About XR
History
XR Soccer Training is a comprehensive, proprietary technical soccer skill development training program developed by Xavi Rico the 2016 Youth Soccer National Coach of the year.
Growing up playing pick-up games of futbol in Mexico and then moving on to a professional soccer career, Xavi experienced firsthand that the sport of soccer had turned into practiced plays and drills and lost the aspect of the fluid, spontaneous art of becoming one with the ball. Pursuing his vision of wanting to bring back the free form of futbol, he sought mentorship from coaches he respected and researched how different regions of the world play and develop their skills.
Xavi then brought those learnings to the pitch and XR Soccer Training was born—this is the training he wished was around when he was learning the beloved sport of futbol.
Filosofia Pura
XR Soccer Training is designed around the concepts of learning retention, body mechanics, and neuromuscular soccer. It teaches concepts, not plays; ideas, not patterns, and in the end the player is filled with all the knowledge necessary to enhance their spontaneity. Training sessions are structured in a way to strategically enhance conceptual development and performance in youth soccer.
XR is hard work, filled with high expectations, lots of repetitions, and the need for perseverance. We play Latin music that pumps up the players and coaches, making the intense training fly by. In the end, players feel an intensified passion for the game and increased confidence in their skill. The coaches' passion and work ethic are contagious, and they sets the standard high, motivating players to exceed their expectations.
The program is consistently adding other like-minded XR Amigos to share their expertise, passion, and unique style of coaching while remembering why they got into coaching: to positively influence young players. This approach allows participants to find the style that best fits their personality and style of play to conquer the pitch and life.
That is XR.
Xavi Rico
XR Founder & Visionary
Xavi's passion for futbol began at an early age. Kicking the ball around with neighborhood kids turned into club soccer, earning him a scholarship to University and a professional career in Milwaukee. The eldest of three children and the only son, Xavi's parents instilled and expected a great deal of responsibility and success. His father came from humble beginnings and showed by example the benefits of hard work and going above and beyond expectations to be successful and provide what was needed. His mother had a privileged upbringing and saw the importance of perfection and presenting a high standard, whether in the home, child-rearing, academics, or extracurricular activities. His grandfather told him at a young age that he was going to do great things, so with these significant influences in his life, Xavi demanded this from himself, as well.
His coaches also influenced his life. Three, in particular, stand out, and he took their best qualities and applied them to the person he is today. One had excellent technical skills and knowledge, another had high standards and expected much from the players, and the third coached for the love and passion of futbol. Even as a professional soccer player for the Milwaukee Wave, Xavi still believed he never reached his full potential as a player. He began questioning what he could have done differently and what he could do to help others reach their full potential.
Arriving in the USA as an immigrant and starting from scratch, Xavi has had obstacles thrown at him from every direction. These obstacles motivated him even more, and he faced them head-on and gained success and respect from colleagues and coaches. He envisioned a training program that encouraged players to develop technical foot skills that would allow them to become so comfortable with the ball that the moves with the ball would be second nature during play. Bringing in other coaches who shared his vision was the next step.
The drive for success, passion for the game, and finding his purpose led him to coach during his off time while playing professionally. On the pitch with the young players is where he realized his dream and vision. He wanted to impact the sport of soccer one player at a time, one team at a time, one field at a time. That, in turn, has led to one club at a time and now one state at a time.
Xavi's hard work earned him regional coach of the year and led him to the US Youth Soccer national coach in 2016. After a successful coaching career in Milwaukee with many players making scholarships to Division 1 schools and teams earning state titles, Xavi was invited to join Colorado Storm, now The Rapids, where he is the Director of the Boy’s Competitive Programs for the North Region, in addition to coaching multiple competitive teams.
In addition to his responsibilities at Colorado Rapids, North, he’s grown the XR Familia and programs to reach throughout the North, Central, and South Boulder-Denver Regions, and continues to run training camps in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.