RAPID REPORT
#RAPIDSON3
April 30, 2018
Dear Carolina Rapids members,
We hope you’re enjoying the spring season – and that your children are learning and improving with every game and every training session. We have a number of club announcements to share; please read this in its entirety, and – as usual – reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns at [email protected]
Getting Better with Communication:
Last fall, the club collected feedback from our members on a variety of things – all in an effort to improve our processes and get better across the board. A separate report will be sent to all members for viewing in the next few weeks. The two biggest takeaways from the survey revealed the following:
•We don’t communicate enough with our members
•We don’t set communication expectations clearly enough
We appreciate this feedback, and have already implemented ways to improve. Starting in June, we will introduce our very own Rapids Connect app that can be downloaded from the App Store. From Recreation to Competitive, members will have everything at their fingertips and when you need it, 24-7.
New-and-Improved Web Site:
We understand that as we grow, our web site is the club’s No. 1 source for information. Over the summer, we will make improvements to www.carolinarapids.org. Not only will the site have a better user-friendly experience, it will have improved navigation and functionality throughout, aligning with our social sites as well. Please continue to follow us!
Welcome New Faces:
We are excited to welcome two new additions to our Rapids family: Abbie Schafer joins us as Office Manager and Mary Kay King will be the club’s Head Registrar and Operations Director for South Charlotte. They join Erin Lykon (Director of Soccer Operations) and Ellen Fiori (Director of Club Operations) – making us a stout team. Click here to see our full Operations roster.
Recreational Division:
Keith Poston continues to oversee all Recreation soccer in the club with the support of Colin Gibson As we grow our Recreational program in the various locations we will add to the staff.
North Meck Location:
The home base of the Carolina Rapids will continue with the same Coaching Director oversight for the girls, with a few changes for the boys.
Emily McMillan: U9-U12 Girls Competitive
Neil Roberts: U13-U14 Girls Competitive
Kalla Stark: U15-U18 Girls Competitive
Nathan Williams: Girls Elite Clubs National League
Stephen Glass: Lady Rapids WPSL
Our Girls Program:
Click here to learn about the girl’s pathway at the club and feel free to reach out to the Directors any time you need.
Click here for the Rapids North Meck girls org chart and Communication protocol
Our Boys Program:
Our boys program will be led by Kevin Flanagan as our Boys Director of Coaching & Player Development. Click here to see the Boys’ Pathway; those programs will have the following Coaching Director Oversight.
John Tart: U9-U10 Boys Competitive
Jeff Bilyk: U11-U12 Boys Competitive
Jeff Bilyk: U13-U14 Boys Competitive
Kalla Stark: U15-U18 Boys Competitive
Kevin Flanagan: Boys Elite Clubs National League
Kevin Flanagan: Boys Development Academy
Click here for the Rapids North Meck Boys org chart and Communication protocol
Denver Location:
David Crutchfield will be the Director of Denver moving forward. Outside of coaching teams, this will be David’s only oversight role at the club. This will allow him to focus on the development of soccer in the Denver community.
Click here for the Rapids Denver org chart and Communication protocol
South Charlotte:
The South Charlotte program has seen very quick growth. As we’ve reorganized the structure at the club we are now in a position to develop a structure that lays long term stability in the program. Edmund Walker will be the coaching director for the U10-U12 boys and girls.
Pat White will serve as the Director of the South Charlotte Program overseeing all aspects of the program.
Click here for the Rapids South Charlotte org chart and Communication protocol
Cabarrus:
Launched last year, we’re excited to see this program develop at the right pace. An additional full-time Director has been added to the location to support the overall development of soccer in the Cabarrus community. Liam Shannon will serve as a Coaching Director and Colin Gibson will oversee all aspects of the programming.
Click here for the Rapids Cabarrus org chart and Communication protocol
Introducing Carolina Rapids West:
We are thrilled to announce our newest location – Carolina Rapids West – this coming year. CRSC West will serve the communities of Belmont, Steele Creek and Gastonia. As we go through preparing for competitive team tryouts and building a Recreation program we will update everyone as we work to staff out this new division. A face familiar to the Rapids family has been hired to be the Director of Rapids West: Neil Orridge, who was with the Rapids for five years before departing to oversee the Carolina Rush as Executive Director, will lead our West efforts. Neil has lived in Gaston County for over 25 years – knows that market and already has a reputation there. We’re happy to have Neil back in the saddle.
Click here for the Rapids West org chart and Communication protocol
These are exciting times for our Carolina Rapids family. Thank you for your diligence and support. We also welcome your feedback. Reach out to us anytime at [email protected]
Regards,
Thomas Finlay
Executive Director
Our values
CHARACTER, COMMITMENT, COMMUNITY, COMPETITION, COMMUNICATION
