ODP - What if you don't make the team?

[Unregistered]

And this is exactly what the problem is...as a coach, if you really cared about the direction of your players and getting them as many opportunities as possible you would find a way to make ODP with ECNL with camps with any other ID program. Because i guarantee you this every girls who makes a regional ODP team will be playing in college and the majority of them with many options the bottom 8 of any of the ECNL teams with that being the only option have much fewer opportunities.

ODP is not a competing program so the programs and coaches who view as such are making a big disservice to there players

If I'm interpreting your gibberish properly, you appear to be stating that an ODP regional player will have more college opportunities than the bench players on an ECNL team. I would tend to agree with that. While the ECNL bench player is being seen by many more college coaches, they're likely not at the games to watch the bench players. The coaches are there to see the better players, at least until the older age groups when the lower level D1 and D2 programs are just seeking to fill out rosters.

But for the impact players on ECNL rosters, the interest level is much higher than kids playing on an ODP regional team.

[Unregistered]

If I'm interpreting your gibberish properly, you appear to be stating that an ODP regional player will have more college opportunities than the bench players on an ECNL team. I would tend to agree with that. While the ECNL bench player is being seen by many more college coaches, they're likely not at the games to watch the bench players. The coaches are there to see the better players, at least until the older age groups when the lower level D1 and D2 programs are just seeking to fill out rosters.

But for the impact players on ECNL rosters, the interest level is much higher than kids playing on an ODP regional team.

That's a fair assessment

[Unregistered]

According to what was discussed at the National Coaches Conference, the ECNL is a top recruiting ground now. Just repeating what was said. The ODP programs were also mentioned. They indicated it still has some relevance but diminishing. Locally, the program is loaded with kids from clubs that won't invest or can't invest in better league play or substantial club infrastructure. This is why clubs like Select (Maple) send so many. Its all they have to offer. Like anything, if the child is good enough they will get noticed and get exposure regardless of league and club affiliation. But this is rare relative to the numbers of very good players we produce..

[Unregistered]

According to what was discussed at the National Coaches Conference, the ECNL is a top recruiting ground now. Just repeating what was said. The ODP programs were also mentioned. They indicated it still has some relevance but diminishing. Locally, the program is loaded with kids from clubs that won't invest or can't invest in better league play or substantial club infrastructure. This is why clubs like Select (Maple) send so many. Its all they have to offer. Like anything, if the child is good enough they will get noticed and get exposure regardless of league and club affiliation. But this is rare relative to the numbers of very good players we produce..

My D was legitimately confused when an ODP "starter" tried out for her club team a couple of years ago. She was expecting to see a potential impact player, or at least a player with the technical ability and athleticism to make the team. The player spent one day with the team, one day with the second team, then returned to her previous club.

All that said, the legitimate studs that decide to play ODP will definitely get more than enough exposure to colleges and NT coaches. Studs are studs, no matter where they play.

[Unregistered]

As usual, a whole lot of self aggrandizing pro ECNL gibberish here. The ECNL is just a marketing platform. If a player has a solid resume, they don't need the ECNL to get where they want to go. Players who participate in ODP and get selected to things like the regional pool will have built more than sufficient credentials to get recruited to the highest level college programs. The proof is out there. The better players from clubs like NEFC that actively support ODP but are not in the ECNL are having no program finding their way to what ever soccer program they aspire to. Even the players from clubs like the Stars who are going to high level ACC programs pretty much all participated in ODP before they joined the Stars and the ECNL. The resume they created through their participation in ODP is what made them attractive to the Stars in the first place and what put on the map for the college programs they are ending up at, not the ECNL.

[Unregistered]

According to what was discussed at the National Coaches Conference, the ECNL is a top recruiting ground now. Just repeating what was said. The ODP programs were also mentioned. They indicated it still has some relevance but diminishing. Locally, the program is loaded with kids from clubs that won't invest or can't invest in better league play or substantial club infrastructure. This is why clubs like Select (Maple) send so many. Its all they have to offer. Like anything, if the child is good enough they will get noticed and get exposure regardless of league and club affiliation. But this is rare relative to the numbers of very good players we produce..

