Cajun Soccer Club has partnered with national youth club juggernaut, Rush Soccer, and will rebrand as Cajun Rush starting in 2020.
“The Rush affiliation is huge for our club.” said Cajun Rush club Director, Michael Ritch. “Rush has ownership stakes in both German and Danish pro sides, as well as four different USL2 teams. Our hope is that as we continue to develop players from the grassroots level all the way up, some of our players will eventually call one of those clubs home.”
Cajun Rush, formerly Cajun SC, are known for being one of the top competitors in the GCPL as they are the only club in league history to have made it to the league finals more than once. As one of the league’s founders in 2014, Cajun Rush has appeared in the league championship on three occasions. Their first attempt was in 2015 in the Louisiana Premier League final vs. Motagua New Orleans, where they fell short, 4-2. Cajun featured in the first GCPL Cup in 2017 against Gaffa FC at Pan American Stadium where they were defeated 1-0. Their last appearance was in 2018 but sadly faced defeat for a third time as they were shutout by Port City FC in a tough 4-0 loss.
2018 Gulf Coast Premier League Cup Finals Port City FC vs Cajun Soccer Club at Archbishop Lipscomb Stadium in Mobile, AL on July 28, 2018. Port City FC beat the Cajuns 4-0.
Even though Cajun SC has never hoisted the championship trophy, they have accomplished a lot in their five year existence in the GCPL. Offering a competitive platform for players who have been apart of their youth ranks for years and becoming one of the top developmental clubs in Louisiana.
“They’ve helped me as a player by teaching me the game at a young age and have always pushed me to my limits.” stated Austin Clause, a veteran player and captain for Cajun Rush. “They’ve also helped me improve as a person by teaching me multiple life skills over the years such as discipline, commitment, hard work, teamwork, volunteering, and doing what you can to help others who are less fortunate and to be a leader on and off the field.”
Austin is just one of many who currently feature for Cajun in the GCPL that have been apart of the club since their youth playing days.
Josh Hughes of Cajun shields .. of Port City at Archbishop Lipscomb Stadium in Mobile, AL on July 28, 2018. Photo courtesy of Seth Laubinger
“I’ve played with some of these guys for 15 or so years now.” commented John Plumbar, another Cajun alum currently rostered for 2020. “We all either played with or against each other in club and high school for most of our lives.”
Cajun Rush are the only team in the GCPL to have a roster that consists of over ninety percent homegrown players that come directly from their youth program. Keeping their top players, who are in college and a few years removed, loyal to the program, Cajun tries to show it’s members that they genuinely care about their individual development as players and people.
Executive Director of Cajun SC Michael Ritch thinks that you have to start the kids out when they are young if you want them to keep coming back to the program. Getting the kids involved when they are young, seems to play a major role when it comes to getting returning players.
“I think it’s a variety of things. For one, it’s doing the right things when the players are still young,” stated Michael. “A lot of the young guys trust us to help them develop into players that can play at the next level. We are always available to them. I still have some of the older guys calling me, asking to get involved. We are very much about growth from within and I think you can see that through our players and our staff as we have a lot of coaches who have come through the LYSA/CSC program.”
Cajun suffered their worst year this past season missing the playoffs for the first time, but that won’t stop their coaches and players from continuing to improve and building their club. You can expect Cajun Rush to continue providing top talent in the GCPL for years to come.
