How long have you been a part of Colorado EDGE?

I've played for EDGE for 5 years. I started to play soccer when I was around 3 years old. The environment of my old club wasn't the healthiest, and that is the reason we started to look for other clubs. From the very beginning, EDGE made me feel like I was a part of the team. I remember my first ever practice with EDGE like before I was really on their team. And all the girls are really nice and welcoming, and it just made me feel like I was already part of the team, The mood was entirely different and I just had a lot of fun, but I was learning things too. I noticed right away that when I switched over to EDGE I was getting a lot better and that the coaches wanted us to get better and they wanted the best for us. And all the girls were really, really nice. And our first team trip was really fun. It was probably one of the most fun I've had. Like playing soccer, and that's just continued through my five years at EDGE.

What has been your favorite experience at Colorado EDGE?

I've had so many amazing experiences and fun experiences at EDGE. In my time there, so far my favorite experience I think was at Regionals two years ago. At the hotel is super fun because we'd go room to room and have watch parties of like movies, whatever is on the TV and play games and prank call people. It was just really fun being with your friends 24/7, but we also had a lot of fun in our games, which I think I like how we could have fun both playing and on and off field. But we all as a team wanted to do our best and we supported each other and fought through the heat and humidity as if you've ever been to Saint Louis, it is really humid and hot, but I think my favorite part of this tournament was that we could have so much fun both on and off the field.

How has the club impacted you as a player?

I've grown so much as a player at EDGE. I kind of lost my confidence before switching to EDGE. And after I switched clubs, I feel like I've gotten my confidence back and just grown and thought as a player. I've learned so much and continuing to grow as a player. My first coach at EDGE was really positive, and he would yell out funny things whenever we would do something, good or even if we would sky the ball over. That he would yell out something funny and it just made you feel like you could try something and you wanna get yelled at or looked down on, so it was all super positive. Only a year after I switched clubs, my dad passed away this summer going into my 8th grade year, and my coach went to his funeral and had a few of my teammates go as well and they're wearing our uniforms and that just made me feel like they care about our life outside of soccer as well. My second coach I had an EDGE, he always kept the door open either after practice, after a game, or so we could ask questions about something he said during practice a game or just something you could get better on. And that has really helped because you're not afraid to ask a coach and my coach I have now has been really positive and with the age change. We have a few new people on our team and just getting our positioning and everything, it's been super positive. He has helped me see my position in a new way, and I've already grown this season from that new perspective.

How has Colorado EDGE impacted your life off the field?

EDGE has impacted my life off the field by a lot. They have always been super supportive and when I said earlier, when my dad passed away, all the coaches and all the families and girls, everyone was really supportive, and the community was amazing and they still are supportive to this day. They have and it's not just my coach that I have specifically at that time, it's all the coaches, it's the coach of the age above us below us. This community is just really amazing, they are helping us prepare for our future goals, especially with college stuff and playing in college if we want to what that process looks like they have meetings for it and we meet with our coaches individually. And they have helped made that process a lot smooth. They build community, we'll have like a fun practice here and there or team bonding, and it just brings us all together and reminds us that the sport is still fun and that we do work hard and but we have fun while working. They help us just balance everyday life by helping us smooth out the process of everything, checking in on how we're doing with school and everything, and they're really understanding of like our homework . All of that stuff that can be piled up, piled up, and they're just really supportive of everything.

Would you recommend Colorado EDGE to another player or family considering joining? Why?

I would recommend this club to another player or a family considering joining because it has just been really positive. I've grown so much as a person and a player. I'm super supported on and off the field and. The coaches are really understanding. And it's just a really positive environment and an amazing community.

What makes your club different from other clubs you have been at?

The reason EDGE is different from other clubs is I feel like they truly care about us on and off the field, they care about us getting better, us having confidence, reaching our goals, but they also care about how we're doing in life and just our well-being, and they do things to show that they care and they help us through everything.

How long have you been a part of Colorado EDGE?

I played at Colorado Edge since I was 4 years old. This is the only club I've ever played for in my entire life. Never thought about switching to any bigger or better clubs. I knew this was the club for me, that my teams were all great. I loved my teammates. I loved my coaches. I used to play up for our 2006s for a little while, and then I eventually moved back down to my correct age group, which is 2007, and I finished playing off with them, and they were just a great team, and I got to finish off my club years with my dad coaching me.

What has been your favorite experience at Colorado EDGE?

