Reply to Virginia ODP - What are we in for?

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[quote=Anonymous]My daughter participated in VA ODP for several years and has also played on DA/ECNL teams.  As you might guess, we did think that ODP offered enough benefits to keep returning, especially at younger ages, but those benefits dissipate as the ages increase.  In terms of coaching, while it obviously depends on who the age group coach is, we found the VAODP coaches to generally be of high quality.  We believe she has benefitted from getting different coaching perspectives, some of which she might could have gotten from local non-club training, but some of which only comes from playing in a competitive game which most non-club training just can’t simulate. In terms of training, even at the state level, there is notable discrepancy in the quality of the players but generally the players out there are solid and working hard.  At the district level, this discrepancy is even greater. In terms of playing, my daughter liked it because it was more fun as there was less pressure than on her club team and she could play different positions.  In terms on college exposure, that is not much of a reason to do ODP if you’re on a DA/ECNL team but it may be beneficial if your team is in a different league (even National League or EDP).  At the state level, there’s not a lot of coaches (and essentially no high level schools) coming out to the Region 1 ODP tournament or the VA Friendlies but if you make it to Boca, then there is a better showing (but still nowhere close to a DA showcase or the ECNL National events).  However, ODP does offer a way to differentiate yourself from other players.

In terms of friendships, my DD knows players on most of the top teams in the state from ODP as well as players on many teams throughout the mid-Atlantic.  In terms of value, VA ODP didn’t seem that bad, perhaps slightly more expensive than some other training options but not exorbitantly so.  By my math, the costs for the tournament/friendlies was equivalent to what we paid at the club level for the same type of events. I liked that you only pay for what you do; so if you kid can’t go to the friendlies, then you don’t pay for it, which isn’t the case for all state ODPs.

TL;DR version – The better you and your team are, the less you benefit from ODP but VA ODP is a decent value where your kid can get some different coaching perspectives while making new friends.
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