ODP State Team Players and Alternates,
First of all, congratulations on being selected by the Coaching Staff to continue on with the Alabama ODP. Secondly, for
those players that have been invited as alternates, please pay careful attention and read over the explanation of what
an Alternate is at the bottom of this communication. Please do not lose hope as there are many more opportunities to
not only continue to train, but to also earn a roster spot on the State Team.
We plan to take 17-18 quality players per team to Region Trials and right now each team has 14-15 players invited to the
state team. That means there at least 3 alternates will be picked up in each age group. We want to see who wants to
compete for the openings. We want players that are continually striving, and not simply arriving.
We also want players that are available, specifically for Region Trials, the culmination of the ODP Season. If you are not
available, we need to know asap. As of right now, the next event scheduled is a State Team training session in
Montgomery on SUNDAY March 15. The schedule can always be found on our website HEREhttp://www.alsoccer.org/odp/odp_calendar/
Registration is open at this link- http://al.affinitysoccer.com/eventmanager/public/event.asp?calid=7056354 Please register soon so
that we can plan accordingly. There will be a late fee when registering within one week of the event. For the rest of
the ODP Season (which is through Region Camp this summer), please contact your coaches regarding absences,
participation, and anything related to training/the game. For all administrative items, you may contact myself, or our
ODP Administrator Martha Disko at [email protected] (especially for registration issues/questions).
Remaining Events- please CLICK HERE to let us know your availability for the Sub-Regional Event(s) & Region Trials
Sunday March 15- Training- Montgomery YMCA- Cost-$40
-
-
Boys 98-02
o 9-11 a.m.
o 1:45-3:15 p.m.
Girls 98-02
o 11:30 am-1:30 pm
o 3:30-5:00 p.m.
Saturday/Sunday March 28/29- Sub-Regional for 2000s- Decatur AL- Cost- $50
Saturday/Sunday April 18/19- Sub-Regional for 98s, 99s, 00s- Alexandria, LA- Cost- $100
Sunday May 17- Training- Montgomery YMCA- Cost- $40
Saturday/Sunday June 28/29- State Team Camp- Montgomery YMCA- Cost- $70
See below for dates for specific age groups for the Region Trials.
REGION TRIALS-Explanation and Process
For US Youth Soccer, there are 4 Regions across the country. Alabama is in Region III along with North Carolina, South
Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas (divided into North
Texas and South Texas). Out of all of these states, Alabama is the smallest in number of total player registration with
around 15,000. Some states like Florida, North Carolina, and both Texas associations have around 100,000 registered
players. All the states send their state teams to camp and play each other in front of the regional staff coaches. Most
states send multiple teams. In some age groups, there could be 500-600 players trying out for a place in the Region Pool.
There are two main purposes for the Region Trials. One main purpose of Region Trials is to evaluate the players from all
the states within our region and select a region pool of players in each age group for further evaluation and competition.
The Region Staff consists of high-level coaches from across the country including college coaches, club directors, and State
Technical Directors. Players have an opportunity to see how they stack up against the best from the other states.
The other main purpose of region camp is to expose the players to a higher level of competition and contribute towards
their personal development through challenging games and training with high level region staff coaches. This is the most
important benefit from camp. There are other camps that you can attend that will tell you how great you are as a player.
At ODP, the “proof is in the pudding” meaning that players are given honest evaluations and will hopefully take the
feedback as a challenge to rise up to continue to improve.
At Region Trials, players play matches against other states each day and are evaluated for selection into the Region Pool
in each age group. In the evening, the teams are trained by a Regional Staff Coach. At the end of camp, each player will
be provided with an evaluation and a Region Pool of 30-40 players is selected. In the months after camp, Region Teams of
16-18 players will be selected in each age group to participate in National camps, Inter- Regional events, and/or
international trips. The National Staff Coaches attend these events and evaluate players for inclusion into National Pools.
To provide some perspective here, since each region selects a similarly sized pool, when a player is selected for the region
pool, he/she is considered in the top 120-160 players in the country in his/her age group. Once a player is selected for a
region team, he/she is now considered in the top 60-70 players in the country.
