Four players from Dijon FCO (Professional French Academy) players came to Colorado to train with our Colorado Rush Girls DA program. The 4 players were familiar faces as they had hosted some of the CO Rush players during their visit in France back in November. They are all part of an exchange program between the two clubs. The French players were accompanied by Ludovic Rossi, the Girls Academy Director at Dijon FCO. The follow up trip to the States allowed staff interaction and enriching conversations on methodology of training sessions and overall player development.
It is a very exciting partnership as Dijon's first team plays in the French League 1, a fully professional league and the top league in European women's professional soccer. The Girls’ Academy operates in a professional structure, with six training sessions weekly while playing at the academy level in France.
Elliot Prost, Head Coach of the CO Rush 03 Girls’ DA team, commented on the experience:
"This partnership is very special to me. Dijon FCO is where I spent my youth years and is a club I am proud to call home. It is fantastic to see both clubs collaborating and looking to provide developmental opportunities for players while exposing them to the professional world. Colorado Rush has a long history of producing professional female players and we are happy to be able to add a new layer to this. Our girls love to see international players joining us for training and we look forward to our next trip to France with elite players."
Ludovic Rossi, who traveled with four of his players to experience the game in the States, reflected on the week upon returning home:
“We've had a great week! It was a very enriching experience from a cultural and sporting point of view. We must continue to develop and maintain these links. We must continue to develop and maintain these ties, which should enable us to bring our players and our sporting structures to perform better. We must accompany and facilitate the access to the top level for our players. We will continue to build this bridge between our clubs for our players and our technicians. Many thanks to the Rush family. There are no words to describe this week entirely; there was a real open-mindedness in welcoming us. I hope that our links will be strengthened and developed further. We're looking forward to seeing you again. We loved it!"
Technical Director of Colorado Rush and Head Coach for the 04 Girls’ DA team, also greatly enjoyed the experience of hosting some players from France:
"The relationship we are developing with Dijon FCO is truly special. For our players, it's an opportunity to foster a pro pathway, as well as experiencing the French Culture and exposing them to French players. France is a well respected Country for producing top players. Having the Dijon Girls Academy Director and four Dijon players here for a week allowed them to experience the same, as well as provoke many great philosophical conversations among our Coaches and Ludo [Dijon FCO Academy Director], as we all have growth mindsets. We want to continue to learn from others, especially friends from other countries. I hope our Dijon FCO friends enjoyed their experience, as well as enjoyed learning more about the Rush Way.”
The French players and Coach Ludo are now back home in France after a great week of high level training sessions, sightseeing and hanging out with the CO Rush Girls’ DA teams. They had the opportunity to see Red Rocks Amphitheatre and play the game they love along the foothills just west of Denver. Both groups in France and Colorado are looking forward to seeing one another again in the years ahead!