Always taking a shot at Select, the jealousy never ends. However,you forgot to mention that Select also plays in Region 1 where the teams top to bottom would beat the Ecnl teams any day. I'm sure that just slipped your mind though.

Btw- have the Breakers or Stars won anything in the past few years? Honest question, I really don't know what their biggest accomplishments are as a team. Any regional titles or national titles ?

[Unregistered]

What is going unsaid in your little self serving scenario is that the ECNL kid didn't make the regional team because she wasn't in ODP to begin with, not because she wouldn't have gotten a look had she been participating the program. Very few ECNL players bother with ODP any more. But then you already knew that, didn't you?

I know a lot of Breakers did not make the regional pool last year and some dads threw temper tantrums like 3 yr olds and then peeled out of the parking lot. A week later the news comes out that FM doesn't believe in ODP anymore and Breakers can't sign up. Lol.

Maybe he should teach some skills instead of making phone calls to players that already have them.

[Unregistered]

Always taking a shot at Select, the jealousy never ends. However,you forgot to mention that Select also plays in Region 1 where the teams top to bottom would beat the Ecnl teams any day. I'm sure that just slipped your mind though.

Btw- have the Breakers or Stars won anything in the past few years? Honest question, I really don't know what their biggest accomplishments are as a team. Any regional titles or national titles ?

It would appear that D1 coaches and NT program disagree w your region1 boast.

[Unregistered]

It would appear that D1 coaches and NT program disagree w your region1 boast.

New league genius but you can see which teams are stronger based on tournaments they have played in together.

[Unregistered]

So that's not entirely true. It was one dad, and given his daughter's skill level, he was probably rightly pissed. Showed it in obnoxious way, but that's life.

However, at U13, should a striker always be a striker or should she be an excellent soccer player, no matter where she's asked to play? Because the regional coaches will do that to see what the response is and whether you will do what's asked of you. There are a jillion strikers and center middies at Region 1 camp -- you might end up being a wing defender because that's what they need for the scrimmage. And you might do well enough that they leave you there. But the player should also speak up: "Hi coach X, you're having me play a lot at center back, can I show you what I can do in the midfield?"

[Unregistered]

What is going unsaid in your little self serving scenario is that the ECNL kid didn't make the regional team because she wasn't in ODP to begin with, not because she wouldn't have gotten a look had she been participating the program. Very few ECNL players bother with ODP any more. But then you already knew that, didn't you?

The one ECNL player I know who does ODP and is on the regional team is not a starter on the ECNL team and probably doesn't even belong on that team. This doesnt mean every ECNL player would make the regional team and vice versa. Just one example.

[Give the ball to Mary]

What is going unsaid in your little self serving scenario is that the ECNL kid didn't make the regional team because she wasn't in ODP to begin with, not because she wouldn't have gotten a look had she been participating the program. Very few ECNL players bother with ODP any more. But then you already knew that, didn't you?

Around here that is true but for my daughters last 3 ODP Regional/National events has had numerous ECNL players in her pool

[Unregistered]

Wouldn't want to piss on the Stars parade now would you. They have everyone around here convinced that ODP doesn't matter and then you go outside this little pond and realize that all the other ECNL clubs are doing exactly what the Stars are saying no one is doing.

[Unregistered]

Wouldn't want to piss on the Stars parade now would you. They have everyone around here convinced that ODP doesn't matter and then you go outside this little pond and realize that all the other ECNL clubs are doing exactly what the Stars are saying no one is doing.

Again, BTNT, welcome home.

Need to make absolutely certain no one walks away thinking he or she scored a point.

[Unregistered]

Oh, Christ. Nutjob is back. Was hoping he had been hit by a bus.