I would say I've had a lot of favorite experiences at the club over the last couple of years. One would be winning state cup and league in the same year. We got these really cool pink training jerseys out of it. They're hot pink, they're really cool, and we just did really good that year. And we also didn't have a keeper. We had one of our second team players playing with us, so that was also really cool for her to show that we were a great team even without a keeper on our team.

When we joined the ECNL Regional League, our first season, we won league champs, so I thought that was pretty cool. We showed that even though we're new to the league that we could still compete with everyone, and that was just overall really cool and a new experience. Over my career, we used to always play this team Olympico, and during my last season, we were going through a little bit of a rough patch and and a tournament had gone by, a little preseason tournament, and we really struggled in it and we were a really good team and we just did not do well in it and we ended up playing Olympio and they like killed us 5 to 1. It was not good by us. And when the season started, I was a little worried. I was like, I don't know how well this year is gonna be, I don't know how, what we're gonna do against them, and they were one of our like, second, third game of the start of the season, so we were playing them and I was like, oh, I don't know how else it's gonna go, like, they kicked our butts last time and we ended up winning like 9-10 to 2. It was one of the best games I've ever seen us play. I've never had so much fun playing in a game in my entire life. It was just really cool as a team and we were always head to head with them with the league, like they were always our biggest competitors, so beating them by that much was a really cool experience.

During league, my last club game in Colorado, we played really well. I had a really good game and one of my favorite experiences was towards the end of the game when my dad subbed me off and gave me a big hug and told me how proud he was of me and how like far I've achieved with things in my life and soccer and how well I'm gonna do in the future. And lastly, another one of my favorite moments is our last club tournament, which was in Florida. It was like this ECNL like kind of like regional showcase, and our last game there we played like the reigning ECNL, like champions, like they had girls going to big, big schools and we kept up with them like the whole game. We ended up losing, but I've never been more proud of us to show that even though we're a small name, not a lot of people know of us, not a lot of, like, not everyone's going to such a big school like Duke, North Carolina, Alabama that we were still able to compete with them, even though we lost, we put up a good fight. So those are a couple of my favorite experiences.

How has the club impacted you as a player?

I think club, this club specifically has impacted me so much as a player. I've had the ability to play with so many great people growing up, Been coached by some great people over time. I got to be coached by my dad when I was younger and then during my last season of club, so obviously he taught me a lot growing up. I was able to learn a lot from him. I think coming from a club with almost a smaller name, like you don't get these big recognitions, you don't get all of this fame and glory in these big schools coming to watch you. I think it shows you to be mentally strong and like really push yourself and work hard every day to earn things, like you don't just be given things, like you really have to work for, you have to put in the extra, you have to do the little things and I think all the coaches here have taught me to just put my head down and work and you will get where you want to be and you will find those things that you want to do that will help you in the future. I think all my club teammates have impacted me, they've pushed me every single day, to be the best. My team was pretty special. I don't think there's all of us like that. There was a lot of us like that as a team and they pushed me every day. I was able to have fun at practice, but I also know when it was time to lock in and it was time to work and put my head down and just get the work done, but also have fun with the sport and not just make it my whole life . Learning how to balance different things was what this club really impacted me as a player.

How has Colorado EDGE impacted your life off the field?

This club has impacted me a lot with my future goals. I've always wanted to play college soccer since I was younger. I knew that was a dream of mine and a goal that I wanted to achieve, especially Division One college soccer. They pushed me on and off the field every single day, but they also told me that if you want to leave and you want to go to a bigger school, like you can do that, there's other opportunities out there. It's an easier way out if you want to be seen like that, but I think they taught me to really just put my head down and work for it. I don't want to go to another club. I loved my team, I loved my coaches. I wanted to play at my club my whole life. I never wanted to go anywhere else, and I think they pushed me to my best of my ability to play Division One soccer, which I ended up doing now, and they showed me, and I think I also showed them that even though you're a smaller name, you can still get the recognition of playing Division One, you can go to bigger schools, you can do all that, they showed me that just because I can still do the things that everyone else is doing out there just without that big name that everyone else has. They helped me balance. How to balance life, practice, school, like really balancing it, like playing on the weekends, taking care of your body, you have to be ready at all times. You can't let yourself have a bad day or it's gonna like affect you, they really just push you to be the best, and I think that's how they've impacted me off the field.

Would you recommend Colorado EDGE to another player or family considering joining? Why?

