Great attention has being given to the ways in which our two communities have been brought together. The efforts have been wide ranging – the creation of one independent Board of Directors, the combining of two professional staffs, the consolidation of resources, and the still-to-come integration of coaches, players, and teams.

We are actively planning the FC Boulder Bash to take place on Saturday evening, April 14, 2012.  More information is forthcoming about this great event and we look forward to a night of celebration and integration. We encourage all members of our community to join us for the FC Boulder Bash.

We have received many questions about the mixing of existing players and teams from Boulder Athletic and Boulder County Force.  A few thoughts…

• Keep in mind that there will be no changes in teams (coaches, players, league alignment, etc.) for the spring 2012 season.  Combined teams will begin play together in the fall 2012 season (based on the results of the competitive tryouts which will take place May 29 – June 1 at Pleasant View Soccer Complex).

• True player integration across close to 60 competitive teams in a combined club is more than a one-tryout process. It may take up to two years to fully integrate players, finding the best possible playing situation for each player.

• We will host a common tryout next May, at which time we will begin the process of placing players on teams that are best suited for their ability and level of commitment. Bear in mind that Colorado Youth Soccer (CYS) maintains a policy that every team from year-to-year must retain 51% of the previous season’s roster to retain its CYS league placement.

• For some players, their current teams may remain largely intact next year (fall 2012), with the same coach. Other players will be placed on teams that have a nearly equal distribution of players from each club. Regardless, player placement will be done with great care by the Directors of Coaching, and with meaningful input from current team coaches. And be mindful, that we will have many players joining our Club from other clubs outside of the Boulder area.

• Recreational players (U5-U14) will still have great freedom to join teams that make sense from both a soccer and practical point of view. School-based teams, for example, will still be encouraged in the youth recreational program. We will continue to rely heavily on parent coach volunteers to ensure the players have a good experience early in their soccer careers.

We believe that the game of soccer is a terrific vehicle for bringing people together – people from different ethnic, religious, socio-economic and cultural backgrounds can learn and grow a great deal from each other with soccer being the common thread that binds them together. This happens around the world and surely can and will happen in our community as well.

One of our primary objectives is to create a club that is reflective of the diversity we have in Boulder County, and serves as one of the great models in our community to bring children and families from all backgrounds together, working toward a common cause and the common good.

Plans for our new Spark program (a special athlete sponsorship program) will be announced April 1, 2012.  In addition, the club is working very closely with the Amistad organization to create a health and wellness program that is fundamentally linked to the soccer experience provided in the club.