Former pro soccer player Ryan Kinne at CT Rush Soccer Central in Seymour.
SEYMOUR – The soccer world’s next Lionel Messi or Mia Hamm could come from the Silvermine Industrial Park after an indoor youth soccer facility opened there.
Former MLS soccer player Ryan Kinne, who played professional soccer for several years for the New England Revolution and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, is the director of coaching at CT Rush Soccer Central’s new building.
The 10,000-square foot facility at 32 Progress Ave., is the site of the former Andie’s Bounce Barn, which closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Long gone are the giant inflatable bounce houses, replaced with miles of safety padding on the walls, 6,500 square feet of artificial turf, goals and nets.
Kinne, a Naugatuck native who now resides in Beacon Falls, opened CT Rush Central in late December. Kinne said the club’s been looking for a new home for the past year, when the City of Waterbury took back the club’s former training space at the Waterbury Athletic Club.
“We stumbled upon this space (in Seymour) and we’re very excited about it,” Kinne told the Valley Indy during a recent tour of the new digs.
The building is owned by Haynes, with CT Rush Central leasing the space.
What Is CT Rush Central?
CT Rush Central is part of Northeast Rush, which has facilities throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island.
According to its website www.northeastrush.com the program focuses on a “player-centered approach,” backed with a national-level program and elite level coaching, providing high-quality soccer training and development.
Kinne said CT Rush Central, which employs some 14 coaches, has 15 soccer teams, comprised of boys and girls ranging in age from seven to 18. Those teams will be using the new Seymour facility for indoor training during the winter months and are part of a 10-month premier training club, Kinne said.
A Recreational Facility For All
Kinne said the ultimate goal is to develop the facility into a sports complex for other local teams to use, as well as a recreational hub for youth soccer clinics, a place to host birthday parties and more.
Kinne said he already struck a partnership with Seymour Youth Soccer to use the facility for indoor practice during the colder months, as well as a youth travel baseball team, CT Smoke.
“We want to make this an indoor sports complex where we can rent it out for parties, for wiffle ball, soccer and also be a place to help local sports clubs and high school teams with their needs,” Kinne said.
Coach Kinne’s Background
Kinne has been involved with CT Rush Central for three years but has been coaching soccer for more than a decade. He most recently served as head boys soccer coach at Naugatuck High School, leading the team to three Naugatuck Valley League championship titles.
Soccer has been a passion for Kinne since he was a toddler.
He hopes to bring that passion to kids just like he had growing up. Kinne is a former High School All-American, CT Gatorade Player of the Year, and a member of the Monmouth University Athletics Hall of Fame.
“I was fortunate to have had very good youth experiences playing soccer,” Kinne said. “The coaches and the experiences kids have with soccer and whatever sports they’re playing is critical to whether they continue playing that sport.”
Coaching is now a way for Kinne to give back. Kinne also works as a health and physical education teacher at Woodland Regional High School in Beacon Falls.
“I want to give back and help the next generation and provide them with the same opportunities I was afforded,” Kinne said. “We have some very talented kids in our club and hopefully we can keep their interest in soccer and help push them along and help develop them to the next level.”
With soccer continuing to grow in popularity, with a little help of course from “Ted Lasso” and the FIFA World Cup exploding in popularity, Kinne doesn’t see the sport slowing down anytime soon.
Soccer Training Ground
A budding young soccer player, Carter Santos, has been playing for Kinne and the CT Rush programs since he was just four years old. Now, at 7, Carter plays left wing and forward for the 2016 Boys team, according to his dad, Steve Santos.
“The Rush program has allowed Carter to play with his friends and have the opportunity to make new friends,” Santos told the Valley Indy via an email. “Coach Ryan has done a great job by emphasizing foot skills and teamwork with players. The new indoor facility has allowed players to continue their skill development during the winter months.”
Carter, according to his dad, had the passion to kick a soccer ball around before he could walk.
“He hopes to play for his favorite professional club team, Benfica from Portugal, when he gets older,” Santos said.
For more information about CT Rush Central, and upcoming clinics and other programs, contact Kinne at: ryan.kinne@northeastrush.com
