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

Another thing about ODP is that the kids have to compete out of their comfort zone. Too many kids are afraid to step out of the friendly confines of their club teams. Great way meet and develop frienships with other players from around the state.

chelseafan - Great point. I agree 100%.

We are only 2 years into the ODP experience, and it has been well worth it for us so far.

Here's how you fix ODP. Let the top 3 clubs in the state run it together. You would then have the top players in the state participating because the clubs would put pressure on the club members to be in it. Out of 15 premier players on my daughters club team only 3 are participating in ODP and our club could care less if their in it or not. My daughter has met some great friends in ODP, but the top players in the state are not in it, and ODP should be about the best players in the state participating. Our club has had to do it's own combine and participate in ECNL to get our players looked at. Bottom line is that ODP needs to be run by soccer people , not administrative people.

As long as there is interest in ODP..meaning enough people are willing to participate..nothing will change..The last four years have proven that..If you want change in the system STOP participating in what's now being offered..Send a message and change will happen..If you choose to participate in what's being offered...stop complaining and live with it..

LeGrazie, your correct, what was I thinking. Our wonderful state is just about last everything and the leader in nothing. Who would ever bring up a terrible idea of working together (like most states)to accomplish a good thing. I must of been thinking out of the box on that one. I'm sorry it won't happen again.

Who are the top 3 clubs in SC? How do you define it? And are they the same as 3-5 years ago?

CESA, obviously, is one. And today.....Columbia United is a second. CUFC wasn't a player 3-5 years ago tho.

Who is number 3? Bridge? Mount Pleasant? Coast? Why not Discoveries? Who else has a national champion and a complex like Manchester?

I don't like the idea.....the clubs need to quit worrying about what someone else does...and start trying to do a better job of what they are tasked with, which is developing players.

The state needs to do a much better job of organizing. My suggestions:

1. Work with the clubs to coax more players into the process.

2. Allow younger kids to play up into the youngest age group. Not sure the youngest age group now....but when the 93's were the youngest age group, my 94 son wanted to try out and he was not allowed to.

3. There should be a second tryout prior to the sub regional. No cuts until after subregional.

4. Team should not be named after subregional. Make some cuts....but each age group needs to train once a month in Feb and March. Pick a Sunday and put it on the calendar. Do a 2 hour training session in the am and then play games/scrimmage in the afternoon. Team can be announced at that point, with a handful of alternates.

5. Coordinated training with different age groups, so scrimmaging can take place.

6. Hire good coaches. College coaches are "sexy" but they don't have exclusivity to quality training. Get good coaches and then get a committment that they will be at training and events. Missing something once in a blue moon is understandable.....a pattern of missed events is not acceptable.

7. After team is selected, continue to train and scrimmage at least once a month in April and May. June should accelerate training to prepare for regionals.

If the state puts in structure and hires good coaches....and if the clubs work on developing players and supporting the process....my guess is things would improve.

Very good analysis and some good ideas. I think North Carolina handles their selection process this way. Getting the clubs to "buy in" and encourage their players to participate is interesting. In a perfect world....the perfect solution.

What about cost? I suggested a couple of years ago that the clubs should sponsor the players for ODP. Such as collect an extra fee from all players and then have coaches nominate players for tryouts. I know extra moneys the clubs would need to charge. However, it would be more of an honor with the coaches nominating rather than allowing anyone with money (and connections) to get in. We have aged out of ODP now but gave up on it a couple of years ago because of the politics involved with such heavy fees.