The key objective in region camp is to maintain a good balance between work and rest, to make sure the players can show
their best when it matters. For that reason, players have one game and one practice per day on full days (day 2 to day 4)
and one practice or one game on half days (days 1 and 5). Whenever possible, players who are selected to play in pool
games sit out their state team game so they don’t play two full games on the same day. It’s not fair on the players to make
selections based on fatigue-induced performance since there is so much at stake.
The summer heat and humidity combined with the higher intensity and speed of play at region camp require significant
rest periods between activities. Region camp is not like a standard college summer camp or a club tournament, where
players are on the field for long periods playing or working on technique. Region camp is a test of ability, not a marathon
of games. It’s about quality rather than quantity.
A fact often ignored is that games at region camp require a higher expenditure of energy than regular club games or
scrimmages. The higher the skill level, the longer the ball is in play, the less time for recovery, the more intense the sprints
and more wear and tear on the body. Games at the elite level require more rest and recovery. In lower level play, the ball
takes longer to get from one area of the field to another and the ball is out of bounds more often due to inferior skill. This
allows players to rest more and catch their breath while the ball is away from their area. Games against weaker opponents
are also less physically demanding since the ball stays in the same half for long periods.
WHAT BENEFITS DO PLAYERS WHO ARE NOT SELECTED TO REGION POOLS GET FROM REGION TRIALS?
As previously mentioned, Region trials have many other benefits for all the players. It is a chance for players to challenge
themselves and gauge themselves against the best in the region. Good players thrive on playing against quality opponents
and region camp provides a competition level that is rare. Experts tell us that for elite athletes to reach their potential,
they need to play around 30-40 quality games per year where they are pushed by equal or superior opponents. The typical
ODP player doesn’t get a sufficient dose of such games at the club level because many of these club games are against
inferior players. Other than a few top-of-the-table clashes or top club tournaments, club games lack quality on a consistent
level. ODP activities and region camp provide additional quality competition to supplement the club competitions.
Region camp can be an aspiring experience. Many players, who are used to being the best in their club team, get a rude
awakening at region camp. They get exposed to the very best and become motivated to work harder and make the region
pool the next time. For some players, region camp is a humbling experience. They come home highly motivated and with
a new perspective. Player development is a long process, a journey affected by many factors and experiences, some
positive and some negative. It’s hard to measure the impact each experience has on a player and hard to account for the
intangibles. But many top American players look back on their experience at an ODP region camp as one of the turning
points in their growth.
Region camp exposes all the players to the top college and national staff coaches. College coaches regard ODP
participation and attendance in region camp as an indication of the players’ ability and ambition.
The opportunity to represent your state is another benefit. Pride in accomplishment, meeting players and coaches from
other states, and learning a little about oneself and coping with adversity are some of the intangibles as well. If the players
who ‘lift a trophy’ are considered the only beneficiaries of an event, everyone else would be missing the point.
Regional Trials will cost $650 for the 2014-2015 season. The first half is due on May 1 and the second half is due on June
1. If you are not available for this great experience, we need to know asap. Please let us know your availability for the
Region Trials at this link-https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XD5PLWB
Region Trials Schedule
JULY
Monday, July 6,
2015
Friday, July 10, 2015
Wednesday, July 8,
2015
Sunday, July 12,
2015
Saturday, July 11,
2015
Wednesday, July 15,
2015
Monday, July 13,
2015
Friday, July 17, 2015
Time
12:00 p.m.
12:00 p.m.
12:00 p.m.
12:00 p.m.
12:00 p.m.
12:00 p.m.
12:00 p.m.
12:00 p.m.
