Rush Select Teams

Rush Soccer forms select teams comprised of top Rush players from across the country to attend various events on a yearly basis. Player pools are established through club recommendations and identification at the Rush Festival. Players can move in and out of the player pool based on their current form. Select Team coaches have the final say in which players make the roster for any particular event. 

2012 Rush Fest Registration
U13 Rush Fest Player
Rush Select Coaches
Rush Select Managers

B14 Select to compete in Alaska Airlines Cup

The very successful B14 Rush Select team will be traveling to Alaska at the beginning of June to compete in the Alaska Airlines Cup in Anchorage.  The team that has won back to back Presidents Day Tournaments in Phoenix, along with a record of 4-0-0 playing up at the Rush Fest last summer in Albuquerque, is hoping to extend their winning ways this time around.

Lead again by head coach Dave Dengerink (TX) and this time assisted by Nik Penn (PP) and Tim Schulz (Rush Soccer), the team will pit their skills up a year for increased competition.  Below you will see the boys that are competing, coming from eight different states. 

You will be able to follow the guys progress through the Rush Select Festbook page at www.facebook.com/rushselect 

RUSH SELECT LATEST NEWS 

(02.21.12) Phoenix, Arizona, Presidents Day Tournament.  Rush Select teams wind up last day of competition.  Story of the day is the U14 Boys.  Champions!!!  Yes, these young men played like warriors.  A crowd of 200 plus came to watch a wonderful performance and three goals to boot.  “The team was terrific! Early today we had a heart to heart as we barely squeaked through in the Semis. I don’t care if it was the semi’s or a friendly.  They did not play well and I let them know about it,” commented Coach Dave Dengerink. Dave currently coaches  at Texas Rush.  One of the first employees in Rush Soccer history, he is no stranger to championships. His resume is impressive winning a multitude of National Championships and producing numerous pros under his tutelage.  Dave displayed many of the Rush Core values including Tenacity.  “My job is to get a little more out of them every time they step on the field.  I am not interested in coasting, whining or excuses.”
 
The GU13 PDT lost in the semi-finals against the Scottsdale Blackhawks 1-0. "Extremely proud to be associated with the seventeen young ladies and their families who represented the Rush Select at the PDT 2012. Tough, tenacious and unified throughout, the work ethic of the group is fantastic. They gave all to the cause and deserved a little more luck in the semi-final. The loss in the semi-final will only spur this group onto bigger things next year. We certainly look to the future with great purpose with the goal of going one further next year,” commented Coach Stuart Fitzsimons from Texas Rush.
 
The GU16 PDT Rush team lost 1-0 to Sparta out of Utah.  Ben John Technical Director of Wisconsin Rush adds, "While the outcome was disappointing, since winning the championship was our singular goal, the girls did an outstanding job of competing and accounting for themselves. They left it all out on the pitch and I am extremely proud of their individual and collective effort." 
 
All in all a great weekend for the Rush Select teams.  

(02.20.12) Phoenix, Arizona, Presidents Day Tournament.  Rush Select Team Director Nik Penn, “It is a bittersweet day.  Although we are happy for the four teams that got through, we feel for the teams that missed by such a small margin.”  Of the four teams that made it to the quarters, the G15 lost a heartbreaker in the quarters in a PK shoot outs.  “These girls played outstanding.   This game is cruel.  We came back from two goals down and to dominate play only to loss in PK’s is disappointing,” Matt Middelstaedt says moments after the shootout.  “I am speechless…all I can say is that I am very proud of these girls.”

Three teams playing in the semi’s tomorrow, Monday.

Ben John of Wisconsin Rush is Head Coach of the GU16.

Dave Dengerink of Texas Rush is Head Coach of the BU14.

Stuart Fitzsimmons of Texas Rush is Head Coach of the GU13.

Tomorrow will wrap up day four for the Rush Select Teams.  Three teams will all kick-off at 8:30am mst.

