Calling all referrees: there's a unique mentoring opportunity taking place this weekend at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

From our friends at Play The Whistle:

"Whether you are new to the referee community or a veteran referee, everyone is welcome and encouraged to join Play The Whistle for free continuing education. Spectators, coaches, and soccer enthusiasts who want to understand more about the job of the referees are also invited.

The mentor program is in place to provide support and continuing education to promote referees, increase referee retention and enhance the level of officiating at all levels.

This is a great opportunity to better understand the laws of the game, hear from presenters about topics other that the typical laws of the game, and learn tips and pointers that have made other referees successful."

Details for this weekend's event:

January 28 – 31, 2010
North – South Showcase/Friendlies Hosted by Westminster AFC
Where: Dick’s Sporting Goods Park – Turf Fields 8 & 10
2010 is the 4th Annual North South Showcase for U16 – 18 boys and girls teams. Mentor program throughout the weekend of games. Games will be played Thursday evening 1/28 at 6:30 & 8 PM, Friday evening 1/29 5, 6:30 & 8 PM. Saturday 1/30 8 AM – 12:30 PM & 5 PM – 8 PM. Sunday 1/31 8 AM – 12:30 PM. Referees officiating the games will be provided feedback and advice during half time intervals and after games. Saturday at 11 AM & 5 PM PTW will offer a group observation and discussion about the games. Referees, parents of referees, spectators who are interested are welcome to join us for the education discussion. See you at the fields!

For more information on Play The Whistle and their referees mentoring program and other resources, visit their website.

This week's training schedule for the Rapids Youth Teams, courtesy of the Rapids Academy:

January 25 – January 31, 2010

Monday: Rapids Youth Teams off

Tuesday: Training, Rapids U15-U18 Teams, 6:00pm, Fields 8 and 10
Indoor Training, U11-U12 Teams, 6:00pm, Adams City High School Gym
Indoor Training, U13-U14 Teams, 7:00pm, Adams City High School Gym

Wednesday: Training, Rapids U15-U18 Teams, 6:00pm, Fields 8 and 10

*Thursday: Training, U15-U18 Teams, 5:00pm, Fields 8 and 10
Indoor Training, U11-U12 Teams, 6:00pm, Adams City High School Gym (Optional)
Indoor Training, U13-U14 Teams, 7:00pm, Adams City High School Gym (Optional)

Friday: Rapids Youth Teams off

**Saturday: Training, U15-U18 Teams, 3:00pm, Fields 8 and 10
Indoor Training, U11-U12 Teams, 10:00am, Adams City High School Gym
Indoor Training, U13-U14 Teams, 11:00am, Adams City High School Gym

Sunday: Training, Rapids U16 and U18 DA Teams, 1:00pm, Field 8

NOTES:
*Thursday, January 28
Note that training on Thursday has been moved to 5:00pm for the U15-U18 teams.

**Saturday, January 30
Note that training will begin at 3:00pm for the U15-U18 teams on Saturday. Also, there will be a special photo shoot at the Pepsi Center for the Rapids U16 and U18 Development Academy teams beginning at 5:00pm, followed by free admission into the Colorado Mammoth game at 7:00pm. More information regarding this event will be sent out later this week.

Rapids Season Tickets – Academy Supporters
Your Colorado Rapids Opening Day is April 3rd vs. Chicago Fire! Be there with the rest of your team to celebrate the new Rapids Academy Section in 134. If you haven’t already purchased your specially priced Academy Season tickets for 2010, please contact our Academy Season Ticket Rep, Ossie Hamrick, at 303.727.3538.

-All training and match times listed are at Dick's Sporting Goods Park unless otherwise indicated.

Want to find out about the newest Colorado Rapids Supporters Club?

Check out the Bulldog Supporters Group, who are launching their new club with a kickoff event this Saturday night!

Who are the Bulldog Supporters Club (or "The Bobbies", as they'll be known)? In their own words:

"We are an independent supporters group of the Colorado Rapids, with the goal of adding to the atmosphere at Dick’s Sporting goods Park, being a positive force for the Rapids and their fans, acting as ambassadors for the game and the team, fostering camaraderie among ourselves and all Rapids fans, and most of all vocally supporting our hometown club with the belief that we are capable of winning championships.

"We are welcoming new members that are interested in standing, chanting & singing, drinking pints before during and after the match, and having a good time with other like-minded football fanatics. We will bring a party-like atmosphere to the ground win or lose."

Membership in the club includes the best possible price for Rapids season tickets, a club shirt, scarf, invites to special events, discounted bus rides to and from the stadium, and "copious amounts of rip roaring good times"!

