what is ODP and why is is good?????

My daughter didn't make it the first year either. Worked hard, the second year she not only made it but made the state team & went to AL. I never thought she could make it (alone) at camp for a week - or maybe I didn't think I could make it through the week with her gone. Either way, we both did!! Another plus...she has friends in Florida, Alabama, NC, & STX and knows more girls here in NTX.

Is ODP good? It is what you make it, pretty much like everything else, my $0.02!

The regional pool and the regional team is not a bad deal either. The experience gained the contacts you make with other players and coaches, and the resume your building to sell your abilities to the next level. Word of caution, if your DD is not being called up to play in sub regionals nor attend camps you might want to re - evaluate if it is worth it to her.

What should we expect after try-outs, How long to be notified?
also is it any different for the new year 05's that are about to try out.

I am assuming 2-3 weeks after last try out date.

Is was about a week if I remember right.

Still happy for you

So its a very slow day in the office......

Do they realize that this years try outs is on the west side of Ft. Worth????

Geeze.....talking about not finding a centralized location for all  



https://www.google.com/maps/place/All+Saints'+Episcopal+School/@32.7311739,-97.4924565,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x850d7eb82f3f0cf3?sa=X&ved=0CHMQ_BIwCmoVChMI6snN3p6pxwIVVQ-SCh29SwmV

My daughter only made it to the first tryout. Will that have an effect on whether she is selected or not?

SocDad wrote:So its a very slow day in the office......

Do they realize that this years try outs is on the west side of Ft. Worth????

Geeze.....talking about not finding a centralized location for all  



https://www.google.com/maps/place/All+Saints'+Episcopal+School/@32.7311739,-97.4924565,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x850d7eb82f3f0cf3?sa=X&ved=0CHMQ_BIwCmoVChMI6snN3p6pxwIVVQ-SCh29SwmV

One of the coaches, not to mention any names, has access to those fields probably at a reduced rate. Awesome facilities! Made the trip once but yes it is way the hell out their.

Hobomama
They will tell you it doesn't matter if you don't make all sessions but it definately will help. My daughter tried out the first year she was eligible and did not make,missed 1 of the sessions due to game. The next year she made all sessions and made the pool. The last day was key imo as that was mostly scrimmages.

yep she didn't make the second session--thanks for your thoughts

We received my dd's email today. Anyone else?

ODP has become local camps for the most part.... I literally watched 20-30 players juggle a ball on a field at RSC for 15 minutes of a 2 hour training session.

ODP was elite and relevant 20 years ago. ECNL Elite, NTC, and ID2 have all taken precedence.

SocDad wrote:So its a very slow day in the office......

Do they realize that this years try outs is on the west side of Ft. Worth????

Geeze.....talking about not finding a centralized location for all  



https://www.google.com/maps/place/All+Saints'+Episcopal+School/@32.7311739,-97.4924565,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x850d7eb82f3f0cf3?sa=X&ved=0CHMQ_BIwCmoVChMI6snN3p6pxwIVVQ-SCh29SwmV

Some of us have been making the drive across the Metroplex almost every weekend for years, so it was nice to have tryouts in FW for a change. Nothing like a 15 minute commute. My 03 got her affirmation email on Friday. This is our third child to go through the ODP process even though we told ourselves we would not even do select soccer with her (our fourth child in select). Dang soccer....I like it too much to stay away.

uknowme wrote:ODP has become local camps for the most part....  I literally watched 20-30 players juggle a ball on a field at RSC for 15 minutes of a 2 hour training session.  

ODP was elite and relevant 20 years ago. ECNL Elite, NTC, and ID2 have all taken precedence.

What is NTC?

KnKsDad wrote:

uknowme wrote:ODP has become local camps for the most part....  I literally watched 20-30 players juggle a ball on a field at RSC for 15 minutes of a 2 hour training session.  

ODP was elite and relevant 20 years ago. ECNL Elite, NTC, and ID2 have all taken precedence.

What is NTC?

My guess - (US) National Training Center

I am wondering about the relevance too.  Every year the quality of the group depends on who actually shows up, right?

No offense but girls in certain age groups who are "getting their email" are playing on PPL teams and are those who have never played on top teams.  It is not the exclusive group it used to be in my humblest of opinions.  

Lets just call it a down year.

