Youth soccer in Colorado is continuing to rise in the ranks nationally.
MLS NEXT announced eight expansion clubs Wednesday morning for its national youth leagues for the 2024-25 season from the U13 level all the way up to U19.
Among those are the U13 and U14 squads for the Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club, based in Aurora.
“At their core, each expansion club has their own unique commitment to player development through high-level leadership and an emphasis on the holistic growth of each player, coach and staff member,” MLS Executive Vice President Charles Altchek said in a news release. “We are proud to add these eight clubs and grateful for the overwhelming interest we received to join MLS NEXT in 2024-25.”
CRYSC serves 12,000 players in Colorado and provides more than $400,000 in scholarships for players every year, making it one of the largest standalone youth soccer clubs in the country.
The club also boasts multiple notable alumni, such as Darren Yapi, who has been with the Rapids’ first team since he was 16, and Oliver Larraz, a finalist for MLS NEXT Pro MVP last season who has started every game for the first team this year.
“We’re thrilled to join MLS NEXT, continuing the Colorado Rapids legacy by forging a complete pathway from grassroots to pro within our organization,” CRYSC Chief of Soccer Operations Danny Bills said. “Our ambition to nurture talent from the ground up, empower athletes to realize their full potential and develop the next generation of soccer players in Colorado will be strengthened through our participation in MLS NEXT.”
This is the second major development for youth soccer in Colorado just this year. In early February, MLS announced a development grant program for MLS NEXT Elite academies which produce MLS Homegrowns. Real Colorado was one of the first to benefit when Adam Beaudry, an RC alumnus, signed a four-year contract with the Rapids’ first team.
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