The club is having a special kickoff event at the British Bulldog (the club's home base) this Saturday night.

Dinner and drinks will be provided at the Bulldog, and Rapids coaches and players will be in attendance to address the group, answer questions and chat with supporters.

Quick stats about this Saturday's Bulldog Supporters kickoff party:

-Time is 6:00-8:30pm at The British Bulldog this Sat. Jan. 30
-VIP guests will include Rapids coaches Gary Smith and Steve Guppy and Rapids players Kosuke Kimura and Colin Clark
-Presentation by Gary Smith and Q&A; with Gary and Steve
-Introduce/launch new Bulldog Supporters Group with details for 2010
-Enjoy happy hour specials
-Fans can sign up for the Bulldog Supporters Club on the spot!

Saturday's event is free to attend, so if you're interested (or just want to meet the Rapids coaches and players), come find out what it's all about at the introductory meeting.

If you are passionate about the Rapids or the global game, and want to stand and vocally support the Rapids in an over-21 environment this season with other like-minded fans at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, while also getting to attend great pre- and post-game events at the Bulldog, this just might be the club for you.

For further information about Saturday's event, or to find out more about joining The Bobbies or the club's board of directors (they are still looking for some volunteer posts such as Treasurer, VP, Communications Director, etc.), contact Jon Forget at BritishBulldogFC@gmail.com.

The Rapids Undercurrent welcomes our newest celebrity blogger, Rapids defender Scott Palguta to the Undercurrent contributing staff! Here's Scott's first entry, look for continuing entries from him here on out!

Greetings Rapids fans!

I thought I would briefly stop by ahead of this week’s start to the 2010 preseason to give you all an update.

I know it’s been a long off-season, so just in case I’ve escaped anyone’s memory, I’m Scott Palguta. That’s right, Palguta (#29, center back). NOT Ty Harden (#5, center back). While Ty and I are both defenders with All-American boy looks, we are, in fact, two entirely different people. You’d be surprised how often people mistake the two of us.

Anyways, I’ll be checking in regularly throughout the season to offer you a behind-the-scenes look at the club from a player’s perspective that’s (hopefully) informative and at least mildly entertaining.

Look for topics ranging from game recaps to road trips to.........some utterly useless facts. For instance: Do you ever wonder how many push-ups Matt Pickens can do in a minute? Are you eager to know if Nick LaBrocca cuts his hair more than once a year? Want to know what Omar reallllly thinks about Kosuke’s pet rabbit?

Visit us here at The Rapids Undercurrent periodically (and by periodically, I mean every single day; put a link on your desktop, add this site to your “favorites”, put it in your bookmark bar, whatever) to find answers to these and more intriguing questions.

That’s all for now. I’ll be back later this week to let you know who puked during the beep test. Just kidding....maybe...

-Scott

Rapids defender Scott Palguta blogs exclusively for The Rapids Undercurrent. Post questions or feedback for future columns below!

Rapids Academy coach David Proctor was named Competitive Boys coach of the year Saturday evening at the annual Colorado Youth Soccer Awards Banquet.

Proctor (in the center in the back row of the attached photo, posed with his Rapids U14 team in 2009) earned the honor primarily for his work with the Rapids U14 team, which he coached during the 2008-09 season. One of the inaugural Academy teams, the Rapids U14s earned many team and individual honors under Proctor’s guidance.

As a team, they excelled in the Clyde Best international tournament last February against teams such as French club FC Sochaux and the Bermuda national teams. They also reached the State Cup semifinals before being eliminated on penalty kicks.

More importantly, two of the Rapids' youth team players players, Ricardo Perez and Geno Bigelow, earned their first call-ups to their respective US National Team player pools during the year under Proctor's guidance.

Proctor also coached the Rapids U17 team and played an important part in the Rapids' effots to help implement recreational leagues in both the Stapleton and Commerce City neighborhoods.

Although Proctor caught the headlines on the night, the Rapids Recreational Coaches of the year, Ben Valore-Caplan and Kathleen Cleveland, were also recognized by CYS.

The Rapids' first team were also well-represented at the event, with the club's Managing Director Jeff Plush, Technical Director Paul Bravo, Head Coach Gary Smith, Assistant Coach Steve Guppy and Academy Director Brian Crookham all in attendance.

For more information on the Colorado Rapids Soccer Academy, please call 303-727-3575 or send an email to RapidsAcademy@dsgpark.com.