I would definitely recommend this club. I still do it today. I recommend this club. I wouldn't recommend any other club out there. I think this is a great place. There's great coaches out there, everyone's fun, the teams are fun, everyone likes each other, it's not involved around drama, big name, or money, I think. Everyone really cares here, and you could see that as multiple coaches will either come to your practice, like not even your specific coach, but other teams' coaches. Coaches on the boys' side will come we're like, oh, like the girls are playing over here, I'm gonna go watch them. Like it's a very, it's a great community and it's a great culture. That's what I want in my life. I don't know anyone else who wouldn't want that. They're very focused on you. It's not just about a big name, it's about building your players, making you the best you can be. Pushing you, challenging you. Making sure you're ready for all scenarios and they really just want to help you with your end goal, if that's to play college soccer, if that's to not play college soccer. They've always been supportive with whatever you want to do, and if you want to do those things and you want to go further with your college, they're gonna push you, they're gonna help you, they're gonna reach out to people, they're gonna do that, but if they don't, they're still gonna be your coach, they're still gonna push you every day, they're still gonna make you work, even if that's not something you want to do, they're always going to be there for you, all your teammates are going to be for you, so I wouldn't recommend any other club but this one.

What changes are being introduced for the 2026-2027 season?

For the 2026 and 2027 soccer season, US Soccer has mandated a change in the way that age-group teams are formed. So, previously, any player who was born from January to December of the same year would be on the same age group team. This would mean 3rd and 4th graders playing together, 5th and 6th graders playing together, etc. Now, based on the new US Soccer mandate, the birthdays for age group teams have changed. The change in birthday will now be from August 1st of that year to July 31st of the following year.

The reason for this change is to more closely align players with their grade-year peers. So now, instead of playing with players from different grades, players will be playing with players of their same grade. Another reason for this change is to eliminate the trapped players. In the previous system, we would have 8th graders playing with 9th graders. When 9th graders would go to play high school soccer in the spring, the 8th graders now would have to try to find a team to play with, get trainings and games that weren't the actual team they played with in the fall. Similarly, if a player is a junior, playing with seniors, when all the seniors graduate, now those players have to play with a brand new team for their last year of club soccer. Although we know that change can be scary and hard, and might bring up some questions or concerns, us at Colorado EDGE are here every step of the way. We've done a lot of work behind the scenes to make this transition as smooth as possible.

We are extremely lucky to be a part of a club that has many members and many players at all levels and all age groups. We are not concerned with any team formations or anything like that. We have plenty of players to form these teams at all levels. The players who will be mostly impacted, as I spoke about earlier, will be those players who are quote-unquote young for their team. So if your player is that 3rd grader playing with 4th graders, etc. based on their birthday, you may be staying at that same U10, level to align with your grade year peers. If I'm a 3rd grader playing with 4th graders, I may have to stay and play the same U10 one more year, so that now I'm on a team with my grade year peers. We know that even if your player is not that young player, it's still difficult to have half your team switch, or have a friend leave your team, or a new coach, and we are here to help form new relationships, help form new teams, and we are confident that we will do what's best for your players' development, and we are here every step of the way.

How will your club manage player placement under the new structure?

We at Colorado EDGE understand that with player placement and a new tryout season, there's a lot of stress, anxiety, and nervous emotions, both from players and families, about how players will be placed for the upcoming fall. We wanted to assure you that player evaluation is not just something that happens at tryouts, but is also a season-long and a year-long collaboration between the Colorado EDGE staff, between our amazing coaches, and us. Throughout the year, we observe your player in different environments. We come out to trainings, we come out to games, we collaborate with your coaches on their development, as well as implementing these new in-house tryouts.

The reason for these new in-house tryouts is based on the age group change, we wanted to give players the opportunity to meet and play with potential new players that they might not have the chance to because maybe those players moved into the age group based on the change or maybe your player moved to a different age group based on the change, and we want them to feel comfortable in meeting and learning and playing with potential new teammates, as well as, us as a staff and the coaches want to see your player in that new environment around different players, get to know them a little more as players and as people, as well as have them meet new coaches, etc. With the addition of these in-house tryouts, and our in-house and out-of-house tryouts that will be at the end of spring, we believe that these five dates, as well as observing your player throughout the entire year, collaborating with their coach, will give us the best view of your player, and where their placement should be based on their development. Every decision we make, based on a player's placement, based on team formation, is for their ultimate development.

We wanna make sure we place them on an appropriate team, where they will continue to develop and learn at the correct place and stage. Now, I do want to speak about players who maybe are in a unique situation. So, for example, let's say a player is in 7th grade, but they have a quote-unquote young birthday. So their birthday would allow them to play with the 6th grade team. But they're in 7th grade. With players like this, it is the club's decision that we are going to have that player play with their grade year. The whole reason for the US Soccer mandate was to align players with their grade year. If there is a young birthday, you will play with your grade year peers, because there's no reason for us to have one player be in a different grade than the rest of their players just based on them having a young birthday. This is the club's philosophy based on those players, and moving forward, every other decision will be based first and foremost on that player's development.

