R.A.P.I.D.S. The Rapids Acronym That’s Building Team Culture in Colorado

Editorial – What do the Colorado Rapids stand for? What are their values? Head coach Chris Armas, his staff, and the front office have come up with a Rapids Acronym that speaks to the values the club has cultivated the last year and a half. It says a lot about where this club is at and where they can go.

R.A.P.I.D.S. Relentless. Appreciation. Passion. Integrity. Discipline. Service.

We first learned about these in-house commandments a few weeks ago as the Apple TV broadcast mentioned them. Then, during the first Rapids Unified Team match on May 17, it was on fill display. Unified coach Molly Underly tells the story:

“I’ve always had a dream to create a team shirt that honors both Special Olympics and the Rapids. A few games ago, one of the announcers was talking about Chris Armas using this acronym in the locker room. I love that. I want that. I texted Chris Sharpe and Chris Little, ‘Hey, I live that acronym. I want to make a shirt.’ Chris Armas said, ‘I love that. That’s amazing.’ It embodies this beautiful game and this spirit of inclusion.”

“It was really cool. It’s not something we talk about every day. It’s something on a sticker, some t-shirt,” Armas told Burgundy Wave. “This becomes our culture. It’s in the background a lot of times. That’s a nonnegotiable around here, being a good guy, a good gal. This is something that we came up with. We don’t talk about it, we try to live it, everyday.”

Here’s a breakdown of every word with a Merriam-Webster definition and some notes on how Colorado has applied these values in their everyday work.

Relentless: Showing or promising no abatement of severity, intensity, strength, or pace.

That is the perfect definition of how the Rapids want to play. Whether it’s pressing or possession, they want to go after teams. Create field tilt and be in control. Their style and mentality (both of which are relentless) are their super powers. It’s energetic, confident, and positive. All traits Armas radiates. It’s especially true for the young players who’ve established themselves in the team. It’s very Coloradan as well.

Appreciation: A feeling or expression of admiration, approval, or gratitude.

This is a club that has historically had success when everyone on the technical side is bought in and likes each other. That requires mutual respect and accountability. I have noticed the last few years, players and staff saying “I appreciate you,” to each other and others. Maybe it’s just people mimicking a saying from Ted Lasso. But it speaks to the growing culture of giving and projecting gratitude.

That’s extended to the fanbase as well. Being a Rapids fan has rarely been easy. The club’s done a better job since 2023 of connecting with the fans, interacting and acknowledging them for showing up. It’s been an emphasis of Armas since his first day. He’s engaged with supporters on a personal level as things have happened in their lives away from the club.

Last Saturday was good example when a 90 minute rain delay saw many fans suffer alongside the players through wet and cold on the way to a win.

“I was honestly surprised at how many people stayed. Really thankful for them. They kept us going (to get the win). Thank you to all the fans,” Sam Bassett said after the match.

Passion: Intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction.

President Pádraig Smith wrote a letter to supporters when things went south in 2023, stating the team needed to be rebuilt with players who had a “burning desire to win.” Given where Colorado is in the MLS landscape, they need to be a collective. The power of friendship and maximum effort can take you a long way. Similar to I standing for Integrity, the club needs people who want to be here. Who see it as an opportunity and challenge worth embracing. That requires passion backed up with commitment to the craft. Think Shorsey’s “They don’t hate to lose.”

Whether it’s players, non-technical staff, or even members of the Street Team, everyone I’ve interacted with at the club the last two seasons enthusiastically wants to be here. And they execute on their passion to become the best version of themselves in service of the collective.

Integrity: Firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values.

Speaking of the collective . . . After Aignergate and a few other bad apples, the club made it a priority to vet players and staff. They wanted good people, high character professionals who would fit in the Rapids culture. From experience, this includes non-technical staff. There’s a culture of integrity and accountability. There isn’t an E in Rapids. Increasingly, there’s no Ego.

Josh Atencio noticed this quickly as a new player joining a midfield that included Cole Bassett and Djordje Mihailović:

“We can come in the day after the game and say ‘I think we need to do this. I could have helped you in this way.’ Everyone wants to take responsibility which is amazing. Everyone wants to say ‘I could have done better.'”

Discipline: Orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior.

“Be ready so you don’t have to get ready” has been the mantra for pretty much every bench player on this team going back to last year. The coaching staff is working with lots of young players who are going to make mistakes. They’ve tried to emphasize learning from those mistakes and being consistent in training every day.

Moïse Bombito needed to be more disciplines to become a “Master of the Basics.” Discipline is necessary to eliminate mistakes and raise the level of play for this team to achieve its goals.

Service: Contribution to the welfare of others.

Whether it’s supporting the Unified Team, increased hours doing community activations, or spending time with a kid named Neymar, the players are working in service to the Rapids Community. The last couple kit launches have had activations that reflect the club’s and Colorado’s values. Be a roll model and good person, including at the individual level.

“If our job is to inspire our local community, that Rapids team out there makes me proud. They do that. I promise you that,” Armas said after a recent home game.

“When you look at the words we use, the S in Rapids is Service. We talk about being givers around here, not takers. Instead of Intensity, it’s Integrity. We talk a lot about being good people, everyone who work for our club.”

Photo Credit: Mark Shaiken

Thank you for reading Burgundy Wave. Support us via our Patreon starting at $5/month. We’re always looking for new talent. Let us know if you’re interested in covering Colorado Soccer.