Travel Soccer teams around NOVA let's discuss

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Novice question here: (I think there is a VYSA rep who might be able to answer)

Is the ODP program a legitimate pathway to being on the US Men's Olympic team?

Look up the biographies of members of the national team and see where they started out and how they got to where they are now.

This is strange advice, if you are talking about anyone on the National teams over the age of 20 or so. Anyone much older than that grew up in a totally different youth soccer environment than today's kids. ECNL and the DA were not around when the senior women and men were young. Back then, ODP was one option to get some attention in some areas. It may still be in parts of the country that don't have DA and ECNL clubs within a viable distance.

No one with National team dreams near DC should feel any need to participate in ODP, though as others have said, it can be fun and offer some decent supplemental training. It's expensive for what you get though--same as Super Y.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Novice question here: (I think there is a VYSA rep who might be able to answer)

Is the ODP program a legitimate pathway to being on the US Men's Olympic team?

Look up the biographies of members of the national team and see where they started out and how they got to where they are now.

This is strange advice, if you are talking about anyone on the National teams over the age of 20 or so. Anyone much older than that grew up in a totally different youth soccer environment than today's kids. ECNL and the DA were not around when the senior women and men were young. Back then, ODP was one option to get some attention in some areas. It may still be in parts of the country that don't have DA and ECNL clubs within a viable distance.

No one with National team dreams near DC should feel any need to participate in ODP, though as others have said, it can be fun and offer some decent supplemental training. It's expensive for what you get though--same as Super Y.

Not to mention--many have higher aspirations than USMNT

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Novice question here: (I think there is a VYSA rep who might be able to answer)

Is the ODP program a legitimate pathway to being on the US Men's Olympic team?

Look up the biographies of members of the national team and see where they started out and how they got to where they are now.

This is strange advice, if you are talking about anyone on the National teams over the age of 20 or so. Anyone much older than that grew up in a totally different youth soccer environment than today's kids. ECNL and the DA were not around when the senior women and men were young. Back then, ODP was one option to get some attention in some areas. It may still be in parts of the country that don't have DA and ECNL clubs within a viable distance.

No one with National team dreams near DC should feel any need to participate in ODP, though as others have said, it can be fun and offer some decent supplemental training. It's expensive for what you get though--same as Super Y.

Not to mention--many have higher aspirations than USMNT

Eh, it's a pretty good goal to aim for if you want to go pro and aren't lucky enough to have dual citizenship.

[Anonymous]

More details on the girls DA and Spirit announcement

http://www.soccerwire.com/notes/washington-spirit-named-founding-member-of-girls-development-academy/

[Anonymous]

Here is one experienced youth soccer parent's perspective. The best soccer career path will depend on your child's talent level, which can be hard to ascertain when they are very young. But if you have a child who seems very talented and is really into the game, you should try to get the best training you can find and easily afford for the crucial 8-12 year old period when they will learn skills and technique, or not. This may require you to do research and watch training sessions and games and talk to parents who are more knowledgeable than you. Don't be shy! What you are looking for at this age are very experienced coaches who are very focused on training future champs. If a coach or club has a track record of getting kids onto National teams or top D1 programs and they seem interested in training your kid, you are probably in a good situation, unless they are unbearable jerks. This will not usually be the case if they have a great soccer resume of developing top players, but I recommend you ignore rough edges if your kid is learning and improving by leaps and bounds.

This is boy-specific, because that's my experience. Ideally by the time they are in high school, they will be playing significant minutes or starting on a DA team (soccer wise, it would be best if this team were the LA Galaxy, FC Dallas, or Real SLC in Casa Grande AZ, but the local teams will do just fine if they have a full Academy). If they are impact players on an Academy team AND KEEP THEIR GRADES UP, they can practically write their ticket to a great D1 or DIII program. The schools will come looking for them, and any that don't will be very interested in good DA players who express an interest. If your kid wants to go pro and doesn't have a European passport, they should also be in DA by high school or overseas or Mexico if possible but that's a totally different topic.