Why is this expected to be a positive change for players and families?

This is gonna be a positive change for players and families, due to the fact that now their players will get to play with their grade-year peers. For example, they'll get to play with their classmates, they'll get to play with their same grade level peers at different schools, and it will reduce the amount of trapped players. So this will be extremely positive for families who might have to figure out those tricky spring seasons, if they were a trapped player, but now will have the opportunity to play on the same team or with the same group of peers throughout their entire soccer experience. They won't have to switch based on playing with different grades or different school schedules. Now, this will more closely align with your players, peers, and your families that you are close with based on school activities, etc. We are super excited to see all these new relationships form.

Are there any negatives with this change?

With this US Soccer mandate, there are way more positive changes than there will be negative changes, but I did want to discuss one potential, not necessarily negative, but situation for families to be aware of in case your child is the unique one out of hundreds of children that this may apply to. Now, if a player was potentially held back due to school development, due to any array of factors, this will be a difficult change because it will not align their birthday with their grade.

For the majority of people, they fall within that August 1st to July 31st birthday switch, or they may have a quote-unquote young birthday, as I spoke about previously, so we will be keeping them with their grade level peers. Now, for the players who were potentially held back, you would have an older birthday than the people in your grade. So, for example, if you got held back in kindergarten, now your birthday would not align with your grade level peers; it would align you with the grade above. Now, unfortunately, at the moment, there are no exceptions to this birthday rule. Let's say you're a 7th grader, but your birthday puts you in the 8th grade age group year; based on the new US Soccer mandate, you would have to play with the 8th grade team as a 7th grader.

Now, this is still a relatively new US Soccer mandate, obviously, and this will be our first season in the fall following these guidelines. We are confident that as the mandate continues to develop, and as a couple seasons go by, that hopefully, US Soccer and other state organizations can kind of give us some more strict guidelines on how we can handle these individuals, but at the moment, we at Colorado EDGE are continued to focus on your players' development, regardless of if they're one of these unique situations or not. We are still here to place your player in the correct environment within the US Soccer mandate guidelines that is right for their development. We will still be here to help develop your player and help make sure they have all the opportunities that are appropriate for them.

How will this impact your child(ren) and your club teams overall?

Overall, the biggest impact on your children or your club teams will just be the movement of players. So you may have a couple of players that move away from your team, you may have a couple of players that move into the age group, but again, we are confident that we will place every player in the age group in the right place for their development. Although your team might have a couple of new players or have a couple of players stay back, etc. We think that this will be an overall positive impact for your children and for your team, because now your team will be playing with their grade-year peers. Even if there's a little bit of movement of players, now it'll align closer to their school grade year and have an overall positive impact, even if the change is a little bit difficult up front. But again, that's why we're here to help with the transition, help smooth the change, help your children, your families, your teams feel comfortable, and we're really excited to see how the teams and players feel, form, perform, and develop over this next fall and spring now that they are playing with their grade-level peers.

Will my child(ren) have the opportunity to play “up,” or will they be required to play “down”?

As previously discussed, every decision we will make on a player's placement will be based on their development first. In regard to playing up or playing down, we don't necessarily like to use those terms. We, as a club, are gonna pretty hard and fast stick to those August 1st to July 31st birth dates based on age formation. Now, as I previously said, we want to keep players with their grade year peers, and that's the reason that US Soccer kind of made this mandate in the first place. If your player has a young birthday, but they are in the age group above, we will make an exception to have them play with their grade-year peers. The example I used previously was, if your player is a 7th grader with a younger birthday, and they could play with the 6th graders, we at Colorado EDGE think it would be best for their development and their future soccer career for them to play with their grade-peers, so they would play with the 7th graders, their grade year peers there.

Why is your club better positioned than most clubs to successfully navigate the age-year realignment?

We are in a better position to manage this age-year realignment or age group change than other clubs, because we are fortunate to have a very deep player and member pool of amazing families at every single age group, at all levels.

