SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP Boys ODP Tryouts

Welcome to ODP in South Carolina. As someone previoulsy stated same discussion different year. No one is really sure how the teams are selected. It all appears rather subjective by the coaches which may or may not be the best way considering it is one day of tryouts.

The flip side, could be, welcome to the challenges of trying to have a program to satisfy as many people as possible.

Given it's a subjective process, who would be better than the coaches to evaluate and select the players?

Tryouts are no longer just one day. They used to be one day only. The tryout process continues through the first sub regional event, particularly in groups where only 1 team will go to region camp. Even in these cases there may be 2 "teams" at the sub regional for further evaluation, but, only 1 team selected to continue on to the regional camp.

Now, if you have a group of more than 36 players, then it should be easily understandable that the team selection could be done in steps. I think it would be cost prohibitive to take every player that signs up to the sub regional. This likely causes a pairing down on the list prior to the sub regional event. Unfortunate, maybe, but in the end, not all players that attend tryouts are selected to continue on.

Good point Bear. The coaches are looking for 18 players to make the team and they choose about 36 after the initial tryout. Could somebody slip through the cracks.......maybe.

My guess is that there are more kids good enough to make the team that DON'T tryout (for whatever reason) than there are kids good enough to make the team that attend the initial tryout and don't get picked (had a bad day).

My understanding is that only those players that were unable to tryout the first time AND who had a valid excuse approved by SCYSA (i.e. medical excuse), have to come to this session. So the numbers should be small

I see the following options
1- if johnny is no better than Bobby who was cut the first time then it is obvious that Johnny will be cut.
2- IF johnny is better than Bobby AND he is not as good as Peter (the presumed lowest player from the first cut) then Johnny is cut
3- IF johnny is better than Peter (the presumed lowest player from the first cut) then Johnny makes the team and the team carries an extra player until after subregionals - assuming that the team already had the max and the coaches did not hold an empty space.

In my opinion (and as subjective as all tryouts are) the issue of "knowing" who the best players are is hardest at the younger ages - first timers. Once the older players have gone through the process you know who is who whether we like it or not (no different than HS tryouts).

Since the number of players is lower than the first time out, you are basically looking for the diamond in the rough this time around. Hurst statement is correct. There will be more good players that did not try out at all than there will be those who tried out but did not get picked.

Lastly, coaches do talk and in my exposure they are not limiting to this club or that club. A good coach knows right away from the little drills wether the player can "chew gum and walk at the same time" soccer wise. Simple technical things like passing, receiving and shooting and tactical small sided game stuff tells you real quick who is who.

Boys ODP might be different than girls, but on the girls side I am having trouble thinking of a single female player in SC who skipped ODP and plays for a major D-1 school.

Sweet,

On the contrary, I'll show you a long list of players from our fine state who played South Carolina ODP and never even sniffed any level of D1 soccer.

So.....in order to play for Anson, you must EXCEL at ODP, but in order to play for some of the D1 and D2 schools in the Palmetto State, how far do you have to go with ODP?

With the academy league the boys side will most deffinately be different. From what I understand, a player can not do both academy and ODP so there will be a number of players from all states going D-1 many of who may have been ODP for 1 or 2 seasons if at all.

Hurst:
I agree, but for todays coach its all about a strong resume. The stronger the resume the better chance of playing D-1 soccer, and ODP is a resume builder.

So D-1 college coaches want players with a strong resume...not the best players. If they have a choice between two players they are going after the one with the best resume? So giving your money to a watered down ODP program is the best way to get into college and play soocer...so much for player development.

Here I am:
Player development = club soccer
ODP = exposure
The best players have the stronger resumes. Go to most ACC, and SEC soccer web sites and check out the rosters and see how many players participated in ODP.