TatonkaBurger wrote:I am wondering about the relevance too.  Every year the quality of the group depends on who actually shows up, right?

No offense but girls in certain age groups who are "getting their email" are playing on PPL teams and are those who have never played on top teams.  It is not the exclusive group it used to be in my humblest of opinions.  

Lets just call it a down year.

Whether its a down year or not.....the selection is what it is, because every player has the same ability to show up.  Your right though, the "selectors" can only choose from the ones who show up.  The question is:  are they allowing more players in or the same amount?

But, honestly would like to know more about the process and how they do their selection:
Is there a certain number of slots open each year (for each age groups)?
I'm has to be a certain amount of players....to keep being operational?
Do they have to fill those slots (let in lessor skilled players) to meet quota etc etc.

Like most sports, tryouts are based on who shows up and yes, some years have a stronger class than others. Years ago when my niece tried out for varsity cheer at Plano Sr. High you had to have a ton of skill, standing fulls, doubles etc. The following year almost none of the kids could do those skills yet they made the squad.

Secondly, I'm sure the coaching selection process is quite difficult. My guess is each coach has to evaluate 20, maybe 30 kids or more. I figure that means each kids maybe gets a minimal few "looks" and if they check off on the skill, their in.

My DD has never participated in ODP before but I'd hope at least during the practice season and regional team selection process they'd refine their original selections since they'd have more of an ability to evaluate over a longer period.

Someone told me that within the regional pool they have sub-pools....say the "A" squad, the "B" squad, the C and so forth. Once you are assigned a "level" there is movement between the groups so that as a kid develops they move them up or down accordingly.

Is that true?

Bottom line, from what I've heard is that you pay what amounts to $35 for a 2 hour training session 10 times a year. If that's the expectation it seems reasonable to me. If the expectation is this is elite soccer then probably not.

It's also what you make of it, regardless of the opportunity or talent. Kinda like life in general, huh?

[quote=My DD has never participated in ODP before but I'd hope at least during the practice season and regional team selection process they'd refine their original selections since they'd have more of an ability to evaluate over a longer period.

Someone told me that within the regional pool they have sub-pools....say the "A" squad, the "B" squad, the C and so forth. Once you are assigned a "level" there is movement between the groups so that as a kid develops they move them up or down accordingly[/quote]

my experience WAS, that while the rules are to not wear club affiliation gear or bags, the coaches spent a lot of time asking kids where and for whom they played, my child made the cut but was relegated to third and fourth string teams and never caught the eye of any local coach. after being overlooked the first year for regional camp invite, my child went the second year ONLY after being selected as an alternate to replace a "chosen one". local coaches and admin returned from regional trip STUNNED that my child was selected to represent region 3 as one of about 60 kids in the "regional pool". moral to the story is, IMO horrible player ID locally but we enjoyed the experience and had time to do ODP. would do it again if had the chance to do it all over again. but very frustrating to watch inferior players selected over superior players time and time again. it will be fun. JUST DO IT

ONLYASOCCERDAD wrote:
my experience WAS, that while the rules are to not wear club affiliation gear or bags, the coaches spent a lot of time asking kids where and for whom they played, my child made the cut but was relegated to third and fourth string teams and never caught the eye of any local coach. after being overlooked the first year for regional camp invite, my child went the second year ONLY after being selected as an alternate to replace a "chosen one". local coaches and admin returned from regional trip STUNNED that my child was selected to represent region 3 as one of about 60 kids in the "regional pool". moral to the story is, IMO horrible player ID locally but we enjoyed the experience and had time to do ODP. would do it again if had the chance to do it all over again. but very frustrating to watch inferior players selected over superior players time and time again. it will be fun. JUST DO IT

Unfortunately, 'where a player comes from' often matters more than what a player shows on the pitch. I bet you and the DD were grinning ear to ear.

TatonkaBurger wrote:I am wondering about the relevance too.  Every year the quality of the group depends on who actually shows up, right?

No offense but girls in certain age groups who are "getting their email" are playing on PPL teams and are those who have never played on top teams.  It is not the exclusive group it used to be in my humblest of opinions.  

Lets just call it a down year.