We are not worried about any teams not forming or anything like that because we have such a large player pool, and even with the movement of players, maybe staying in an age group or moving to a different age group, we have enough players and enough families to form all of these teams just as previously with the old age group alignment. We have been extremely proactive during this age group change, and we have been planning and looking at birthdays and teams, and how this will impact every individual player, every individual family and team, to make sure we are making the correct decision for your player, for your family, for their development. We have put in so many hours of work behind the scenes, starting in the fall, to make sure that we are prepared for this and that the transition is as smooth as possible. And like I said previously, we have amazing families within the club, we have a ton of fantastic players at all levels, all genders, all ages. We are extremely confident in our team formations and staying at the correct level for your players' development.

What key message or reassurance would you like to leave parents with?

The key message that I would like to leave to help reassure parents with this US Soccer mandate and the school year alignment is that we at Colorado EDGE have always put your child's development at the first and foremost of everything that we do, whether that's player placement, team formation, or coach assignments. Everything that we do is to help with your players' development, and that will not change based on this switch to our school year alignment.

We at Colorado EDGE love the community club feeling, knowing every single player, knowing every single family, close collaboration with coaches, and I think that's something that we do as a club better and differently than other clubs in the area. I can guarantee that every staff member, every coach within the age group or the age group that they'll be moving to, knows your player and has seen your player play a handful of times, and all we want is what's appropriate and correct for that player's development, to help them keep loving the game, finding their passion for it, continuing to develop at a steady rate. And take it as far as they want, as well as just help to create amazing little kids, people, members of the community, because you're giving us your players and your children for us to help teach the love of the game, and we wanna make sure that we are giving back to the community in the way that we treat the players in the way that we prioritize their development, in the way that we help develop them, not only as players, but also as people. We at Colorado EDGE value you as families, value your players, and will always do what, in our opinion, is best for your players' overall development as a player and as a person.

What changes are being introduced for the 2026–2027 season?

One of the big changes we're going to see in our U9, U10 academy soccer program is the fact that the country is going from a birth year model, where kids were playing in an age group based on just the year they were born, to more of a school calendar year model, which will run from January 1st to July 31st.

One of the big things we're gonna do as a club is adjust some of our teams and programs, but it's exciting as well. I think it'll be good for some of the players for sure. One of the things we need to make sure of, though, is that as a club, we're really promoting that kids stay within their grade. So if you have a current 3rd grader that they track with their 3rd graders, even though they could technically play another year in the same age group, but as a club, we're really wanting to see those kids kind of stay together with their classmates, so stay in their grade level.

There are going to be some special occasions where, you know, it's just not right for certain players' development, and I think that. That's one of the cool things that we do as a club is we really do focus on that player development piece. So if we feel like, hey, it makes sense for a kid to continue to track with their grade level, they'll do that. If we feel like, hey, you know what, that could be better served, just playing in the same age group another year, then we'll make that change.

How will your club manage player placement under the new structure?

I get a lot of questions about player placement going into this new, more school-year model, which are really good questions. I understand parents' anxiety around it a little bit. But again, our academy program and the club are trying to push players to stay at their current grade level. As an example, if you're a 3rd grader, we want you to track with your classmates at that grade level. So, the 3rd graders are going to move on to 4th grade, they're going to play together, those 4th graders moving on to 5th grade, they're going to play together. There will, however, be a couple of circumstances, you know, where it makes sense for us to have a player play within the same age group again, or it may make sense for us to have a player who's not grade level, so a 3rd grader playing up into the 4th grade. And this is really a case by case basis, and it's based on a player's development, meaning where the, you know, where is the player at in that moment, what's best for their development.

But overall our club, we're looking to have those grade level kids tracked with their grade level, and then we'll have those conversations with certain families that we feel like, hey, that kid needs to stay and play again at the same level that they've been at, or, you know, this kid's really talented, they need to be challenged, and they need to play up a year. So that's how we're going to manage kind of that new structure going forward.

Why is this expected to be a positive change for players and families?

I think for players who are going into this new model, where we're going more of a school year model for teams versus the birth year model, I think there's going to be some real positives as the kids go forward, you know, they're all going to be in the same grade. So I know in our academy program, that's pretty important cause it's a lot about not only soccer, but we do a lot about friendships and development. So having kids be within their own grade level is going to be really nice in terms of building some of those friendships, those connections. And as those kids continue to track forward down the road in their soccer career, they're going to stay together.

I know a big one is just by the time they're ready to go to high school, they're all going to go to high school together versus having right now, some kids are going off to high school, some are not, and then we have this weird just kind of situation where we got to make this kind of team, and then the abilities are all over the place. I think it's going to be beneficial as the kids go forward, they'll be with their classmates, depending on their level, they'll be kind of in the same group, talent wise, level wise, skill wise, which I think will be positive as well. And there's still again, freedom to move players around based on their ability level, and again, I think those are all going to continue to be case-by-case basis. Doesn't make sense for a kid to play up, but I'm kind of excited about this, getting all the kids in a grade level, and definitely from that friendship perspective, I think it's gonna be really nice for kids, and in my U9/U10 program, that's a big part of why kids also play soccer.

