Rush Soccer is going back to its roots.
The youth soccer platform has secured a global partnership with Nike. The apparel giant was previously Rush’s first major footwear partnership in its early years; the sides now come back together as Nike begins to push for a greater presence in the youth soccer ecosystem.
The new deal will start in 2027, marking Rush’s 30th anniversary. Rush, which has over 60K athletes in 50 countries, has been partnered with Capelli Sports since 2019.
“Nike is getting back in the space and getting closer to the grassroots, like so many organizations and people are talking about,” Rush CEO Justin Miller told Buying Sandlot. “It’s a reunion instead of just a switch. Nike is probably the best sports brand ever created. And I think Rush is the best youth soccer brand created, so it’s nice to be back together.”
The partnership includes:
Apparel and footwear
Player development
Club growth
Coaching education
Youth participation initiatives
Activations at events
"We believe that the future of soccer truly lives with the next generation of athletes," Nike Soccer North America VP/GM Nuno Silva said in a release. “This new partnership gives us then opportunity to match the best of Nike Soccer innovation with Rush Soccer's commitment to player development, coaching and growth of the sport -- all in service of our shared vision to support youth athletes across every dimension of play.”
Miller said Nike will partner with Rush on the majority of its national events, putting the might of its marketing and storytelling machines behind the platform. Rush will also have a custom Nike uniform and early access to apparel, equipment and new products.
“They’re excited to come enhance experiences for athletes at the youth level the way that they do at the pro level,” Miller said. “They’re really helping with our brand positioning in the market, so we can tell the Rush story and the Nike story better.”
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