ODP- what's your opinion?

Discussion in 'Youth & HS Soccer' started by chitownseadog, Dec 26, 2006.

  1. chitownseadog

    chitownseadog Member

    Dec 21, 2006
    What are your feelings about ODP? What age does it make sense and what do you think about your state's program?
     
  2. DoctorD

    DoctorD Member+

    Sep 29, 2002
    MidAtlantic
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Youth soccer forum meltdown in 10...9...8...
     
  3. JohnR

    JohnR Member+

    Jun 23, 2000
    Chicago, IL
    Why does your child wish to partipate in ODP? Meet different kids? Extra training? Better training? Make State team? Make Regional and/or National team?

    Different answers for each question.
     
  4. leftnut

    leftnut New Member

    Aug 4, 2005
    While the "D" in ODP stands for development, it is mostly about identification, not development. As JohnR indicated, if possible identification (and with it, the possibility of exposure to high quality competition that follows being on a regional team) is a reason you are looking at it, it is certainly a means toward that.

    While I have some criticisms of it (cost), I have to say that for my son, it has been excellent, allowing him to compete with and against top youth players around the world. Since we live in an area without highly competitive club soccer, there really was no other path to being identified (national teams, DI college coaches, etc.) and getting a high caliber of competition.
     
  5. iowa007

    iowa007 Member

    Apr 30, 2001
    California
    Here are my 2 Cents.

    I am not married and don't have any kids, but from what i have heard in other forums, and other articles, that it takes lots of $$$ for parents to put their kids in the ODP & Traveling teams. How are inner city kids and parents tap into this system? I think there should be "Scholarships" for inner city kids to join the ODP system or some other way to make it accessible for them.

    on a bit of a tangent, I hope that the new MLS youth system has a way to identify inner city talent that they can recruit.

    IOWA007
     
  6. 0506

    0506 Member

    Apr 19, 2005
    As Yogi Berra said it so eloquently before--“It is Dejavu all over again”. This topic has been debated many times already with great deal of passion (see any of the earlier past threads on ODP in this forum).

    It is all relative. You have coaches who are part of the ODP system and offering one point of view. Other youth soccer clubs' coaches, who are not part of the ODP system, are then offering very different points of view. You have US Club Soccer administrators presenting their position and then, in the other corner, there are the USYS officials offering a very dissimilar point of view. Then you have parents whose kids made the ODP cut (regardless whether it was at the District, State, Regions or National levels) and their point of view is very different from the parents whose kids did not make it. And finally, there are kids/players, who share often very different experiences with the ODP process. The truth is in the eye of beholder.
     
  7. JohnR

    JohnR Member+

    Jun 23, 2000
    Chicago, IL
    Right. Which is why that poster needs to narrow down the question.

    Since we know his state (Illinois) and age group (young), we (or at least I) can provide a straightfoward, accurate, and relatively untainted answer if I understand better the purpose for doing ODP. Well, I guess I can if his child is a boy. Probably dangerous to extrapolate to what things would be like on the girls' side.
     
  8. chitownseadog

    chitownseadog Member

    Dec 21, 2006
    We're in Indiana and I guess I was looking for input from various states as well as something besides "its the starting point for the national team". It is expensive when you figure in gas pricing now and the scheduling never works out. We attended sessions last year and it was mostly 3 v 3 and very little teaching. We have decided to wait another year before giving it a lot of effort because we're going to concentrate on our club soccer and with a trip to Spain (with my son's team team)scheduled for July we'll need to watch our expenses. My son is a 94, can he afford to wait and are you happy with your state ODP program?
     
  9. PERFDBDAN

    PERFDBDAN New Member

    May 6, 2004
    Each State is different. Within States age groups can be different. The 94's in Indiana can be one way this year and with a coaching change be entirely different next year.

    You should not look at ODP for coaching or much in the way of individual development. Some States tout the "D" in ODP as player development, but that is largely not so. It is difficult to do much development when the coach and the team gather for a most one or two sessions a month. Some happens - it happens whenever a player touches a ball - but very little.

    The "D" in ODP meant the development of an Olympic Team. The very name "Olympic Development Program" and the initials "ODP" are servicemarks of the the US Olympic Committee licensed to the USOC's designated national organization for a sport. For soccer that designated body is the US Soccer Federation. The Federation in turn has granted many different bodies the right to operated ODP programs, including USYSA, the Y League, the US Amateur Soccer Association and the Premier Development League. The various State Associations operate their ODP programs as members of USYSA.

    It usually advantageous to start participation in the program at an early age. Even though programs change coaches, often every two or so years for age groups, new coaches will read the evaluations of players who were in the system in past years. A player who is "known" to be very good can survive a bad day. A new player may not be given a second chance.

    Cost varies from State to State as well. That includes the cost for the State program and the cost the State passes along if your son is selected to go to Regional II Camp with the State Team. You cannot realisticly compare different State costs.

    John's questions were well taken. What do you want for your son in ODP? Is it a chance to compete with and against higher level players so he can see both where he is and what is possible? Is it a chance to make contacts with players from other clubs to learn more about thoise organizations and prior to a possible change in clubs? Is becasue you believe he can make the State Team and go to Regionals? Is it for exposure to the potential coaches at colleges in State and within the Region? Or, is it something else?

    Answering these questions will allow you to determine if the cost is worth the value you anticipate.
     
  10. soccerboy9

    soccerboy9 New Member

    Jan 13, 2005
    As a former ODP player and now an ODP coach I have seen both sides of the ODP process.

