Introducing Mark Wilson, CRYSC Head of Education
It is with great enthusiasm that we welcome Mark Wilson to Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club in a newly created role as the Club’s Head of Education! “Developing Remarkable Coaches” is a core objective at CRYSC and we believe that the addition of Mark to our technical staff will help the Club provide coaches with new resources and paths to success.
A former EPL and MLS professional player for clubs like Manchester United, Middlesbrough FC, and FC Dallas, Mark joins directly from New York Red Bulls where he worked as the interim u23 Head Coach. Mark is also the co-founder of the highly successful “EdTech” company, Beyond Pulse. His leadership role at Beyond Pulse focused on coach development, the impact of technology on coach education, and the evolution of learning and leadership at the youth level.
“At Rapids Youth Soccer, we believe that the more we support coaches at the Club with expertise, content, development ideas, and methodology, the better the experience and progression will be for our members. We have invested in webinars, out-of-state guest speakers, digital platforms, coach development study visits, and much more recently. Now I am excited to announce the recruitment of the Club’s first-ever Head of Education, Mark Wilson. Needless to say, Mark brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of multiple pathways to the Club and I am delighted to secure his services as CRYSC’s first-ever Head of Education.” – Donald Gillies, Rapids Youth Soccer Technical Director
Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club (CRYSC) serves approximately 10,000 players ages three through 19, beginner to elite, in year-round leagues, camps, and tournaments. As a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, CRYSC has been named a top 15 youth soccer club in the U.S. by Soccerwire and the top youth soccer club in Colorado by Colorado Parent Magazine. CRYSC’s mission is to provide an environment where young soccer players from diverse backgrounds are guided and inspired to reach their full potential, both on and off the field.
Contributors:Zac Crawford is energetic and passionate about growing the game of soccer here in the United States and has been a lifelong soccer enthusiast as player, coach, referee, educator, and technical director at both small grassroots clubs and large state/national associations. He is joining Rapids Youth Soccer by way of Chicago where he’s been with the U.S. Soccer Federation serving in various roles across multiple departments. With 20+ years of coaching/leadership in soccer at all levels from grassroots to high performance. Zac served in the U.S. Soccer Technical Development Department as the Manager where he promoted and elicited critical thinking in three key areas: game development, talent ID, and talent development, acting as the guiding force for co-creation and implementation of the U.S. Soccer Technical Plan.
Ben Martisius grew up in Monroe, Louisiana where he played soccer through high school, and attended Louisiana State University to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Mass Communications. Prior to graduating, he completed a minor in German during a year abroad in Innsbruck, Austria at the Universität Innsbruck.
In 2014, Ben moved to Denver, Colorado to attend graduate school at the University of Denver and earn his Master's degree in Strategic Communications. While in school, he took a communications role with the university's alumni advancement team, and has since worked for a local gym as a Marketing Specialist, and multiple clients as the Digital Marketing Specialist for Domoto Brands, LLC. In 2018, he was hired by Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club as the Communications Manager and found a perfect role for merging his passion for Marketing and Communications with soccer. After two years of overseeing communications at the Club, he was promoted to the Director of Marketing and Communications.
In his personal life, Ben likes to go snowboarding, enjoy the outdoors during the summer, play guitar, bass guitar, or piano, watch or play soccer, and spend time with friends and family. He's also passionate about travel and wants to see as much of the world and experience as many cultures as possible.
