Rush Soccer and the world-renowned Coaches’ Voice Academy online education platform have teamed up to bring the highest level of elite coaching education tools and assets to the more than 70 Rush Soccer clubs and thousands of coaches around the globe.
With a reputation for developing elite youth players through a distinct pathway to the heights of competition, Rush Soccer began in 1997 in Littleton, Colo., and now includes more than 100 partner clubs and a nationwide membership of more than 45,000 players and growing. Dozens of Rush alumni have soared to the heights of the game, including American internationals like Lindsey Horan (USWNT, Portland Thorns) and Christian Pulisic (USMNT, Chelsea FC), Mark McKenzie (USMNT, Philadelphia Union) and many others. Currently, there is a Rush Soccer club in almost every state across America and there are more than 40 International Rush Clubs based in Africa, North and South America, Asia and Europe.
The Coaches’ Voice Academy is a subscription-based online education platform helping coaches at all levels of the football pyramid develop their skills by connecting with content from a growing community of elite, international and academy coaches, including José Mourinho, Diego Simeone, Ryan Giggs, David Moyes, Clarence Seedorf, Manuel Pellegrini, Nuno Espirito Santo and many more. The exclusive offering includes coaching courses delivered by elite professional and academy coaches, one-to-one and small-group coaching aimed at all levels, and a significant bank of session plans and practices curated by UEFA Pro Licenced coaches – all of which are downloadable and easy to filter using a drop-down menu. Accessible online or through innovative iOS and Android apps that include extra features, the Coaches’ Voice Academy gives Rush Soccer coaches an opportunity to learn from the game’s top tacticians.
Rush Soccer’s sporting project and coaching development director Pablo Toledo discussed the benefits and reasoning behind the organizations newest partnership and the tools that will become available:
Why was Rush Soccer interested in partnering with the Coaches' Voice Academy?
Rush Soccer has an extensive and ever-expanding curriculum of its own that we call 'The Rush Way.' However, my position is contrary to those who may only wish to promote internal content. There are many great external learning resources that would enhance the development of our coaches. A part of my job is to find these and make them available. I consider the Coaches' Voice Academy one of the top educational providers in that sense.
What makes the Coaches’ Voice Academy special?
In relation to the Masterclasses, the quality of the guest coaches is as impressive as it is relevant. Jose Mourinho, Sven Goran Eriksson, or Unai Emery, among others, what else is there to say? And these are not all. In fact, if I was to suggest masterclasses to a new coach using the platform, I would probably highlight Robert Moreno and Alvaro Benito as two of my favorites.
The coaching courses are also remarkable, not only based on the high-level of the coaches showcased (Aitor Karanka, Carlos Carvalhal, among others) but also in the way in which they're presented. Overall, I think that's one of the biggest strengths the Coaches' Voice Academy has: The presentation, the varying angles to show movement, the animations, etc. It makes it very didactical, clean and easy to follow.
I wanted every one of thousands of coaches within Rush Soccer to have an opportunity to access this content. That's the way I think, and the way I approach Coaching Education. Whether I have the capacity to educate others or not -- I'm not really interested in placing myself in such a role. I always try to stay humble and 'hungry' for learning. That's why, if you're part of Rush Soccer, you don't have to believe in me or listen to me. I don't attempt to teach anything to anybody. Instead, I focus on making top quality resources available for coaches to learn. They will pick what’s useful for them as individuals based on their interests and opinions. In that sense, the Coaches' Voice Academy is such the perfect ally.
Why is coaching education so important to Rush Soccer?
I see coaches as the agents of change within the entire global organization. Our core values, our beliefs, and each clubs’ identity ... they reach their destination to the players through our coaches. On top of that, Rush Soccer is focused on creating developmental opportunities for clubs, coaches, and players. We don't simply focus on the elite player, so the betterment of the coach is fundamental for our club and for the individual coach to be ready for when their opportunity arises.