    From a players standpoint I believe that it is a good thing to get involved in, and you only get better by playing with and against better players. My skill level increased dramatically when I played with those players, it had to or else I would get moved down to the B team (which eventually happened). I felt that my couple of years in ODP were worth the money that my father paid. I made the state team and got to go to regional camp and all that jazz so it was fun. In my time there I played with some guys who right now are playing at IU and an assortment of other top colleges.

    Now, as an ODP coach I get to see everything from the other side of the fence. What people have to realize is that we coaches are human and do make mistakes, some players will be overlooked...but parents and players must remember that YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD WHILE YOU ARE PLAYING, AND COME TO PLAY. Some kids will have bad days and if that is the only tryout their is before coaches choose the teams that is the way it goes.

    Right now the state that I coach in is in sort of a transition phase we've got a new director who is working his butt of trying to get things going in the right direction.

    Well I guess that is my 2cents for what its worth...
     
  11. RegionIIFutbolr

    Jul 4, 2005
    Region 2
    ODP, the same as with the boys Im sure. Same set of rules.
     
  12. RegionIIFutbolr

    Jul 4, 2005
    Region 2
    Hello Coach, Can you please share with us what State your coaching in??
     
  13. chitownseadog

    chitownseadog Member

    Dec 21, 2006
    good stuff- thanks!
     
  14. JohnR

    JohnR Member+

    Jun 23, 2000
    Chicago, IL
    ODP training is infrequent and no different than what is done at the club level.
    ODP is a talent identification program, not a training program.

    Yes, you can wait as a '94.
     
  15. JohnR

    JohnR Member+

    Jun 23, 2000
    Chicago, IL
    The unwritten rules can be the really important ones.

    For example, does the State/Region regard the Younger teams as consisting of B players, or as consisting of potentially good players who happen to be born in the second half of the year?

    But the answer is probably the same for the girls as for the boys: It depends. Different people in charge of different Regional camps, different approaches.
     
  16. soccerboy9

    soccerboy9 New Member

    Jan 13, 2005
    Nevada
     
  17. MasterShake29

    MasterShake29 Member+

    Oct 28, 2001
    Jersey City, NJ
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well, we haven't done very well at the Olympics (at least on the men's side), so obviously it's been a failure, right?

    :rolleyes:
     
  18. FC Matt 90

    FC Matt 90 New Member

    Aug 1, 2006
    Philadelphia
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think that ODP is a good oppurtunity to develop as a player, as several other posts have said, but I also think that there should not be as much value placed in it by college coaches.

    I'm 16, and I live just outside of Philly in a middle class neighborhood. Now, my parents have to work just to pay the bills and pay for club team soccer (an obvious necessity :) ), but there is no way that they could ever find time to drive me to ODP practices and the $$$ needed. Meanwhile, I'll be looking at colleges next fall, yet I may be overlooked because I haven't played ODP. Too many college coaches see that and dismiss a case like mine, regardless of all-county, all southeastern PA recognitions. Coming from Upper Darby, where a majority of our players are immigrants, I have seen plenty of times where players are passed over by college coaches because they haven't played ODP. Although I think that it is something nice to have on your resume`, I don't think it should be weighted as heavily by college coaches.
     
  19. JohnR

    JohnR Member+

    Jun 23, 2000
    Chicago, IL
    This is how it works in Illinois.

    The poorer/immigrant types rarely do ODP at any age. The suburban kids mostly try it. Some of the very best players don't make State teams at any early age, because they have late-year birthdays, are physically immature, or are just plain unlucky in the meat market, or they make State team but not Regional Pool and are unhappy. So they quit for several years. Then about the U17 year, they come back and make State team, solely for having that on their resumes for college applications.

    If college coaches didn't rely so heavily on ODP affiliations, the program would collapse at the older ages, although I think there would always be plenty of curious kids giving it a whirl at the younger ages.
     
  20. leftnut

    leftnut New Member

    Aug 4, 2005
    Does IL scholarship any players, that you are aware of?

    Kudos to Minnesota ODP who does a pretty good job of getting African immigrants involved, and getting them financial assistance. In fact, a pretty big percentage of the the Region II pool players from MN are immigrants.
     
  21. JohnR

    JohnR Member+

    Jun 23, 2000
    Chicago, IL
    Don't know for sure, but probably.
     
  22. RegionIIFutbolr

    Jul 4, 2005
    Region 2
    Funny you would bring this up, this year as rumor has it, we are getting a new Regional II team coach. So things will change a bit. Maybe new faces, new postions etc. :confused:
     
  23. MenaceFanatic

    MenaceFanatic New Member

    Oct 5, 2004
    The ONLY thing I will say is this-- do your homework, keep a low profile, and let your child's merits shine through. Don't rock the boat as a parent, (to quote the movie Madagascar) just smile and wave boys, just smile and wave.
     
  24. Farm Boy

    Farm Boy New Member

    Dec 2, 2005
    That is by far the best defensive strategy. It pales in effectiveness next to the offensive strategy of becoming an ODP coach, or a club coach who networks with the ODP staffers.

    The offensive strategy is extremely powerful. I have seen it place a girl who was not in her state's top 200 players on the State team, and elevate another girl who was an average starter on a pretty good team to being the final day's cut in Regional Pool play.
     
  25. Lensois

    Lensois Member

    May 19, 2004

    In Region II on the girls side at the U-13/14 age group (that would be the 93s for this year) there is a distinction between Jan-June and July-Dec birthdates. For larger states sending two state teams, those teams are supposed to be picked with those birth months meaning there are older teams and younger teams sent to camp. When it comes to selecting a regional pool all the players are put into one pool but the separation at the state team level can help some of the younger players show a bit better and give them a better opportunity to get into the pool.
     

Share This Page