After hearing from players and parents, an amazing panel of Rush Coaches and Directors discussed concepts and ways to improve how players, parents, and coaches go through one of the most stressful periods of the season.
July 26, 2021
Rush Coaches Debate: Going Through Tryouts
When Chris P. , Rush Soccer’s Developmental Director, suggested that we should dedicate the whole month to analyze Tryouts, we decided to give the same priority to every party involved: Players, Parents, and Coaches.
That’s why Chris hosted two wonderful webinars, first with players and later with parents, and received some key suggestions and concerns for this stressful part of the season. Let’s now hear from the coaches.
- Daouda Kante – Kansas Rush.
- Randall Porter – Kansas Rush.
- Paul Furlong – Lobos TN Rush.
The goal of the discussion was to check if clubs grew during the process and how the experience could be refined for all involved. The process is stressful for all, that we all know.
Is it a regional, National or a state to state problem? How can we conduct the process more efficiently and effectively? And what methods do you feel that would provide coaches an easier way to measure performances that they can later share with players who didn’t make the top team, or didn’t make the team at all? Those are some of the questions posted during the meeting.
Both parents and players suggested that communication must be clear and face to face , whether the player made the team or not. Paul Furlong highlighted that aspect as well, stating that communication, even if it’s already adequate, should always be a priority to improve.
Another point that was remarked by Paul and Randall related to the individual experience that each child has with their coach. They both emphasized that putting better coaches with the younger age groups helps to develop them , not only from a technical standpoint but also to ensure these are coaches committed to the group and willing to go above and beyond expectations and minimum standards. Moreover, their objective is to provide a consistent experience regardless of league or level.
On a different note, Randall pointed out the incidence of state rules. In their case, tryouts must be run on the same day as the other clubs. That affects the dynamic of the process, as from a business standpoint, they are in need of making offers on day one or get ready to lose players from the club.
Complementary to this concept, Paul made a comment on how success tends to breed success . For example, if one branch had a strong 2010 group, players from other branches would migrate there. At Lobos, the pathway is defined early and the Developmental and Recreational branches do lots of work to help these players develop into the travel program, Some of the initiatives taken are weekly training sessions with competitive coaches and holding consistent meetings. Kansas Rush, with the same objective, holds a couple clinics in the fall and spring with the travel coaches.
Thanks to Paul, Randall and Daouda for their contributions, Kristian Bates PA Rush TD shared via email some of their secrets and couldn’t join us as he was in Greece with Rush Select. And congratulations to TN Lobos Rush for having 4 teams at USYS National Championships in Florida this summer!
Now it’s time to hear from you, coach. Did we miss any key point? How would you improve the Tryouts period?
The post Rush Coaches Debate: Going Through Tryouts appeared first on Rush Soccer.
On August 15, 2025, Fremont Rush Soccer hosted a special TopSoccer Celebration Party to close out our TopSoccer Summer Clinic. The event was filled with joy, laughter, and a true sense of community as players, families, and coaches came together to celebrate an incredible summer. Our amazing coaches, Coach Mel & Coach G, shared their reflections: “We’re blessed to have the opportunity to coach these amazing athletes. Watching them break out of their shells and seeing the families enjoy themselves has been an amazing experience. We can’t wait to continue to share in the joy that this sport has given us all these years. We’re already looking forward to the fall session and more TopSoccer fun!” Fremont Rush’s TOPSoccer Program is designed for boys and girls ages 5–18 with disabilities who cannot fully participate in mainstream soccer. Operated in partnership with US Youth Soccer (USYS) and Cal North, the program is led by certified trainers and supported by dedicated volunteers. At Fremont Rush, we’re proud to champion this empowering program where every player has a place, every effort is celebrated, and every smile matters. Thank you to our players, families, and volunteers for making this summer so memorable. We can’t wait to see everyone back on the field for the Fall TopSoccer Session!
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Via Tricity Voice: Summer break is filled with fun for kids whether it be from vacation, water parks or summer sports programs. This year Fremont Rush Soccer Club has ensured that every child has the chance to have fun in the sun by launching a special program: TOPSoccer . TOPSoccer is an inclusive soccer program for kids ages 5 to 18 with intellectual or physical disabilities. This past spring, the program debuted its first session at the Karl Nordvik Park in Fremont. “We’ve been trying to build something for kids who may not have the same access to the soccer fields or sports that other kids may have because of either learning disabilities or physical disabilities,” said Fremont Rush founder and president Fernando Colmenares. Each season consists of six Friday evening hour-long sessions where each participant is paired with a volunteer coach or buddy for one-on-one attention. Each session’s activities are completely dependent on the abilities of the players and what they are most excited to do. For example, some sessions will consist of giant soccer balls being kicked around just for fun, while others may have a little bit more structure like having players try to score goals. “Some kids may get really into it and start to dribble around and shoot goals, some kids may like to be out there just running around. It’s whatever the needs of each player are,” explained Colmenares. Fremont Rush director Jerry Losson has been the driving force behind the launch of the program. “I pitched the idea to Fernando Colmenares and Zee Kerawala, our general manager and they both liked the idea and explained that they had previously attempted to start the program. We were all in at that point and went after it,” said Losson. With Losson’s 34 years of teaching in the Fremont Unified School District, he was able to spread the word. “I was also able to leverage my personal and professional connections within Fremont Unified and surrounding school districts [New Haven and Newark] to connect with a variety of schools, their service learning hour coordinators and their special-needs programs coordinators, to get connected with student volunteers to help the TOPSoccer athletes,” said Losson. Alejandra Nangeyali, a mom of one of the players said, “During the first practice I was surprised to see that there were more volunteers than players, which is hard to accomplish because usually there are never enough volunteers for special needs sports.” As much fun as the TOPSoccer is for the kids, parents have also discovered a benefit of their own. “I like connecting with parents who understand having a special needs child and there’s no judgement,” shared parent Patricia Noanchanh. For those parents who are interested in TOPSoccer, Colmenares said, “They can feel confident that someone else is thinking about their kid, someone else is thinking about how we can make an experience better for them. For one day out there you get to watch your son or daughter be an athlete.” View the original article: https://tricityvoice.com/fremont-soccer-club-launches-inclusive-program/
