ODP Pool Registration Page (for players who have received invite letters only)
Cal South ODP Hotline - 1.800.417.4391
Initially created in 1977 as the US Youth Soccer Select Team Program, the US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program (ODP) was formed to identify a pool of players in each age group from which a national team could be selected for international competition; to provide high-level training to benefit and enhance the development of players at all levels; and, through the use of carefully selected and licensed coaches, to develop a mechanism for the exchange of ideas and curriculums to improve all levels of coaching. Initially only for boys, a program for girls was added in 1985. US Youth Soccer ODP is the original Olympic Development Program. US Youth Soccer ODP is the only elite player development program that can claim members of Major League Soccer and the former Women's United Soccer Association, as well as a majority of current and past national and youth team members, as alumni. It is viewed as the premier identification and development program for any American youth seeking the opportunity to compete at the national and collegiate levels of play. US Youth Soccer ODP exists in every state association, and offers collegiate and national team staff coaches the opportunity to see the nation's elite players in the most competitive of environments. In addition to training and tactics, US Youth Soccer ODP offers competition such as the Regional and National ODP championships, as well as further participation in major international tournaments. US Youth Soccer ODP continues to lead the way for elite player development in the United States. "US Youth Soccer ODP has played a meaningful role in player development in the US", said head coach of U.S. Soccer Under-17 Men's National Team, John Hackworth. "The players develop in US Youth Soccer ODP by continually being placed in a more competitive environment, such as playing internationally with regional teams, which provides elite players from across the nation valuable experience and a platform on which to improve. The US Youth Soccer ODP contributes to the encompassing effort of identifying potential players for the U.S. National Team programs". "The US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program is a vital part of the identification process for our youth national teams", said former U.S. Women's National Team head coach Greg Ryan. "Creating an environment for the most talented girls to play with and against the best players possible not only allows for their maximum growth as players, but also allows National Team coaches to see who really has the qualities to play at the highest level. The US Youth Soccer ODP gets a lot of credit for the success of our youth national teams al all age levels." Cal South's ODP program is considered the finest program of its kind in the country through two simple but undeniable facts: because Cal South continually places a large number of players on the Regional and National Teams, and because Cal South has won more National and Regional ODP championships than any other state association. Cal South is proud of the fact that Cal South ODP players have historically made up anywhere from 75% to 80% of the US Youth Soccer Region IV pools and teams. No other state association can boast such numbers. Cal South has a long tradition of providing players to the Men's and Women's National Teams these players have played in the World Cup and Olympic games. Players such as Marcelo Balboa, Paul Caligiuri, Cobi Jones, Joe-Max Moore, Eric Wynalda, Jovan Kirovski, Landon Donovan, Shannon Boxx, John O'Brien, Chad Marshall , Marvel Wynne, Maurice Edu, Chris Seitz, Robbie Rogers, Joy Fawcett, Rachel Buehler, Julie Foudy, Carin Jennings, Danesha Adams, Amy Rodriguez, Jonathan Bornstein, Sacha Kljestan and Angie Woznuk have all been a part of the Cal South ODP Program at one point in their soccer careers. At Cal South, we feel our program serves to compliment our club programs as a means of giving the player an opportunity to develop. Steve Hoffman, Cal South's Director of Coaching Education and Player Development, has stated many times that he believes this success is built solidly upon the fantastic job that Cal South's club coaches have done in initially developing players. The Cal South ODP program is open to all eligible youth soccer players within the confines of Cal South, from Paso Robles to the north all the way to the Mexican border to the south.
Starting in the 1999/2000 seasonal years, Cal South implemented a new process for player identification for selection to the Olympic Development Program. This process relies on the use of a comprehensive player scouting system to identify the top players in Cal South.
Here's a quick recap on who can recommend players for ODP:
Cal South cannot accept player recommendations from either of the following: private trainers or parents. [Click Here to Download the Cal South ODP Player Recommendation Form for ODP]
Players:
Parents: Cal South asks that you be sensitive to the pressure that most players feel when participating in these events. Your POSITIVE ENCOURAGEMENT toward all players, at all levels of state team functions, is appreciated. Please limit your contact with coaches/selectors during these events. Cal South appreciates the time and commitment parents make on behalf of the players.
As a reminder, the higher up the ladder a player progresses, the more intense the competition becomes. Players with the regional teams will experience both interregional and international competitions on an annual basis. At the state level a pool of players is selected for each age group at the beginning of each training cycle. A player who is in a pool can be released or added for each cycle depending on the player's development rate. While the ODP is one vehicle for development and identification, it is not the only method. All programs work together to help the players attain their ultimate potential. The ODP does provide a systematic method that allows players to advance as far as their abilities allow. It serves as a form of self-evaluation in a system that is recognized by coaches at all levels. Many of the top coaches in this country are involved with the program beginning at the state level. The ODP provides young players with a high level of competition and outstanding coaching as well as exposing them to the leading college coaches across the country.
In an effort to further reduce the conflicts between our clubs and ODP, Cal South is announcing an annual schedule that will maximize development for players at the club and state levels. Too often, players are put in a position where they have to compromise their relationship with their club to attend ODP activities. Recognizing that development at both the club and state level are essential for our most talented players to prepare them for college, regional and national teams, we have selected times during the year when our clubs and their players will be least impacted by ODP activities, all the while maintaining quality within the state team program. A majority of training sessions that ODP will undertake will be used toward actual competition at the regional and national level. In the winter, players will be selected for each current age group. Coaches will then select 18 players who will represent Cal South and compete at the US Youth Soccer Region IV ODP Championships in January, and if successful there, to carry that success forward to the US Youth Soccer National ODP Championships in Frisco, Texas. All age groups in the winter cycle will train on Sundays to prevent conflicts with their high school teams. The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) has approved these training sessions and events, and they will not impact their high school eligibility. Each May, pools of 40-50 players will be selected in all the appropriate age groups and genders. These summer pools will hold training sessions, and during these sessions, ODP coaches will select 18 players in each pool to attend the USYS Region IV ODP Summer Evaluation event in late June and early July each year.
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