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Evolving Forward Together: 2026 Rush Summit Recap

August 7, 2026

Alongside Rush leaders, they brought valuable perspectives on leadership and culture, along with an important reminder of who this work is ultimately for. At every level, the goal is to create environments that give youth players the opportunity to grow and thrive.


More than anything, the Summit reinforced the value of bringing Rush Nation together to learn from one another, strengthen the network, and continue raising the standard across the organization.


Attending my first Rush Summit, I was welcomed and immersed in the culture from the start. It was such a special experience connecting with motivated leaders from across the world, all working to improve the game we love. Hannah Morway, Marketing Director, Chicago Rush


Rush Soccer CEO, Justin Miller, reflected on the week:


The bar has officially been set. What we accomplished this week should be the expectation, not the exception. We owe that standard to our brand, our partners, and one another. I am confident we can continue to reach it, and raise it, when we work together.


Thank you to every club leader, coach, speaker, partner, presenter, and staff member who helped make the 2026 Rush Summit possible. We are grateful for the passion and purpose each club brings to Rush Soccer and look forward to continuing to evolve forward together.


Go Rush! Relive the Summit here


The Rush Summit Award Winners

Rush Rising Award badge: Blue circle with gold flame, text

Rush Rising Award – Coastal Rush

The Rush Rising Award celebrates the club with the largest year-over-year player growth. The Rush Rising Award went to Coastal Rush for leading the way in player growth with an impressive 1,167 new players.

Rush Alliance Award – Minnesota Rush

The Rush Alliance Award recognizes outstanding cooperation and partnership between clubs. The winner of the Rush Alliance Award is Minnesota Rush, with their establishment of the NARS program. The North Alliance Rush Select program unites LX United, United FC, and Superior Rush to provide Midwest players with expanded training and high-level competitive opportunities.

Rush Alliance Award logo: gold-rimmed blue badge with gold text
Gold and blue Heart of the Game Award badge with a heart and hand symbol.

Heart of the Game Award – Rush Union

The Heart of the Game Award recognizes the club making the greatest impact in its local community. This year’s recipient is Rush Union, recognized for piloting its Soccer at Schools program to create free recreational soccer opportunities for local communities.

Best in Brand – Virginia Rush

The Best in Brand Award recognizes the club with the strongest digital presence and brand consistency across social media, its website, and marketing. This year’s recipient is Virginia Rush, recognized for creating engaging content, celebrating club accomplishments and partnerships, embracing social media trends, and consistently following best practices to represent the Rush brand.

Gold badge with
Gold-rimmed blue badge,

Pitch Excellence Award – Tennessee Lobos Rush

The Pitch Excellence Award recognizes the club demonstrating the strongest on-field performance through league designation, competitive results, and Select player placement. This year’s recipient is Tennessee Lobos Rush, recognized for placing three ECNL Boys teams and four ECNL Regional League Girls teams

The 2026 Rush Summit brought more than 200 club leaders from across Rush Nation to Nike Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, for three days of connection, learning, and collaboration.


Guided by this year’s theme, “Evolving Forward Together,” the Summit gave leaders from across Rush Nation an opportunity to share ideas, strengthen relationships, and look ahead at how Rush can continue to support fellow clubs, coaches, players, and families.


A defining moment of the Summit was the announcement of Rush Soccer’s new partnership with Nike. Sharing the news together at Nike Headquarters marked an important step forward for Rush and reflected the organization’s continued commitment to creating meaningful opportunities and resources across the network.


Attendees also heard from an outstanding group of featured speakers, including Chris Bennett, Nike Running Global Head Coach; Marian Dougherty, VP of Nike Global Football Footwear and Rush alumna; Christian Lavers, ECNL President; and IN-Q, Emmy-nominated spoken word poet and motivational speaker.

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About Rush Soccer

Formed in 1997, Rush Soccer is the largest youth soccer organization in the world with more than 60,000 players in 50 countries. Comprised of 175 clubs around the globe, Rush Soccer has cultivated a reputation of excellence on and off the field all while maintaining a local feel in the communities we serve. This expansive global footprint provides unparalleled opportunities for our entire player base to pursue pathways all the way to the highest level of professional soccer. Our breadth and depth of programs support our network of local clubs, coaches, staff, and partners. For more information about Rush Soccer, visit www.rushsoccer.com.

 

Media Contacts:
Rush Soccer Media Relations
Phone: (833) 546-7874
Email: marketing@rushsoccer.com

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