The Best Week of the Year

There is something that makes Colorado Rush’s Alumni Week different than any other week of the year. At least for the staff of Rush directors there is. “There are a few highlights each year for me that I very much look forward to,” Tim Schulz, President & CEO of Rush Soccer says, “and that is Rush Alumni. I just sit back and marvel.  I am watching some incredibly good soccer while at the same time reflecting on memories when he/she was 9 years old.  Eerie feeling but incredibly gratifying.  I am sad when the week is over.  Oh well, I will see them next year!” During his closing remarks on the final day of Colorado Rush Alumni Week, technical director Erik Bushey (pictured at right with Houston Dynamo and Rush '84 player Colin Clark) stated, “Other than competing for a national championship, this is the best week of the year.” With all the on-goings in constant motion at Colorado Rush throughout the year, these are fairly lofty statements by two of the Rush leaders.

Those of you who are regular visitors to the Colorado Rush website will know that there have been multiple write-ups on Alumni Week. Most of them attempted to entertain (at most) and provide updates as to who was present and which team was the winner on the day (at least). What these articles failed to do however is get across the depth of emotion and appreciation that the Colorado Rush technical staff enjoys by hosting and being a part of this special week. Bushey said separately, “These players can still play and the quality is still representative of Colorado Rush soccer. But even more than that, to see what many of these young men and women have become as young adults is remarkable. To think that the club may have played a role in their personal development is in a word, rewarding. These are good people.”

Including the social event (pictured at right with Nick Cardenas, JT Howlan, Paolo DelPiccolo and Zander Deitz) on the final evening, over 75 Rush Alums came out over the course of the week (several more attended if you include the sessions leading up to Alumni Week and those that followed Alumni Week). Impressive numbers seeing as on the last day, for example, there was over a foot of freshly fallen snow and yet there were still around 30 Alums that showed up (pictured below). Of course, in looking at the overall numbers of Rush Alumni, these numbers pale to that of what they could be. “Engaging our Rush Alumni will be a critical goal of ours in 2012 and beyond. We hope to have meaningful contact and communication with our alumni throughout the year through such avenues as our quarterly newsletter via Eurosport, email communication, Twitter, Facebook and our multi-functional, state of the art website which is developing as we speak,” said Schulz. In addition, Colorado Rush hopes to add a summer event to the alumni schedule starting in the summer of 2012.

When asked about Rush Alumni Week, Wes Hart (DOC Academy Seniors and former Rush youth player) had this to say, “What’s awesome is that throughout the fall we have players calling, emailing, facebook-ing us to find out more information on what is up with alumni week. And the week has actually turned into a season I think. I mean this year we had the Prequel to Alumni Week and then we had Alumni Continuation after Alumni Week. We actually had alumni like Paolo DelPiccolo take up the reigns and start scheduling additional sessions. It is excellent stuff!”

The Colorado Rush staff wishes to thank all Colorado Rush Alumni for making this winter season a special season and cordially invites all Colorado Rush alumni to participate in future events (it’s not all about the soccer!) and to stay up to date with all that is happening with Colorado Rush and Rush Soccer (national and international). Once a Rush member, always a Rush member. This will always be your home.