When was your club founded and who got it started? What was the original mission?
Our mission is really to make soccer as accessible as possible to players at every level. We have a passion and love for the game of soccer and we want to be able to share that passion and share the game with as many people as possible. Our focus is on impacting the lives of players in as many communities as possible. Our coaches and staff have all experienced this in their own lives and we feel this passion is contagious and want to impact others.

I am the founder and current president of Flatirons Rush but I would say the roots of this club go back to the Colorado Rush men’s team. In 2017, our team was very talented, there were several players in the group who had played pro and a few who went off after to play pro. After a road trip to Tucson to play FC Tucson it became apparent to us we aspired to do more as an organization. We had been dominate in the local Sunday men’s leagues and were disappointed in the lack of options for players and teams in the area for a professional setting. After trifling with a few other concepts and going through some challenges on the local level we embarked on joining USL 2.

USL 2 has a thorough vetting process but I am thankful we were accepted. After joining the league in early 2020, we announced our franchise into USL 2 in April 2020. We had no idea this was going to be the most challenging time to launch a new soccer franchise. Less than a month later everything was halted due to this new thing that was supposed to last a few weeks; Coronavirus. After spending a lot of our budgets and having everything prepared to play, our inaugural season was canceled. We were unable to recoup most of what we had spent. The staff and team were disappointed but handled it the best way possible and we did manage to pull off a successful 2021 campaign.

You’re undergoing a rename and a rebrand, can you tell us what inspired the change?
We are starting our USL academy team and expanding our youth programming into a new area of Colorado, known as the Flatirons. We wanted the brand to be a reflection of the community we live and work in. For me personally, this is the community I grew up in and spent nearly my entire life living in. When the idea was brought up, I could not have been more excited. From an organizational standpoint, we identified this as an area we felt was lacking in youth programs for players and the players in the area were underserved. The kids are missing out on an elite program that we can offer through USL Academy. We started talking to parents and families in the surrounding neighborhoods and there was a desire to bring the Rush core values, curriculum and philosophies. We wanted to serve this community and also wanted the USL2 program, the USL Academy and our youth programs to have alignment under the Flatirons Rush badge. It just made sense.

What are the elements of your badge and how do they connect to your community?
Well our badge is simple but we love it. The iconic Flatirons mountains – we are so fortunate to be able to look up at every day. They are really something of spender an geological wonder. The sunset, which if you ever get to watch a sunset in the summer here (or really anytime), it is stunning. Last is the Rush logo, this serves to represent our relationship with Rush, our agreement to teach the core values and the Rush Way. We also participate in the amazing programs Rush has to offer.

The program which developed the Great Horan

Are you a part of a larger youth organization or do you partner with one to provide an adult end of the development funnel?
We are an independent Flatirons community focused non-profit organization based in Arvada, CO. We do have a strategic alliance and partnership with Rush Soccer. Rush Soccer has proven methods and philosophies that have produced many great soccer players over the years and more importantly some really great people and coaches.

I myself am a product of those philosophies having been a part of the Rush since its inception in 1994. I have been lucky enough to live in the Core Values and the Rush way for a very long time. We are excited to share these values and teachings to the kids in the Flatirons area.

A lot of clubs dip into the merch game to make a little extra operational funds…or just to have fun. Do you have any kits or scarves up for sale or plan on it?
Yes, we are very fortunate to have great partners at Capelli Sport. I know they are working hard to get our fanstore up and running with merchandise our fans have come to love and expect. We really appreciate the opportunity to get a plug, Capelli Sport is our official Fan Gear and uniform supplier at Flatirons Rush. We are working exclusively with them to get a fantastic line of fan gear rolled out with the fresh Flatirons logo on them that I know everyone is excited to get a hold of. Keep an eye on our social media and webpage as we get this store up and launched.

The next season is right around the corner, who are you most looking forward to playing in 2022? Any rivals, friendly or otherwise?
2021 was the season of making rivals! We had a small division and so when you have a small division you play the same teams a lot. We know both the clubs in Utah – Park City Red Wolves and Ogden City are both tough groups. Park City won the division last season; they will certainly have a target on their back. I also hear murmurs there could be some newcomers in the division as well this year so we will have to wait and see how that plays out.

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