[Javier Saviola]

plz explain, any info would be appreciated.

[C.Ronaldo7]

thats a good question!

[smith07]

i am pretty sure you try out for state odp teams, from which regional teams are chosen.... or play for an MLS team or youth set-up in Europe

[Callump]

why would u want to play for the us. =\

[the8]

I'm sure there are clubs or as mentioned above ODP teams that have scouts at just about every game. If you make the team, its most likely that your coach is talking to a scout about good players on the team. Hoply your one of them and are notified.

You live in Florida where soccer is VERY LIVE and teams are great.

[Callump]

Originally Posted by Javier Saviola

plz explain, any info would be appreciated.

you play for the miami strike force? there good as ********.

[Ronaldo's Idol]

ODP (Olympic Development Program) is the traditional and most frequently used route. This includes making your district ODP team, then the state pool, then the state team which travels to a regional camp from which the regional ODP pool is chosen. Then this pool trains a bit over the late summer and fall and takes teams to tournaments abroad and within the US and the best regional ODP players get called into youth national camps where the national ODP pool is chosen. From this pool the various youth national teams are chosen.

Basically, the ODP route is long, hard, can be expensive the further you go (though some regional ODP costs are covered and all national ODP costs are covered by USSF), but is the sure fire way to get identified if you deserve it (though there are some politics involved particularly because the coaches can't fully evaluate everyone with limited resources/time at each level).

Other than ODP, you can be called into national camp but you need to be getting high level exposure to scouts while playing for a youth team in Europe or for an MLS side, maybe A-league or PSL or PDL. I think that invites to national camps for regular club players in the US are very very rare without the involvement of ODP. Maybe if your club team wins the regional cup and goes to nationals you will be seen by some national team, or at least regional team coaches and could "skip" lower level ODP pools, but it is risky that you might not be identified.

[jtowns3]

yeah ODP is the most common way i know of. it does get expensive and in the end everyone on the state team is from two maybe three club teams. Even if you are better than someone on those teams, in my state, Sockers or Magic, you will not have as good a chance making the team only because of the politics involved. good luck.

[Ronaldo's Idol]

Originally Posted by jtowns3

yeah ODP is the most common way i know of. it does get expensive and in the end everyone on the state team is from two maybe three club teams. Even if you are better than someone on those teams, in my state, Sockers or Magic, you will not have as good a chance making the team only because of the politics involved. good luck.

I agree, but that type of problem is really unavoidable. And really, esp. in a state with quality clubs like the Chicago Magic, you ought to be playing for them if you are good enough because that is the way to raise your game to a higher level. I think you should always be trying to play for the best team possible, and usually it is pretty obvious who that is in your state/area. Once you are on the team things just happen for you. My experience was similar, I played until I was 13 for a lesser club and then switched over to the best club and we won the state cup 4 times and as a result I started making the ODP state team (probably because the ODP coaches knew that our team was the best in the state, and also because our club coach was involved in ODP as well), whereas before i hadn't made the state team. So maybe the first step is to start playing for the best clubs possible to make the politics work for you. Besides, playing for the best club is the way to go anyways because if you never get to experience regionals at the club level you are really not getting to play the best players and your game will suffer.

[jtowns3]

Originally Posted by Ronaldo's Idol

I agree, but that type of problem is really unavoidable. And really, esp. in a state with quality clubs like the Chicago Magic, you ought to be playing for them if you are good enough because that is the way to raise your game to a higher level. I think you should always be trying to play for the best team possible, and usually it is pretty obvious who that is in your state/area. Once you are on the team things just happen for you. My experience was similar, I played until I was 13 for a lesser club and then switched over to the best club and we won the state cup 4 times and as a result I started making the ODP state team (probably because the ODP coaches knew that our team was the best in the state, and also because our club coach was involved in ODP as well), whereas before i hadn't made the state team. So maybe the first step is to start playing for the best clubs possible to make the politics work for you. Besides, playing for the best club is the way to go anyways because if you never get to experience regionals at the club level you are really not getting to play the best players and your game will suffer.

Whoops...too late for that..i'm 19 now and can no longer do ODP. oh well. at least I still play a lot of soccer. play in school (even though i redshirted) but it was a good experience. hmm...got pretty decent without ever playing for Sockers or Magic or ODP. guess when you play against them so much you can improve too. who would have thought? but you're right. the only way to improve your chances are to get on the best team you can afford or in your area. if you have to drive a little further...its worth it if you are a serious player.