Are there any negatives with this change?

Like in anything, there are gonna be some positives and some negatives. I think this first year, we're gonna kind of be, you know, just feeling things out. There's gonna be...definitely changes within our academy program because we do pools. The pools are going to get kind of shaken up as we have a lot of kids who are currently playing up a year, so to speak, but they're grade level. We have kids who are playing down, but they're not grade level. It's going to be a bit of a change, but I think it'll be positive. There will be some struggles in terms of, "My kids have already been in 2 years of academy, now they've got to have a 3rd year." And that can be a bit of a struggle, but I think we have to remind parents that it's really about development. It's not so much about them having done it for two years.

At the end of the day, they're a soccer player, and learning the game in a small-sided environment, 7V7, like we have an academy, is not going to hurt them. I know that for some of the players it'll be really positive because they'll now be maybe the older kid versus the younger kid, and so from a developmental standpoint, that'll be huge for them. There's gonna be some kids where it's a little harder cause they were kind of the older kid, and now they're the younger kid, and they might have been in one of our top pools per se, and now all of a sudden they have the potential of maybe being bumped down a little bit, but I think once the dust settles and everybody's playing the game of soccer, which is the most important thing from a developmental standpoint, I think this is going to be really good for players.

Again, we have the ability to still play players up if that's what we need to do. So, yes, there might be a couple like, you know, little negatives there in terms of just, again, in my program, just, "This is the 3rd year." The other probably negative for some of the families is just they've made some of the friendships, and now going forward, they're not going to be able to play with some of those players, but they're all young, and then they have opportunities to make new friendships, and they're not going to lose those friendships per se, but I think sometimes it might be a little harder on the parents. They've made some really good connections within our pools, but it's just kind of how the game goes. At the end of the day, I think it's gonna be great for our development.

How will this impact your child(ren) and your club teams overall?

It's definitely going to impact our club, this new change. It's gonna impact individual players, it's gonna impact teams, and in my program, it's going to impact pools, but it's gonna impact everybody, every club in the United States. So we're all going to work through it, we're gonna learn from it. I do think once we get our feet under us and we start to figure things out, it's gonna be good.

I will say with EDGE, we just have so much depth in our club, and we have so many great players and a lot of quality, that it's gonna work itself out. I think definitely there's going to be age groups that have gotten extremely good just with the influx of players staying in their age group, moving up in age group. There's definitely going to be some changes in our academy program, you know, there will be kids who are going to bump up from a certain level pool to a higher level pool. There's also going to probably be some kids who are playing in a higher pool, dropping down to a little bit lower pool, but it's really about development. It's about getting kids where they need to be, surrounded with players of likeability levels, like motivational levels.

It's going to be a challenge at first, but once we get everything settled, the families, the kids, they're going to figure it out, and, you know, going forward, they're all going to kind of track together, which is going to be great. But yeah, it's, there's going to be a change, and you just have to embrace the change. Again, I think at EDGE, we're very blessed, very lucky that we have so much depth. I think clubs that don't have as much depth are going to really struggle. We're gonna roll with it. It'll be fine, but yeah, I'm not gonna lie to you, it's definitely going to impact some players, and for some, it's gonna feel very positive. For some, maybe in the short term, it might feel like a little bit of shock, but I think it's all going to work itself out.

Will my child(ren) have the opportunity to play “up,” or will they be required to play “down”?

Well, players have an opportunity to play up for sure. I mean, that is definitely an individual type of thing, on a case-by-case basis. I think our club here at EDGE has always done a fantastic job of allowing kids to play up if that's what's needed. Sometimes, on maybe some of the lower ends, where we're trying to fill out some rosters, and it's just a kid who really wants to play, we allow them to play up, but that's pretty rare. It's mostly for the player who is, is quite talented. We let them play up, and we encourage them to play up. So yes, players will still have an opportunity to play up. It's gonna be a little harder, but you know, again, it's probably going to be a very select few that are going to be allowed to play up.

I think where it's hard for parents is that they've made some of these connections. If you've been on a team, and they want to kind of continue to play with their friends, and I know that can be really hard for a parent. And it kind of feels like, oh, it's all going to change, but developmentally, it might not be the right fit for your kid. It's competitive soccer, so yes, friendships are super important, but it's more important for that developmental piece. I know in our academy program, there are going to be a few kids here and there that we identify that we really want to play up, but the vast majority are going to stay with their grade level. But yes, players will definitely have the opportunity to play up if they deserve it.

