first group to officially move into the Elite Performance Center will be our Elite Development Squads and 2009 ECNL Girls in early April. After an initial ‘settling-in’ of the services, we will look to transfer the remaining active squads by mid-May, with a specific date to follow.
Futsal squads will move into the Berce in June/July, once the renovations are complete.
Will registration fees change?
We have worked on this partnership opportunity with Regis University for over eight months now, and the financial investment the Club has made in order to set the program and its players up for success has been significant. Any new fee structure will remain in line with and contribute directly to the quality we will be providing Rapids Elite programs, as well as other Club programs in this area.
Where will the combined office be located?
The Rapids Elite offices will be located in Clarke Hall on the Regis campus, offices #235 and #241A.
How will parking work?
Regis University is equally excited to bring life and energy to its campus by welcoming Rapids families from across Colorado. The University has worked with us to ensure that any costs associated with parking on campus will be waived after 4:30 PM on weekdays and throughout the weekend – an expense covered by CRYSC. In order to facilitate this, a special parking permit will be issued to each playing member on their first night of practice at the new facility. Members will be required to display the parking permit while on-site.
Regis University has set aside ‘Lot 6’ on the southeast side of the campus specifically for CRYSC members. This is the car park directly off of Federal Blvd, which can be accessed from Regis Blvd or by turning left after the McDonalds on Federal. Please note that the parking lot for the Regis Bookstore and other University shops is PAID parking and that those lots are not reserved for Rapids families.
Will there be opportunities to learn more?
More information on the Elite Performance Center will be provided by your Program Director in the coming weeks. Check out the CRYSC website for updates on upcoming Elite summer and winter soccer and futsal residential camps.
ECNL Program: More information including a practice schedule, a map of the facility, and instructions on entering the fields themselves will be communicated in the coming weeks.
EDS Program: CRYSC Technical Director, Donald Gillies, will be providing a program update with more context for the upcoming year on Friday, April 1. He will also be able to answer any of your questions on EDS at that time.
Futsal Program: Futsal teams will be communicated with as we get closer to facilities opening.
Who can I contact with additional questions?
ECNL and EDS Boys: Jeb Brovsky at [email protected]
ECNL and EDS Girls: Andrew Kummer at [email protected]
Elite Administration: Jen Metz at [email protected]
Futsal: Aaron Nagel at [email protected]
Do I need to do anything right now?
No. More information will follow in the days, weeks, and months ahead.
