ODP

[Anonymous]

ODP could use an overhaul for sure. I think the program draws the ire of parents based on the name alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:30 years ago when you had mostly parent coaches, not a lot of technical development, and top talent was more dispersed, it made sense to have a structure to get better players together for identification and training with some better coaches. Now - MLS-Next and ECNL-N players have no reason to do ODP, their coaching and training environments should be equal or better than anything ODP could provide.

It may be worth it for other players outside of that top tier, but they should know going in that it is just a few extra training sessions with different coaches and a different set of players. Expect experience to vary based on the coaches assigned and players that sign up just like any camp or other group training environment.

I’d stick with MLSNext. The better league. Better funded, better players and they play 40% more games in the regular season than ECNL N teams.

[Anonymous]

It's just a money grab.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's just a money grab.

ODP is not a money grab. By that measure…what isn’t in US Youth Soccer.

Depending on what level you compete, its value demolishes the higher you climb. But it still has value to some travel kids. And it’s especially valuable for areas that don’t tap into ECNL, GA or MLS Next.

It never was a competitive team replacement. It was more of a competitive cauldron. Now it’s more of a supplemental training. But it’s definitely not a money grab.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's just a money grab.

ODP is not a money grab. By that measure…what isn’t in US Youth Soccer.

Depending on what level you compete, its value demolishes the higher you climb. But it still has value to some travel kids. And it’s especially valuable for areas that don’t tap into ECNL, GA or MLS Next.

It never was a competitive team replacement. It was more of a competitive cauldron. Now it’s more of a supplemental training. But it’s definitely not a money grab.

So a money grab and useless for kids in the DMV

[Anonymous]

To answer OPs question clearly:
There is weekly training. It can be far away late at night. The quality of training varies because the quality of players is all over the place. Also there are tactics that might be in opposition to your club team.
There are very few actual games. It’s tournaments. Some will conflict with club tournaments.
The only carrot is to get selected to a regional ID camp. That is a mess because it’s all about size and selfish play. I don’t think anyone can say that those selected are all the best players on the team. There is a whole thread on that.
So: if you want extra training, sure. Otherwise have ZERO expectations. My DC will not do it again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To answer OPs question clearly:
There is weekly training. It can be far away late at night. The quality of training varies because the quality of players is all over the place. Also there are tactics that might be in opposition to your club team.
There are very few actual games. It’s tournaments. Some will conflict with club tournaments.
The only carrot is to get selected to a regional ID camp. That is a mess because it’s all about size and selfish play. I don’t think anyone can say that those selected are all the best players on the team. There is a whole thread on that.
So: if you want extra training, sure. Otherwise have ZERO expectations. My DC will not do it again.

They never pick kids from the dmv in my kids age group. It finally clicked w my dd last year. Its no different from any tryout. They are picking and choosing only a few relief players imo. The teams are already chosen (similar to ga/ecnl tryouts) All those kids $ign up not knowing this are in for a adventure to no where.

Its great for networking at younger ages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No very competitive these days. Not like before.

Not like before? OK So ODP was a thing when I was a kid, I played on a team with Abby Wambach. Then it became not a thing, are you trying to say it's a thing again? Or was that No supposed to be a "Not"

Okay, now that you bragged about supposedly "playing" it's pretty obvious that the poster mentioned that it's not competitive anymore. Get it?

Yes being on a NYWest ODP team with a future star is the closest I have been to greatness why not brag about it
They wrote "no very competitive these days" So if that is "no, very competitive these days" that is very different than "not very competitive these days" And I am terrible at English and know there is a difference. I just wanted to know what was meant by that. I have heard with ECNL, GA and MLS Next, ODP is meaningless. My oldest is only 8 so I have no personal knowledge.

What are you doing here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's just a money grab.

ODP is not a money grab. By that measure…what isn’t in US Youth Soccer.

Depending on what level you compete, its value demolishes the higher you climb. But it still has value to some travel kids. And it’s especially valuable for areas that don’t tap into ECNL, GA or MLS Next.

It never was a competitive team replacement. It was more of a competitive cauldron. Now it’s more of a supplemental training. But it’s definitely not a money grab.

So a money grab and useless for kids in the DMV

They just argued against themselves...ODP is not a money grab...especially areas that don't tap into ECNL, GA and MLS Next...Well since the DMV area has 4~5 ECNL, 3 GA and a handful of MLS Next clubs in the area ODP pretty much has no value and is just a money grab

[Anonymous]

At the final regional tournament in NJ this year, our coaches still didn’t even know many of the kids names… that’s how hands off the whole thing is. Maybe good for some parts of the country. Not for DMV though.

[Anonymous]

A Coaching buddy of mine, who had a daughter go through a few years of ODP from here, told me that ODP in this area is good from U12-U14. Just go to the the extra tournament in Iceland and then taper off after that with High School or extra training instead of ODP from U15 onward. The Iceland trip was the big event they liked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A Coaching buddy of mine, who had a daughter go through a few years of ODP from here, told me that ODP in this area is good from U12-U14. Just go to the the extra tournament in Iceland and then taper off after that with High School or extra training instead of ODP from U15 onward. The Iceland trip was the big event they liked.

So if you have money to burn on trips and want social media bragging rights do ODP before soccer gets real serious. Got it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A Coaching buddy of mine, who had a daughter go through a few years of ODP from here, told me that ODP in this area is good from U12-U14. Just go to the the extra tournament in Iceland and then taper off after that with High School or extra training instead of ODP from U15 onward. The Iceland trip was the big event they liked.

So if you have money to burn on trips and want social media bragging rights do ODP before soccer gets real serious. Got it.

Glass half-empty much?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No very competitive these days. Not like before.

Not like before? OK So ODP was a thing when I was a kid, I played on a team with Abby Wambach. Then it became not a thing, are you trying to say it's a thing again? Or was that No supposed to be a "Not"

Abby Wambach here. Who is this? What position did you play and where?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A Coaching buddy of mine, who had a daughter go through a few years of ODP from here, told me that ODP in this area is good from U12-U14. Just go to the the extra tournament in Iceland and then taper off after that with High School or extra training instead of ODP from U15 onward. The Iceland trip was the big event they liked.

So if you have money to burn on trips and want social media bragging rights do ODP before soccer gets real serious. Got it.

Glass half-empty much?

What? Aw, I'm sorry, did you invest time, energy, and money and are now mad people are calling it out for what it is? I know parents who got their kids onto teams off div 3 teams, which is laughable and their skills are that of div2/3 kids. They are super excited. Hopefully the money grab is worth it for the memories.