OLYMPIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
The training program of choice for Virginia and D.C.’s high-level players.
What is ODP?
The US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program, or ODP as it is more commonly known, is a National, Regional, State, and District Team Identification and Development program for high-level players. The program identifies and develops youth players throughout the country to represent their State, Region, and the United States in soccer competition. In addition, the program also serves as a recruiting hotbed for college coaches.
Virginia participates in the East Region for ODP.
What are the benefits of participating in ODP?
- Exposure to Regional and National team coaches
- The opportunity to represent one’s District, State, Region, or Country in competition
- Exposure to college coaches
- Opportunity to participate in foreign tours
- Development as a player and the opportunity to train and play with the best players in one’s age group
- Quality instruction from licensed coaches
- Quality competition for those who are selected for the state team and compete in matches against other State Association ODP teams
What is the ODP Pathway?
In Virginia, players are selected on the basis of open tryouts and invitations. These tryouts are conducted by coaches who are recognized for their ability to identify and train players with superior skills. Selection of these players is not an easy task. The state association Head Coach or State Coach will, in most cases, be assisted in the selection process by several other qualified coaches.
Players are evaluated on the four components that make up a soccer player.
- Soccer Intelligence
- Technique
- Character and Work Rate
- Speed (with and without the ball)
To complete PHASE 1 in the ODP Pathway in Virginia, a player is evaluated and selected at Tryouts, completes District Training, is selected to the State Pool, and is rostered to the State Team to compete at ID events in PHASE 2.
At The District Level
Training is held in five districts throughout the state with a total of seven training sessions. Players are required to tryout in order to earn a spot in their respective District Training Player Pool. The last set of training sessions are known as Inter-District Scrimmages.
Scrimmages are held at the Publix Virginia Soccer Training Center in Fredericksburg, VA. Players’ performances at these scrimmages, and during district training sessions, will determine where or not they are selected to the Virginia ODP State Pool.
At The State Level
Players participate in a minimum of 10 training sessions (weather permitting) with an experienced coaching staff. At this stage, players are selected to attend Regional ID Events against other State ODP teams in the East Region. Not all players are selected to attend each regional event. The events for state teams start in January with the North Carolina Friendlies. The Virginia Friendlies is held at the end of February, the ODP International Trip is held in March or April for two age groups per gender, and the ODP East Region Tournament is held in early June.
At The Regional Level
Virginia participates in the East Region along with Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Eastern New York, New York West, Eastern Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania West, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia.
US Youth Soccer East Region covers the northeastern United States.
Once a player is selected to the East Region Player Pool, they can be rostered to Interregional Events in PHASE 3.
Phase 1 (Virginia)