Why is your club better positioned to successfully navigate the age group change?

At EDGE, we're very blessed to have a lot of depth and quality within our programs, and I think that's going to really help us navigate this new change from the birth year model to more of a school calendar model. I think it's great that you have teams in our club that play at every level, so the drop-off for players isn't very big. I think the quality, particularly from age group to age group, there are not these massive gaps. So if a kid is staying or moving up, they're not going to feel like, "Oh man, I'm staying here. What's the quality going to be like of the kids coming up?" It's going to be quite high, quite good. I think our club is very aligned philosophically.

We have very good coaches at all levels, so we're going to be able to do much better than some of the other clubs that just don't have the depth, and they don't have the number of teams that we have at every different level, and they may not have the quality of coaches and the depth of coaching as well. That's going to affect a lot of programs, but I think at EDGE, we're just very well positioned. We've been thinking this through. People have been taking a lot of time trying to do it right. I think we're in a really good place, and it really does boil down to that depth that we have in our program, the quality of coaching, and then the multiple levels of play that we have in our program. Kids like it if they're on a certain team, and they can transition up, and then it's going to be the right fit for them, or they might transition down, and it's not this huge drop off from where they were playing, maybe the year before.

What key message or reassurance would you like to leave parents with?

My key message for parents going through this age group change is patience. Just be patient, know that the club has all the intentions to make sure your kiddo is in a good place, is being challenged at the right level, that they're having success at the right level, and it's going to take a little bit of time, but be patient, particularly at the academy level, like your kids are so young, their soccer journey is just kind of beginning for the most part. And they've got a long ways to go and to not like put the cart in front of the horse, so to speak, just be patient, let the process unfold, know that the club cares a lot about your player, and that we want to do whatever we can to make sure that they're in the right place for that individual player. And they're gonna have fun, they're gonna be successful. We want them challenged, and we want them to have some success. Just be patient, let the process unfold, know that people care, and you're going to be taken care of.

What changes are being introduced for the 2026–2027 season?

There is one big change coming to youth soccer next year. For the past eight years, we have grouped players based on what year they were born, for example, 2015 or 2014. Starting in the fall, youth soccer all over the country will be changing to a school-based cutoff, using August 1st through July 31st as the way players are grouped. Most players will be impacted by this, but they will get to meet new friends, play with more schoolmates, and continue playing the beautiful game.

How will your club manage player placement under the new structure?

Colorado EDGE will be using player evaluations, along with coach and staff input. To help evaluate players for the new age group change. We will also use tryouts throughout the spring to help with player placement.

Why is this expected to be a positive change for players and families?

This is expected to be a positive change for two big reasons. One, kids get to play with their schoolmates, soccer is supposed to be fun, and you have the most fun with your friends. And two, fewer kids will burn out and quit around the middle school ages. Kids are more likely to play soccer longer if they get to stay with their school friends.

Are there any negatives with this change?

There are a few negatives. The first one is major team disruption. Rosters are going to look very different next year. The second one is not all schools and not all players align with the August 1st cut-off date. And the last one is short term chaos to hopefully benefit the long term positives. This is gonna be hard for some people. But the club is there for you, the staff is there for you. We will answer any questions that you have.

How will this impact your child(ren) and your club teams overall?

Their team will change, new teammates, new coach, potentially, and maybe even a different team level. However, it can feel exciting, players can get a fresh start and gain new friends from the sport. Some players may experience a competitive shift, some players may find they move up a team to find more of a challenge, some players may be moved down a team to gain more confidence and get more playing time. Hopefully, your child's social situation will improve by playing with more players in their own school grade year.

Will my child(ren) have the opportunity to play “up,” or will they be required to play “down”?

Our stance at Colorado EDGE is that we want your child playing in the best environment for individual and team success and growth. Playing down is a negative term. We want players to play in their correct age group. Some players may get the opportunity to play up based on what school grade they are, or if it makes sense from a competitive or development standpoint.

Why is your club better positioned to successfully navigate the age group change?

Colorado EDGE is better positioned because we are organized and communicate with our members. We have depth across all age groups and levels, we care about all players, we have long-term community ties, and we have proven that we can develop teams and players. We have upward momentum.

What key message or reassurance would you like to leave parents with?

At Colorado EDGE, we care about your child. We want them to be the best version of themselves on and off the field. Because we care, we value your child and their worth. We will continue caring for your child through the transition and help them get into the best competitive environment for their growth and love of the game.

