While Rush Soccer holds the distinction of being the largest youth soccer club in the U.S., there is still more room to grow—and Tiago Calvano is making sure that growth takes on a global perspective, too.
“We want to create more pathways for our kids,” said Calvano, Rush’s Director of International Affairs. “The Rush families will get the benefit. And Rush also wants to give opportunities to players from overseas.”
Rush has aggressively added clubs in Europe and South America recently, notably the Spanish Pro Football Academy based in Valencia. And it’s that burgeoning network that has Rush positioned to offer more opportunities for youth players both domestically and abroad.
For U.S.-based players, more connections in Europe and South America result in more chances to train with foreign clubs and learn from different coaches, creating more well-rounded players. And the places to play abroad include programs located in a variety of countries.
“We have a team in Canada that is playing at the same level as the USL is here, which is a semi-pro league,” Calvano said. “So, that’s another pathway for our kids. … They can choose to go to Canada or Spain or Greece. … Rush is everywhere.”
Rush recently added a club in Bolivia that has a men’s pro team and women’s pro team, the latter of which is on track to move up to the highest division next season. There are also opportunities with lower-tier German professional clubs on both the men’s and women’s side, among other European club connections.
But the door swings both ways as Rush has also welcomed foreign players to join U.S. club teams.
“During the pandemic, we had some kids from our club in Paraguay come to the U.S.,” Calvano said. “They have a pathway to come to the U.S., where they can study and go to college while playing soccer. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
And while Calvano is focused on creating more opportunities as Rush’s network broadens, it’s more than just about how many players are in the program.
“We don't want to grow only in numbers, but we want to grow in quality of play,” Calvano said. “So quantity with the quality for us is very important. And we are going in the right direction. We cannot be focused on being everywhere, but now we are really focused on what we do have and making sure that all our partners are happy with what we’re providing. And from there, we will grow together.”
Rush also pushed into Africa and has clubs in 18 different countries, some of which have been helped by the club’s REACH program that provides uniforms and equipment from U.S. clubs.
“We just came back from a great trip in Senegal, Gambia, and Ghana,” Calvano said. “We helped a lot of kids over there. We brought them the Rush Capelli uniforms. And it was a great experience to see the smiles on those kids faces. It's priceless. It's, that's a very special unique program that Rush provides that’s so rich.”
As Rush expands globally, the ultimate mission, however, remains the same.
“We want to give players and coaches opportunities to become better players, coaches, and people. We want to be the most comprehensive soccer experience on planet earth.” Calvano said.