Event
98 & 01 Girls Regional Trials
Begins
98 & 01 Girls Regional Trials Ends
99, 00, & 01 Boys Regional Trials
Begins
99, 00, & 01 Boys Regional Trials
Ends
99 & 00 Girls Regional Trials
Begins
99 & 00 Girls Regional Trials
Begins
98 & 02 Boys Regional Trials
Begins
98 & 02 Boys Regional Trials Ends
Age Groups
Location
98 & 01
Montevallo
98 & 01
Montevallo
99, 00, & 01
Tuscaloosa
99, 00, & 01
Tuscaloosa
99 & 00
Montevallo
99 & 00
Montevallo
98 & 02
Tuscaloosa
98 & 02
Tuscaloosa
A Note Concerning HS Eligibility
Alabama Soccer Association does not have any rules for ODP players participating in HS events, however there are some
rules from AHSAA that allows players participating on HS and middle schools teams to attend one ODP Evaluation per
month. Our ODP evaluations are the State Team Trainings and the Sub-Regional Events where we are evaluating players
for the Regional Pool.
In this case, we expect you to clarify your own eligibility with their governing body and to keep up with the number of
evaluations that you attend per month. For players in the 00 age group, they may have to choose to skip the March 15
State Team Training Evaluation so that they can attend the March 28 & 29 Sub-Regional Evaluation in Decatur. This is
also why we have a larger alternate pool for the 2000 Boys.
EXPLANATION OF AN ALTERNATE
As an Alternate, you are invited to continue to train with the State Team and be available should a State Team member
decline, get injured, or become unavailable for any event. The Coaching Staff felt that you were very close to making the
State Team and would benefit to continue to train. Should an opportunity arise, the appropriate alternate would be
invited. We hope that you seeing this as a challenge, and not as a threat. For many players, the coaching staff just
needs to see more from you.
We plan to take 17-18 quality players per team to Region Trials and right now each team has 14-15 players invited to the
state team. That means there at least 3 alternates will be picked up in each age group. We want to see who wants to
compete for the openings.
We have a training event in March, and sub-regionals for the 00-02s in March, as well a sub-regional for the 98-00s in
April. We need to know your availability for these events, as well as the Region Trials, so please complete this survey
found here- https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XD5PLWB .There are other training events in May, June, and then
Region Camp in July. There are many opportunities left on this year's calendar to continue to train. If you choose to
continue on in the program and rise up to the challenge, you will have a great opportunity for a spot at Region Trials, but
more importantly, you will continue to improve.
Because we have a large pool of quality players, and the opportunity to continue to be evaluated at two more SubRegional Events, we believe it’s best to take a large number of alternates in the 2000 Age Group.
Concerning player rankings vs. positions, I think that the GK position is the one that is most important as an Alternate.
Should a GK get injured or decline, the Alternate GK would then be invited to join the State Team. For field players, the
State Staff have the final decision on how to rank players or to bring them in based on position is at their discretion.
This season officially ends at Region Camp in July. Anyone that chooses to accept the Alternate position will
automatically be invited back into the 2015-2016 State Pool next year, just as the State Team Members. We really want
the Alternates to continue to participate for their own individual benefit and for the benefit of making the pool stronger.
Finally, I like to compare the ODP process to the same process that is used to select the National Team. Essentially, ODP
is the first step towards making the National Team so our program should reflect the same environment. Players are
invited into a training camp. The players differ from event to event based on the needs of the coaching staff and the
type of event/match that is scheduled. 25-30 players may be invited to train, 22 are selected to dress out for a match,
but only a certain amount will play in the match. The process for Alabama ODP is similar, but we have to make that
process fit our environment and the youth player. I think that players that aren't selected for the State Team, should
still be benefitting from the Training Events, and from attending as players in the Sub-Regional Events. We have a set
curriculum that we follow for each training session that builds off the previous session. This is a multi-year plan based
off the U.S. Soccer Curriculum and the Region III ODP Playing Style and Philosophy. We'd like to see our Pool Players
continue to attend and train because 1)they will hopefully benefit from the program 2)they will improve their
knowledge and skills and 3) they will become a better player and could return to make the team the following year.
Thank you for participating in Alabama ODP.
Zac Crawford
Technical Director
Alabama Soccer Association
Office: 205-991-9779
Email: [email protected]