How long have you been a part of Colorado Edge Soccer Club?

I've had the privilege now of coaching with the Colorado Edge Soccer Club for the past. Six years starting in the fall of 2020. I grew up in the Arvada area playing soccer and with this soccer club when it was formerly known as the Arvada Eagles. In high school, I moved over to a traveling club with the Colorado Ice Soccer Club when it was formerly known as Table Mountain Ice. After high school, I had the privilege of walking on and playing soccer in college with the University of Massachusetts, played 4 years of soccer at UMass and graduated in 2000. And after that, I stepped away from the game for a while and focused on building a career and going back to school. I've now had the privilege of moving back to Arvada and raising my family here and have put both my daughters into the Colorado Edge Soccer Club.

What attracted me to this club was really the legacy that it has here in the Arvada area. It has a well-established reputation for teaching good fundamentals and soccer to kids. I grew up playing in this club and in this area. I know a lot of people who still speak highly of the Colorado Edge program, and it is why I have chosen to continue to have my kids play and why I have continued to coach with Colorado Edge. Really, it's legacy and the people who run this program are passionate about the game of soccer. They love the game of soccer, and they want to teach it to another generation as well.

What has been a favorite experience at Colorado Edge Soccer Club?

My favorite experience over the past 6 years of coaching with Colorado Edge. It's not all the games that we have been able to play, all the winning, all the heartbreak, and the losing. It's really been the relationships that I have been able to form, not only with my own kids and watching them play the game of soccer, but also building relationships with other kids and their families. Growing up playing soccer, I know a lot about my experience. It's not all the travel. It's not all the games that you play, but it's the relationships that you build after a game, you go out to eat, or you hang out at someone's house with the team, and you build relationships with other parents and you hear their story and hear their journey. And that has just been a fundamental part of, I think, youth sports. Yes, playing the game, learning the game is important, but at the end of the day, it's about building character, and it's about building relationships, and it's about what you learn through the game of soccer that can translate over to other areas of your life. So that really has been the best part of coaching. It's not necessarily all the games and the passion that you see your kids play with; that's always, always fun and always great to see. But it's the relationships that you build outside of the soccer field or outside of the game.

How has Colorado Edge Soccer Club impacted you as a coach?

Serving as a coach with Colorado Edge over the past 6 years has really impacted me and reminded me about why we coach and why we love the game of soccer. Yes, winning is fun. It is exhilarating. There's a sense of accomplishment that you have through it. And then on the flip side, losing is difficult. Losing is hard, especially when you lose by a lot or you consistently have a season in which you are losing. But it's reminded me as a coach that no matter if we win, no matter if we lose, and no matter how we lose or no matter how we win, we show up the next week and we practice, and we show up to the next game, and we play because we love the game. We love the game of soccer; we love the game and what it's taught us as individuals, as coaches. And that really is why we show up every week. And so all the winning and all the losing. And all the difficult losing and the ways in which you lose, or in all the ways you win. It's all about the game of soccer, and it's all about the passion and the love that this game provides, and that's why we show up week after week.

What stands out about the club's facilities, scheduling, or communication?

What I really appreciate about Colorado Edge and what stands out as a coach is the way in which the club provides me, as a coach, the autonomy to be able to run my team and to communicate with my team, but also knowing that if I need direction or if I need support from others, that the communication that I have with my director is open. They respond quickly to questions or to issues or circumstances that you may not fully know how to navigate, and they help walk you through that journey. So I really appreciate that. They're there as a support, but they're not always there to tell you what they'll have to do or how you have to do it. There is a level of autonomy that I have as a coach to be able to coach my team and to communicate with my team, but also knowing that I have the support of the club that is there if necessary.

Would you recommend Colorado Edge Soccer Club to a friend or colleague?

I think one of the reasons I would recommend the Colorado Edge Soccer Club to any family or to anyone who's interested in having their child get involved in the game of soccer is the variety of programs that the club offers families. There's recreational, there's competitive, there's academy level of programming. So wherever your kid's at, whatever your level of interest is for your kid to learn the game of soccer, and to maybe even travel across the state or into other states and to play. Their club really has a wide variety of options available for you to really meet you where you're at, and to provide your kid with the ability to play at a specific level. I'd also recommend Colorado Edge because it has a very well-established reputation in this city for teaching the game of soccer and to teach it the right way. All the lessons that you learn and how to play the game, but how you win, how you lose, all that's taught through Colorado Edge Soccer Club.