Nineteen elite Texas Rush Soccer athletes sign to play at collegiate level

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — After several years of progressing through Texas Rush Soccer Club’s program, nineteen athletes from the elite soccer team signed their letters of intent to compete at the collegiate level.

With over 3,000 players from ages three to 18, the staff at Texas Rush have watched several kids grow up from small children learning how to kick a ball to becoming well-rounded and competitive athletes. Simon Boddison, Director of Soccer Operations said many of the athletes that recently signed have been with Texas Rush since they were four or five years old.

“The most enjoyable part of our job is we’ve all been involved with these kids throughout the ages and through the years,” Boddison said. “To see them come in at the age of four and five as very small, small people running in the wrong direction or chasing the wrong ball, and then they go through the system and they work with all our coaching staff at the different ages and they’re bouncing on the door today to go into college, which is the next four years of their lives.”

Director of Coaching Dave Dengerink said for the staff, the best part of watching the athletes move up to the next level of competition is the journey they took to get where they are now. After watching each of the signees overcome some form of adversity while going through the program, Dengerink said he is proud of the way they made it to the other side of what he called a valley.

“Whether that be injury, whether that be some other off-the-field adversity with family or academics, they’ve all been through something that I would call a valley,” Dengerink said. “Getting them through the valley to the other side where they’re at now, that part of the process is what the elite level program is about. They’ve earned this. There’s no doubt that they’ve earned this opportunity.”

Below is a list of Texas Rush Soccer Club athletes and their respective colleges:

Briana Woodall, Oklahoma State University

Emily Alvarado, Texas Christian University

Sienna Arrieta, Texas A&M University

Sommer Stanley, Baylor University

Ashley Valsin-Luu, St. Edwards University

Megan Katona, Rutgers University

Grace Piper, Texas A&M University

Alexandra Gonzalez, Rice University

Gabriela Galan, Trinity University

Taylor Peimbert, University of Texas - Tyler

Jackson Goebel, Brown University

Angel Lopez, University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley

Payton Miller, Xavier University

Hunter Hayden, U.S. Air Force Academy

Brandon Guhl, Southern Methodist University

Chaz O’Roake, Eastern New Mexico University

Alex Reyes, Marshall University

Jamie Hayes, Lyon college

Jorge Cabrera, Houston Baptist University