Prior to high school, a great club team plus id2/PDP/US Soccer Training Centers are top of the heap for exposure and training. It think Id2 showcases in particular are a great pathway--if you do well at one of those, you will receive serious consideration for a youth National team camp. Plus they are FREE. This is true for girls too--in general you can replace DA with ECNL above where applicable and get to the same place.

Kids outside the DA who start for a team playing in the National League and/or whose teams play in the top brackets of top tournaments like Disney and Surf Cup will probably also have plenty of opportunities. With respect to ODP, at least one PP has claimed that College coaches consider it a plus, and I'm certainly willing to believe it's the case for some, though I haven't heard it mentioned as any kind of a factor by the coaches we have met. Back in the day before DA and ECNL, I have the sense ODP carried some weight. It certainly can be a good source of extra training if you have the time and money. There was a poster on a different soccer thread here who asked if it was legit to attend multiple tryouts to get your kid extra training, which I thought was awesome. That seems like the sort of thing ODP is good for. but I don't think there is a need for it if your kid is a good player who can perform well at a college ID camp and has decent grades. The Olympic team will be made of National pool players, the vast, vast majority of whom will have played in DA or ECNL.

If your player is not great but loves the game, then I recommend you put more weight on the Positive Coaching Alliance type stuff. Find a team with an inspiring coach and good teammates, and see what you can do to foster their love of sports and activity.


Thank you -- this is extremely helpful. DS is starting on a very high-level Club team as a rising freshman and wonders how hard he should work to make the (much farther away) DA, where he might or might not get as much playing time. Your overview lays on the landscape for us in a way we haven't seen before.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Thank you -- this is extremely helpful. DS is starting on a very high-level Club team as a rising freshman and wonders how hard he should work to make the (much farther away) DA, where he might or might not get as much playing time. Your overview lays on the landscape for us in a way we haven't seen before.

You're welcome! In your son's case, a very high level club team where he's a starter sounds like a great situation if his goal is college recruitment. (It's always a good idea to look at the club's track record with college commitments, which should be displayed by player graduation class year on their website). Depending on the club or coach connections, he may need to do some work to get on the radar of coaches at schools he's interested in. Your club should have a recruitment packet that lays out the steps.

I personally would not want my son to travel a huge distance for DA as a freshman or probably sophomore if he had a great local alternative because it makes it a lot harder to have time for schoolwork or family time. Might consider it when he's a junior if he weren't happy with the level of interest he'd received at his home club though. Boys fortunately have more time than girls to work on getting committed if D1 is the goal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Thank you -- this is extremely helpful. DS is starting on a very high-level Club team as a rising freshman and wonders how hard he should work to make the (much farther away) DA, where he might or might not get as much playing time. Your overview lays on the landscape for us in a way we haven't seen before.

You're welcome! In your son's case, a very high level club team where he's a starter sounds like a great situation if his goal is college recruitment. (It's always a good idea to look at the club's track record with college commitments, which should be displayed by player graduation class year on their website). Depending on the club or coach connections, he may need to do some work to get on the radar of coaches at schools he's interested in. Your club should have a recruitment packet that lays out the steps.

I personally would not want my son to travel a huge distance for DA as a freshman or probably sophomore if he had a great local alternative because it makes it a lot harder to have time for schoolwork or family time. Might consider it when he's a junior if he weren't happy with the level of interest he'd received at his home club though. Boys fortunately have more time than girls to work on getting committed if D1 is the goal.

Then what do girls do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Thank you -- this is extremely helpful. DS is starting on a very high-level Club team as a rising freshman and wonders how hard he should work to make the (much farther away) DA, where he might or might not get as much playing time. Your overview lays on the landscape for us in a way we haven't seen before.

You're welcome! In your son's case, a very high level club team where he's a starter sounds like a great situation if his goal is college recruitment. (It's always a good idea to look at the club's track record with college commitments, which should be displayed by player graduation class year on their website). Depending on the club or coach connections, he may need to do some work to get on the radar of coaches at schools he's interested in. Your club should have a recruitment packet that lays out the steps.

I personally would not want my son to travel a huge distance for DA as a freshman or probably sophomore if he had a great local alternative because it makes it a lot harder to have time for schoolwork or family time. Might consider it when he's a junior if he weren't happy with the level of interest he'd received at his home club though. Boys fortunately have more time than girls to work on getting committed if D1 is the goal.

