Anonymous
Post 06/13/2025 15:01     Subject: Re:ODP East Regional ID session
putting this out here for parents who are new to ODP. ODP now has a somewhat new relationship with MLS that was announced in the past 18 months. At the regionals MLS scouts from at least 4-5 academies were there. This year there were kids who were identified and scouted with offers to academies coming out of ODP.
So, if your kid can make it to the regional thing in Florida, there is an opportunity to get seen by scouts who normally would not be watching your kid unless they are playing for an academy. keep in mind most of the kids playing odp are not playing MLS at all. So, yes, it is an opportunity they wouldn't normally have had. It's not the primary reason to do ODP, and the odds are very low that anything comes of it--but anybody suggesting that there is zero exposure from ODP has way outdated knowledge about the higher level events and potential exposure.
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2025 14:50     Subject: ODP East Regional ID session
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Odp? Is that still a thing?


It is. These higher leagues have definitely overshadowed it though lately. We don't play in one of those nor have a team close to us who does, so ODP is the next best thing. One good thing about ODP though is it is club agnostic. Every practice and tournament is a tryout. You cannot just skate by with having 10 good players around you, while you just fill a role. You have to stand out.


"One good thing about ODP though is it is club agnostic." ODP is far from club agnostic. GM has his favorites and the age group coaches are so flagrant with selecting players from their home teams. We've participated in ODP since the earliest age of eligibility and the level of favoritism demonstrated in selections this year was ridiculous.


I agree. Could it be because special talent is so hard to truly identify correctly and so it’s just easier to go with what/who you know vs making a “riskier” choices?


I guess that speaks to the poor quality of coaches selected to head "elite" OPD teams. GM has the "I do know wrong" attitude despite the fact very few VA ODP players have been identified for Regional teams, let alone how few have been identified for the ODP national team. In one age group nearly 25 percent of players selected for the Regional Tournament teams come from one club this year. The particular team they hail from is not particular competitive and sits at the bottom of the table in the league they play in. Maybe talent selection is not that coaches strongest attribute.


Very odd comment considering many VA players across age groups made their national team this year.
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2025 09:27     Subject: ODP East Regional ID session
Our state does not post names and agree on the state coach connections as players have parents that coach other age groups. Kid had a good experience overall but hard to justify the cost and time with a questionable selection process. If kid just wasn't talented enough to get selected then provide that feedback so they can improve. First year doing ODP and now understand why many consider it a money grab.
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2025 08:36     Subject: ODP East Regional ID session
Have they posted anything for VA?
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2025 07:16     Subject: ODP East Regional ID session
Anonymous wrote:Have all id camp invites gone out by now? Echoing MD poster about selection process.


Yes - the names of the kids selected have been posted on the state website.

That's why so many people are scratching their heads about the selections. Regardless of the club they play for, a lot of really talented guys play at the U12 level. As a parent, you go and watch the games at the east region. Not many kids are truly elite but there is a big pool of high level players. Any of those kids being picked would make sense, and a lot of them will miss out even though they are about as good as guys that get picked. But there is clearly an element where players who were below that level were picked for the ID camp because they were connected in some way to the MD state coaches.
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2025 07:09     Subject: ODP East Regional ID session
Anonymous wrote:Have all id camp invites gone out by now? Echoing MD poster about selection process.


Names were posted on IG a few days ago.
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2025 07:07     Subject: ODP East Regional ID session
Have all id camp invites gone out by now? Echoing MD poster about selection process.
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2025 06:29     Subject: ODP East Regional ID session
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In the U12 age group, is this a fair representation of the talent in MD and in the region?

I know it drops after in two years but curious about the U12 age group.


By the time you get to East Region (not the ID camp but the actual East Region selection), any politiking is out the window as your local state really doesn't have any say in who gets picked...at that point the college coaches choose who they want on their teams for the region.


The answer here is no, by U14 no. Some 2nd team players. And the big defender and showy midfielder is right on target. You have to have played ODP for at least 2 years and be big to be selected for region. Our coach didn’t even know the girls names by end of season… how could he select fairly? No clue who was who.

I am talking about the MD list selected for the East Region camp. Are the best players from BSC, Celtic and any other clubs playing ODP at this age? I know it will not capture 100% but seeing if it captures anywhere near 65% - 75% of the top players in MD below U12.


Thank you!
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2025 06:26     Subject: ODP East Regional ID session
Anonymous wrote:None of the top talent plays ODP after U12. Top kids are too busy with their seasons and individual training after this. ODP is great for kids to get extra touches to help improve, but other than that it doesn’t matter. Stop stressing and enjoy the touches. Your kid makes it, great (it means nothing), they don’t, you got the touches. Has anyone seen a top kid playing ODP after U14. No. Stop making ODP anything other than extra touches. No one is making a college or USNT from ODP, it is about the touches and friendships. If you think it provides more than that you are fooling yourself. Of course the regional team coach is promoting kids that played for them more. Who would expect different. This is youth soccer in the U.S. Enjoy the touches or don’t bother, that is all it is worth.


FYI, top kid parent, that was not the most recent question and you are parroting the same words repeatedly said on these pages. No one here “thinks” their kid is getting to the USMNT through ODP. Quite the opposite.

Small-sided, futsal, pickup and a ball and a wall is the boring path for highly technical players who don’t want to get beat by the Swiss 4-0. Almost none of the DCUM crew knows how to develop a USMNT which is why this area does not produce major talent. Get off of your high horse because it is almost guaranteed that you have not developed a USMNT player. People are curious about ODP for their “mediocre” player who they support who will probably surpass your “top” player after they burn out from a parent like you because the parents of the “mediocre” players may understand how variability and versatility in playing styles is a factor that is wildly missing in US youth when they complete with internationals.

🦀
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2025 06:26     Subject: ODP East Regional ID session
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In the U12 age group, is this a fair representation of the talent in MD and in the region?

I know it drops after in two years but curious about the U12 age group.


By the time you get to East Region (not the ID camp but the actual East Region selection), any politiking is out the window as your local state really doesn't have any say in who gets picked...at that point the college coaches choose who they want on their teams for the region.


The answer here is no, by U14 no. Some 2nd team players. And the big defender and showy midfielder is right on target. You have to have played ODP for at least 2 years and be big to be selected for region. Our coach didn’t even know the girls names by end of season… how could he select fairly? No clue who was who.

I am talking about the MD list selected for the East Region camp. Are the best players from BSC, Celtic and any other clubs playing ODP at this age? I know it will not capture 100% but seeing if it captures anywhere near 65% - 75% of the top players in MD below U12.
Anonymous
Post 06/13/2025 02:01     Subject: ODP East Regional ID session
None of the top talent plays ODP after U12. Top kids are too busy with their seasons and individual training after this. ODP is great for kids to get extra touches to help improve, but other than that it doesn’t matter. Stop stressing and enjoy the touches. Your kid makes it, great (it means nothing), they don’t, you got the touches. Has anyone seen a top kid playing ODP after U14. No. Stop making ODP anything other than extra touches. No one is making a college or USNT from ODP, it is about the touches and friendships. If you think it provides more than that you are fooling yourself. Of course the regional team coach is promoting kids that played for them more. Who would expect different. This is youth soccer in the U.S. Enjoy the touches or don’t bother, that is all it is worth.