*dnq = Did Not Qualify

(02.19.12) Phoenix, Arizona, Presidents Day Tournament.  Rush Select teams take to the field in opening day competition. “I am very pleased with our overall results,” says PDT Director Nik Penn.  Nik oversees the Rush Select teams across the U.S. which is no easy task.  Rush is in 25 states and growing.  “Yes, it is difficult.  Comparing one player 2,000 miles away 2 months ago to another player, on different conditions in different circumstances is a challenge. Regardless it is worth it.  Seeing these kids from different backgrounds and cultures, yet all from Rush Soccer, coming together with one common goal is very special.” 

The Rush has nine Select teams playing in the tournament with an overall record for today of 10 wins, 4 losses and 4 ties accounting for 29 goals for and 13 goals against. 

(Bold names are Male and Female player of day winners for all Rush Teams.)

Dehai Abraham from Florida Rush representing the U13 Boys Select says, “Yes, I am happy with our two games, very happy.  Our first game we lost, but played decent.  The second we won and seemed to jell even more.”  When asked his overall all impression of PDT, “Everybody is very skilled, and perform at a high level of intensity…it is great to be here.”

Rush continues play tomorrow to determine which teams go through to the play rounds.

(02.18.12) Day one was a day for getting introduced to each other and getting the kinks out of the legs.  Most players arrived late yesterday, Thursday.  There was excitement in the air as the players met their teammates most for the first time.  “This is what Nationals go through all the time,” says Nik Penn Director of Select Teams for Rush Soccer.  “This specific program (PDT or Player Development Teams) focuses on bringing our more passionate elite Rush players from around the U.S.”
 
The Rush currently have 25 clubs in the U.S. to make up the select teams.   This is a mechanism to bring like players with like talents together.  “There are many objectives,” continues NIk, “ The players get a chance to play more then they would with there respective clubs.  The players then take there experience and new found knowledge back to the clubs to pass on the message.”
 
Last year, Rush faired fairly well at this event winning two championships and placing a couple more in the semi’s.  As the Rush Clubs grow and evolve, the talent gets better and better.   Ryan Williams from Hawaii Rush says, “I have been on selected for PDT for three years now.  I love coming to these events.  I have made many friends in the main land.”
 
Rush Competition starts tomorrow.  We will keep family, friends and fans posted.

(Pictures: Top right: Parents watch training. 2nd right: Meeting new teammates. Below: Rush Coaches discuss training, U14 Boys train in preparation to defend their 2011 championship.)

Rush Select Final Rosters – Phoenix, AZ - 2012

Below please see the final rosters (2/13/12) for the nine Rush Select Teams traveling to Phoenix for the coming Presidents weekend.

Congratulations and good luck to all players and coaches

Presidents Day Tournament Schedule Posted
With only 4 weeks until the nine Select teams travel to AZ, the schedules have been posted.
Click Here for Tournament Schedules.
We have teams in the U13-16 Boys and Girls divisions.

Rush Select add B13 White team to PDT
We are excited to announce the formation of a B13 Select White team to join the existing eight teams traveling to Phoenix, AZ in February 2012.
The team will be coached by Brian Lux (Click Here for Bio) of Rush Pikes Peak (CO) who is very excited to be expanding the pool on the boys side and give more players the opportunity to experience Rush Select.

Rush Soccer President Tim Schulz has also made himself available for the trip to bring the number of Rush Coaches to an astonsishing 25 for the event to be working with the Rush Select Players.
For more information on the tournament please Click Here.

Rush Select Update – Nov 2011

Rush Select is excited to announce the Coaching Staff that will be taking our eight Rush Select Teams to the Presidents Day tournament in Phoenix, AZ., in February 17-21 2012.

We are excited to build on last year’s championship and again show the Nation that Rush Soccer is able to put together some of the best teams in the country.  Even though the players on the teams spend very little time together, the beauty of soccer and the Rush consistency is that we can still put forth extremely high quality teams with some of the country’s best coaching and compete for the Tournament championships.

The player pools are identified and the traveling rosters will be completed before Thanks Giving, so please come back and visit us to see the players that were selected to represent Rush Soccer for February 2012.

Rush Select Coaching Staff

Pictures from the 2010 Presidents Day Tournament