Then what do girls do?

Girls on average get recruited for D1 programs a year or more before boys do. Due to Title 9, there are more womens' D1 soccer teams than mens' and significantly more scholarship dollars available for womens' soccer. Many top girls in the country are recruited starting in eighth or ninth grade and announce their college commitments in 9th (still rare) or 10th grade. Most boys, even youth national team stalwarts, don't commit before junior year.

Because of the (regrettable, IMO) early recruiting for girls, if your daughter is a very talented and ambitious player, families need to consider moving to ECNL or other top teams before boys need to worry about making the same type of decision with respect to DA or other top teams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Thank you -- this is extremely helpful. DS is starting on a very high-level Club team as a rising freshman and wonders how hard he should work to make the (much farther away) DA, where he might or might not get as much playing time. Your overview lays on the landscape for us in a way we haven't seen before.

You're welcome! In your son's case, a very high level club team where he's a starter sounds like a great situation if his goal is college recruitment. (It's always a good idea to look at the club's track record with college commitments, which should be displayed by player graduation class year on their website). Depending on the club or coach connections, he may need to do some work to get on the radar of coaches at schools he's interested in. Your club should have a recruitment packet that lays out the steps.

I personally would not want my son to travel a huge distance for DA as a freshman or probably sophomore if he had a great local alternative because it makes it a lot harder to have time for schoolwork or family time. Might consider it when he's a junior if he weren't happy with the level of interest he'd received at his home club though. Boys fortunately have more time than girls to work on getting committed if D1 is the goal.

Then what do girls do?

Girls on average get recruited for D1 programs a year or more before boys do. Due to Title 9, there are more womens' D1 soccer teams than mens' and significantly more scholarship dollars available for womens' soccer. Many top girls in the country are recruited starting in eighth or ninth grade and announce their college commitments in 9th (still rare) or 10th grade. Most boys, even youth national team stalwarts, don't commit before junior year.

Because of the (regrettable, IMO) early recruiting for girls, if your daughter is a very talented and ambitious player, families need to consider moving to ECNL or other top teams before boys need to worry about making the same type of decision with respect to DA or other top teams.

I think this depends on the school then, since we've been told scholarship for womens soccer is virtually non-existent and any scholarship a girl gets will have to be academic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Thank you -- this is extremely helpful. DS is starting on a very high-level Club team as a rising freshman and wonders how hard he should work to make the (much farther away) DA, where he might or might not get as much playing time. Your overview lays on the landscape for us in a way we haven't seen before.

You're welcome! In your son's case, a very high level club team where he's a starter sounds like a great situation if his goal is college recruitment. (It's always a good idea to look at the club's track record with college commitments, which should be displayed by player graduation class year on their website). Depending on the club or coach connections, he may need to do some work to get on the radar of coaches at schools he's interested in. Your club should have a recruitment packet that lays out the steps.

I personally would not want my son to travel a huge distance for DA as a freshman or probably sophomore if he had a great local alternative because it makes it a lot harder to have time for schoolwork or family time. Might consider it when he's a junior if he weren't happy with the level of interest he'd received at his home club though. Boys fortunately have more time than girls to work on getting committed if D1 is the goal.

Then what do girls do?

Girls on average get recruited for D1 programs a year or more before boys do. Due to Title 9, there are more womens' D1 soccer teams than mens' and significantly more scholarship dollars available for womens' soccer. Many top girls in the country are recruited starting in eighth or ninth grade and announce their college commitments in 9th (still rare) or 10th grade. Most boys, even youth national team stalwarts, don't commit before junior year.

Because of the (regrettable, IMO) early recruiting for girls, if your daughter is a very talented and ambitious player, families need to consider moving to ECNL or other top teams before boys need to worry about making the same type of decision with respect to DA or other top teams.

I think this depends on the school then, since we've been told scholarship for womens soccer is virtually non-existent and any scholarship a girl gets will have to be academic.

