SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP ODP, The more things change the more things stay the same

Sent today from SC ODP Administrator this afternoon.

ODP UPDATE
After receiving literally hundreds of emails and speaking with dozens of parents on the phone we have decided to make a change in the place and date of ODP tryouts. We are making this move as a reflection of our commitment of moving to a District Team based Program.
The ODP tryouts will now be on Saturday 4 December at Carolina Elite Soccer Academy's MESA complex. The CESA complex, one of the finest soccer complexes in Region III, is also the host of the Region III Southern Tournament in June 2012, so this should be a great venue for South Carolina's ODP tryouts. This tryout will be open for all South Carolina players from birth year 2000 - 1994. Boys will be from 10:00 am - 1:00pm and girls will be from 2:00pm - 5:00 pm.
We are currently in the process of determining where, in the Costal District, the makeup date practice will be.
We are aware of the ongoing issues of registering birth year 2000 players (the term longsuffering comes to mind). If you have an issue send me an email and I will forward it to our ODP Registrar.

Why not let CESA just pick whom they want on ODP and tell the rest of the state what is left to fight over. Would save alot of time and gas.

Not sure why the change except that now you are at a soccer complex and not in the back yard of a prison. Lex fields were ok. Both places are the same distance from me so either one does not matter. I figured somebody would bring CESA into this like the columbia parent did. If i am correct there were only 2 CESA players on the 96 girls team. Maybe someone out there has a club break down.I guess the Columbia people will be upset. Now it is not down the street from their house where they can walk to tryouts and now they have to get up early like the rest of us did and drive across the state.STOP THE WHINNING.

Aren't the two ODP tryouts scheduled on the same dates as the first round and final round of State Cup? or am I missing something?

No problem with MESA..would drive there in a skinny minute..But the location should be in the Cola area..If you want to draw more players into a program the tryouts should be more...driver friendly..How do you pick a coastal team when tryouts are in the upstate?
An Idea..Have three tryouts..one in each district..More players would show up..

Well, if you suddenly had large numbers of players trying out for ODP, it would be much harder to cite the "small player pool" as the biggest challenge to SC soccer and maintain that the only hope of success lies in further consolidation under a single banner.

C'mon, CHT, try to keep up.

Once again, these are purely COSMETIC changes, intended to:

1) Increase participation (and thus income); and
2) Defuse the naysayers with a "new" system.

I will state again, for the record:

ODP in not Olympic, surely isn't developmental, and lacks the vision and consistency of a program.

So, what is it?

My kid was on the fence about trying out this year until I read him the email. Now he is not trying out. They always said that ODP was in CESA backpocket.

HH-believe CUnited is from another town that starts with a C

LeGazie-could never figure out why they have tryouts on the same day as State Cup. Do you really think that kids who just played a very intense hard game is showing up to tryouts with their A game?

ODP is in CESA's back pocket? No one has compalined about a SC United coach being on staff for the past three years. Who would have more impact for impropriety? The coach or the grass at MESA?

Before you start throwing that crap around look in your own back yard. I don't know of any CESA parents that didn't go to that age group because of this coach. He has done a good job and has more been committed to the program and the kids than a lot of other coaches, but then agan most CESA parents don't seem to be conspiracy theorists.

For the record, I'm not a conspiracy theorist. I totally understand why coaches and evaluators support their own club's kids; i.e., because it benefits their reputations and incomes. It's kind of lousy and unprofessional, but it's only natural and to be expected. And CESA's aren't the only ones doing it!

That said, I DO think the entire ODP system in South Carolina needs a top-to-bottom makeover, with more consistency, transparency and professionalism as core values. For years, parents have been virtually excluded from all things SC ODP, except visiting demosphere or writing checks. My question to coaches is: If you can not openly and honestly support selection and PT decisions, then why have tryouts?

For those of us who can see and have a clue about competitive athletics, ODP is often (not always) a sham. And "often" is too often for me!

Do you think that it is fair for a lowcountry team that may host a first round game and then jump in the car for a 3.5 hr trip for TRYOUT for a State Team? Name any other sport that has their major event and a tryout on the same day. It just plain stupid!!! I could understand it if it was two differant organizations but it is not. Would love to know the demographics to all the people that has call or email the SC ODP Administrator calling for the change.