"No offense," is that supposed to excuse you from sticking your foot in your mouth? Let me guess, your daughter plays on a LH D1 team, doesn't start and infrequently sees the field. You love the fact that you can brag to family and friends about her "playing" on a top LH team and ODP. The fact that some lowly PPL players made ODP cheapens your story...bummer.

Our first experience with ODP came in the form of the tryouts and subsequent practices. This is the time when they started allowing the pure birth year girls essentially play "up".

My daughter was one of the younger ones selected to be on the 02 team A and was only an 03. There were 6 other 03 girls that were chosen to play with all of the 02 squads at that time.

So, my issue with ODP was not were she was placed, but with what happened over the course of the training cycles. They required you to come to a certain amount of practices to remain eligible for selection. I don't remember how many, but we went to every one despite the distance. The problem was that a LOT of the top 02 and 03 players stopped showing up to practices after one or two times. The disparity among the talent started becoming excessively obvious to the point where my daughter just said that she didn't want to go anymore because there were no players left to play with. I told her that that was fine, knowing that she was still eligible for events, since we had made way more practices than the required amount. I then got an email inviting us, and I assume other previously identified ODP players, to come to an event (tourney in Lubbock or Houston, I think). I then remember this email being followed up, a few days later, with another one stating that it would fulfill ALL of the eligibility requirements that were necessary to be an ODP player. In essence, this was giving a pass to the top girls who were identified but didn't come to practice, being forgiven if they would just come to the event. It reeked of desperation to me.

I'm just relaying my experience, but can also attest to the numerous statements by people who say its great. Also, some coaches have agreed that at the younger ages, things are not as smooth, but after a year or two from when ODP becomes available, that it is a good supplemental path for kids.

For myself, I plan on giving it another shot, since it has been a year and I think the return on investment seems to be good, if not better, than some other things you can do.

If someone was to slice it apart and only look at the TRAINING aspect of it (...Not worrying about the games, tourneys, traveling and the selling of False ideas of a career in soccer etc etc)

Do they get good training while there there practicing?

Shake_and_Bake wrote:

TatonkaBurger wrote:I am wondering about the relevance too.  Every year the quality of the group depends on who actually shows up, right?

No offense but girls in certain age groups who are "getting their email" are playing on PPL teams and are those who have never played on top teams.  It is not the exclusive group it used to be in my humblest of opinions.  

Lets just call it a down year.

"No offense," is that supposed to excuse you from sticking your foot in your mouth?  Let me guess, your daughter plays on a LH D1 team, doesn't start and infrequently sees the field.  You love the fact that you can brag to family and friends about her "playing" on a top LH team and ODP.  The fact that some lowly PPL players made ODP cheapens your story...bummer.      

You could not be further from the mark on your guess, but that doesnt matter.  At least you tried Shake.  

It is great for the DDs who have been selected for ODP because hopefully it will be beneficial for their development.  But you and I should be able to agree that it is no longer the exclusive/elite program it used to be.

ODP is not exclusive at all. Seems that 90% of the girls make it. Also, ECNL Elite, NTC, and ID2 may be a better gauge; however, there are politics involved. If you are a parent that has to ask/badger your coach about your kid, then your DD is not special either. If your kid is recommended without you inquirying, then your DD may be an OK player. Otherwise, she is no better than the other players out there.

ONLYASOCCERDAD wrote:My exprience WAS, that while the rules are to not wear club affiliation gear or bags, the coaches spent a lot of time asking kids where and for whom they played, my child made the cut but was relegated to third and fourth string teams and never caught the eye of any local coach. after being overlooked the first year for regional camp invite, my child went the second year ONLY after being selected as an alternate to replace a "chosen one". local coaches and admin returned from regional trip STUNNED that my child was selected to represent region 3 as one of about 60 kids in the "regional pool". moral to the story is, IMO horrible player ID locally but we enjoyed the experience and had time to do ODP. would do it again if had the chance to do it all over again. but very frustrating to watch inferior players selected over superior players time and time again. it will be fun. JUST DO IT

I agree. This why SoCal reign supreme over all region in ODP.. They put money into third party (PRO+) to identify players.  ODP here felt more like a money crab.  After I declined going to OK camp, I was emailed over, over and over asking for my dd to attend.  And from what I recalled, it was initially $300 for first timers to register for ODP.  I'm sure it as gone up since. SoCal, $100 I believe.