It's rare for men and women, but there's definitely more money available for women. In Division I, men have 9.9 scholarships per team, so a "full ride" is unlikely. Women's teams have 14, so a few players can get everything paid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pardon my ignorance but what is ID2 and PDP? Thanks

Well firstly I apologize since the posting of URLs to websites with complete info is somehow offensive, but seriously, its just better for you to read here than for me to type an essay, so here it is:

id2 is basically a scouting/identification program for the Youth National team - http://usclubsoccer.org/programs/player-identification/id2-program/

PDP is the program that hosts scouting events for id2. hard to explain so please read - http://usclubsoccer.org/programs/player-identification/pdp/" target="_new" rel="nofollow"> http://usclubsoccer.org/programs/player-identification/pdp/

As the poster that mentioned the URL's aren't helpful, my comment was within the context of questions or requests for opinions, thoughts, experiences. Certainly if someone were to ask "What is "ODP" or "NPL" a response directing the person to a website would be much more helpful than a person trying to answer in an essay like post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think anyone really believes it is a fraud or a scam what VYSA(not VYS???) is doing with their ODP program, or for that matter any state soccer assoc.

Some parents are really looking for tips for their kids regarding best soccer-career paths, trainings, clubs, for and going on this forum one resource. I have been tracking this forum ever since my DS joined U9 travel soccer and the past posts have been tremendously helpful and a few of the past posts have contained a wealth of knowledge that quite frankly wouldn't be on any website. For those that post a website link and say go here, and that's all you say, you're not helping.

I don't mind reading through some of the garbage that people post to get at the real helpful tips, and I know that not everyone has the same access to funds for extracurricular activities so they will not be as amenable to paying for additional training as others might be.

There was one earlier post that everyone seemed to like, which I didn't find helpful at all. It started with *Here's the deal: You do you.*

Everyone applauded it but I actually found it to be empty of helpful content. I will make the decision which path to take for DS, no one needs to remind me of that. I'm on here to find out what others liked and disliked about particular trainings, leagues, clubs, everything frankly.

So please continue sharing your experiences and know there are people awaiting to hear about your thoughts and OPINIONS(yes, were all aware they're opinions, not facts) on particular programs in NoVA area.

My opinion is that DS should have veto power, if not the primary decision in the first place.

Atmosphere can be everything. I regret my decision to quit after a couple of seasons at U14, but then I have to remember how much I hated my obnoxious teammates. Would've been nice to have other opportunities, but this was back in the Mezozoic Era.

My son still doesn't know his right hand from his left. In general parents who will be paying for the training or if it's "free" the travel portion should have the 'VETO' and if the parent feels that the training would be helpful if DS isn't keen on going, to enroll him anyway and see how he likes it after a few sessions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:More details on the girls DA and Spirit announcement

http://www.soccerwire.com/notes/washington-spirit-named-founding-member-of-girls-development-academy/

MYS is missing, wonder what happened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: MYS is missing, wonder what happened.

MYS is ECNL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Sorry bitter nay-sayers, at this point in time, ODP still matters to college coaches and looks great on a resume, it is one of the things that sticks out to them when they see it.......so saith the college coaches.

You mean, so saith the VYS rep. This is pure snake oil that you guys are selling. If people are fooled and want to buy it, that's on them. Caveat emptor.

What the hell? I don't even know what that means, what does VYS have to do with ODP?
I was speaking LITERALLY about the actual real-life college coaches that are reaching out to and recruiting my kids, and that have spoken to us at ID camps and showcase events: they like to see State/Region ODP; they like to see ECNL, id2, PDP, Region 1..... but hey why listen to the actual coaches who are looking at and recruiting players?

After reading this post again, I noticed that you had mentioned your DS was at a ID camp(ID2?). Maybe your son being in ODP is not the reason for scouting but for all of the other trainings you have sought out for him. I am now firmly of the belief that DA is the ONLY way to go to be scouted for college/US Soccer, prof. clubs., certainly there will be exceptions. Unless you're Andy Najar, see below for his story.

The article is very informational, and summarizes the state of soccer at various points, and in this age of Trump, can be considered controversial as well.

https://www.washingtonian.com/2011/04/04/dc-uniteds-andy-najar-where-did-this-guy-come-from/