What a rat race
It is one thing to go all-in on soccer in 7th grade and join ECNL, now a good player needs ODP, Fredericksburg, etc. to differentiate themselves. That's a lot for a girl. Why not just add a 4th day and do the U13 pilot day and skip the driving for practice?

There are now 3 da options for a kid who lives in great falls!

My DD did VA ODP last year. DA/ECNL level player.

Enjoyed the players and coaches she met.
More touches and different perspectives/feedback.
Enjoyed the competition.

Anonymous wrote:My 2 cents: Making a state pool does little these days but if a player knows they are good enough for a Regional team then ECNL offers all the exposure already needed for D1 for that player. DA proves ODP is basically no longer necessary. Being a stand-out ECNL in a state pool of less talent = a lot of money that could be spent on college IDs.

This is why ECNL kids generally abandoned ODP years ago. BUT, the process is valuable in its own right for many reasons. Making a Regional Pool will differentiate one ECNL player from another though.

This puts the most valuable year for ODP at U13-U14. Just before scouting gets serious but something on the resume to cause some separation from other similar players. A Regional Pool still looks good when your player is sending out their initial introductory emails to coaches. Beyond U14, then yes absolutely the money is better spent of ID Camps. BUT if the ODP aspect caught he attention of some college coaches who show up to a showcase then it has served a purpose in filtering which ID camps to target.

If you go into ODP believing it is a money grab and is diluted and a waste of time then it will be. If you go into ODP looking for the value then you will find some.

For most ECNL players, ODP is not necessary but for one or two years it might serve some purpose if you can swing it.

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.

My 2 cents: Making a state pool does little these days but if a player knows they are good enough for a Regional team then ECNL offers all the exposure already needed for D1 for that player. DA proves ODP is basically no longer necessary. Being a stand-out ECNL in a state pool of less talent = a lot of money that could be spent on college IDs.

Anonymous wrote:^^ would you have expected more ECNL 06s from Loudoun, Braddock, Mclean, VDA to have done districts? Seems a lot of ECNLers concluded otherwise. the process has definitely changed from the old days you describe.

The process is the same only the talent pool willing to participate has changed. Most ECNL kids avoided ODP in the past too. The showcase and league schedule simply makes ODP a logistical nightmare for the players so they opt not to participate. And, since they were getting excellent showcasing opportunities through their league ODP just wasn't worth the extra hassle.

But for those willing to juggle the time it can be worth it in many intangible ways as well as some very tangible.

^^ would you have expected more ECNL 06s from Loudoun, Braddock, Mclean, VDA to have done districts? Seems a lot of ECNLers concluded otherwise. the process has definitely changed from the old days you describe.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't look like there are many ECNL players listed either

Why would a player paying for ECNL and making that sort of committment already opt to add the time/cost to get whatever exposure there is in ODP?? ...... doesn't even make sense, so not surprised.

Because the process and the experience are valuable. ODP is a selection process, not a training process. Every practice is essentially a tryout. The goal is to advance at each level. Being selected to a Regional ODP pool is still a big thing and can separate two otherwise equal ECNL players on paper to a college coach. Also, the Regional Camps care mostly coached by college coaches so there is some actual direct connections that can be made there.

While it admittedly is much less a talent draw than it once was the process still has value.

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't look like there are many ECNL players listed either

Why would a player paying for ECNL and making that sort of committment already opt to add the time/cost to get whatever exposure there is in ODP?? ...... doesn't even make sense, so not surprised.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My (2006) daughter starts training with the state pool this weekend. It's her first year to do ODP.

On paper, I understand the commitment in time and money. The training, the events at which they'll play, etc. are clear to me, too.

I'm curious to hear about other people's experiences. What sort of experience does VA deliver with respect to coaching and overall professionalism of the way things are run? If your child has played, what things do you feel s/he has gotten out of it, and what things do you wish had been better? Any and all comments are welcome!

Thanks.

My son used to play several years ago, when ODP had a decent player pool. It was a good experience at the time. However, the best players are no longer in ODP program on the boys side (since DA players do not do ODP) and the fees have gone up, while the amount of training went down. We did not even try out for the last several years. Also, many families complain about the politics in selections, which further weaken the already weakened player pool.

OP here.

The perceived drop in standard of play is something I was concerned about, but my daughter was still interested and I came at it from the angle of thinking that we can look at the talent pool during interdistrict scrimmages (tryouts) and base the decision (of whether or not to go forward to the next level) on how strong the talent was, what the general vibe among potential teammates felt like. I was somewhat braced for seeing a lot of mediocrity, but I was relieved to see otherwise. In the pool, there is a very large number of girls who are strong.

During downtime:
Quite a few players were inclined to juggle (which is something that a lot of very young players, especially girls, tend to avoid because of the investment in time needed to become proficient).
Casual rondos were formed that showed speed of thought, speed of play, clean technique, and deception.

During scrimmages:
Lots of good movement off the ball.
Receiving tended to be strong.
Speed of play was good with most girls.
Scissors and step-overs were not uncommon to see.
Goalkeepers showed keeper-specific nuances in technique and distributed well to girls whose movement they probably didn't know well.

I was very prepared to say no thank you to the whole process if the pool looked weak at tryouts, but instead I was left with a very favorable impression. I've watched ECNL, DA, and CCL games at the 2006 level in the last year and I sensed that the best of the bunch in the state pool could, after playing with one another for some time, hold up very well to any of the teams I saw play n the forementioned leagues. I can't speak for the pools at any other birth year, but 2006 girls looks very, very promising.

I had kids on both side of the DA impact on the boys side, my older son participated in ODP and it was a good experience. He played with kids that he normally played against, received coaching from a different perspective.

Fast forward a few years and my younger son tried out and declined. Talent level wasn't challenging enough and he had extra touches on the ball doing private training. Basically we went the route of individual training as opposed to ODP. It's a program that hasn't been able to keep up with the landscape and think they need to repackage the entire program.

It doesn't look like there are many ECNL players listed either

Good topic. With the new GDAs at FCV, WS, and ASA, a lot of players are not on your ODP lists. How is the pool changed from prior years? Heavy on ECNL? More players from small clubs? Did 2nd team players make cut?

It can't be a bad thing to have more training for more players now that GDA is ineligible.

Anonymous wrote:My (2006) daughter starts training with the state pool this weekend. It's her first year to do ODP.

On paper, I understand the commitment in time and money. The training, the events at which they'll play, etc. are clear to me, too.

I'm curious to hear about other people's experiences. What sort of experience does VA deliver with respect to coaching and overall professionalism of the way things are run? If your child has played, what things do you feel s/he has gotten out of it, and what things do you wish had been better? Any and all comments are welcome!

Thanks.

My son used to play several years ago, when ODP had a decent player pool. It was a good experience at the time. However, the best players are no longer in ODP program on the boys side (since DA players do not do ODP) and the fees have gone up, while the amount of training went down. We did not even try out for the last several years. Also, many families complain about the politics in selections, which further weaken the already weakened player pool.

My (2006) daughter starts training with the state pool this weekend. It's her first year to do ODP.

On paper, I understand the commitment in time and money. The training, the events at which they'll play, etc. are clear to me, too.

I'm curious to hear about other people's experiences. What sort of experience does VA deliver with respect to coaching and overall professionalism of the way things are run? If your child has played, what things do you feel s/he has gotten out of it, and what things do you wish had been better? Any and all comments are welcome!

Thanks.