Every month in 2010 fans can find a 2-page full color spread in Mile High Sports Magazine featuring a different Rapids player showcasing his unique fashion style, both on and off the field, as well as listings of his picks for Denver hotspots, workout rituals, and more.

This month it's Rapids defender Kosuke Kimura, talking about his training philosophy (check him out running the snowy steps at Dick's Sporting Goods Park!), as well as his favorites when it comes to personal attire and Denver's nightlife.

The Colorado Rapids have partnered with American Crew, Metroboom and Mile High Sports Magazine to highlight 12 different Rapids players in a new monthly photo spread titled "From Pitch to Play" in 2010.

Pick up the Kosuke Kimura issue in next month's February Mile High Sports Magazine, on newsstands next week.

US Soccer has revealed their match preview for tomorrow night's World Cup warm-up between the Yanks and Honduras.

Rapids striker Conor Casey, who led the USA to qualification for the 2010 World Cup in the last meeting between these nations with 2 goals on the night, is one of only three players in the US squad who saw the field in that match.

The last time the USA met Honduras was that memorable night in San Pedro Sula that sealed the USA’s place in the World Cup. Casey and Jonathan Bornstein were in the starting lineup for the famous 3-2 win on Oct. 10, 2009, while Benny Feilhaber came on as a second half sub replacing two-goal hero Casey.

The game will be live from the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA at 7:00pm MT on Fox Soccer Channel, and Colorado's dedicated soccer fans will be gathering at The British Bulldog tomorrow night to watch the match live.

Hey Rapids Fans! Check out the live soccer matches this weekend at any of the Colorado Rapids Official Bar Partners, where you can grab some food, a few drinks and watch the game with other like-minded soccer fans! Here is a list of the games happening this weekend:


Saturday Games

FA CUP 4th ROUND – Preston North End v Chelsea (Live on the Fox Soccer Channel @5:30am MT)

FA Cup: Reading v Burnley(Live on Setanta Sports @ 5:40 am MT)

Bayern Munich vs. Werder Bremen (Live on ESPN360 @ 7:25 am MT)

FA Cup: Everton v Birmingham (Live on Setanta Sports @ 7:55 am MT)

Italy Serie A: Catania v Parma (Live on ESPN360 @ 10 am MT)

Germany Bundesliga: Dortmund v Hamburger (Live on ESPN 360 @ 10:25 am MT)

Mexico Primera Division: UANL v Guadalajara (live on Telemundo @ 6pm)

Mexico Primera Division: Atlas v Monterrey (Live on Telemundo @ 7:45 am)

FA CUP 4th ROUND - Tottenham v Leeds United (Live on Fox Soccer Channel @ 10pm MT)

ITALIAN SOCCER Juventus v Roma (Live on Fox Soccer Channel @ 12pm MT)

USA NATIONAL TEAM SOCCER MEN'S - USA v Honduras (Live on Fox Soccer Channel @ 7 pm ET)

Sunday Games

FA Cup: Stoke City v Arsenal(Live on Setanta Sports @ 6 am MT)

ITALIAN SOCCER Palermo v Fiorentina (Live on Fox Soccer Channel @ 7 am MT)

ITALIAN SOCCER Internazionale v AC Milan (Live on Fox Soccer Channel @ 12:30 pm MT)

FA Cup: Scunthorpe United v Manchester City(Live on Fox Soccer Channel @ 8:55 am MT)

Looking for a place to watch Rapids striker Conor Casey and the rest of the US Men's National Team as they take on Honduras in a World Cup warm-up this Saturday?

Head on down to the Rapids' partner bar The British Bulldog.

Located at 20th & Stout Streets in LoDo, the Bulldog is one of the top soccer bars in Denver, and there's sure to be a lively crowd of USMNT supporters there in fine form.

Remember the last time the US faced Honduras? It was at the Bulldog when Casey knocked in 2 goals to send the US to the World Cup, that Conor's mom was in attendance, and was showered with chants from an adoring throng of Rapids fans.

Saturday's match will be televised live from The Home Depot Center on Fox Soccer Channel and TeleFutura.

See everyone there Saturday.

That's right, you read that title correctly.

From the files of "Rapids Superfans" comes this submission from Rapids Junior Academy Youth Soccer League player Diego Olin, who sent us a photo of the lifesize gingerbread cookie he forged in a likeness of Rapids sriker Facundo Diz.

Diego, who plays for the Rapids Junior Academy "Team Noonan" U8 team coached by Brian Vaught, spent what must have been a considerable amount of time constructing this confectionary creation in the form of Diz, his favorite player.

Thanks Diego for the submission, we only have one question for you: do you have a gigantic oven at home or what?