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

MPSC. I agree with you. No reason for that conflict.

Backscreen. For the record CESA does not have coaches on state teams. They have had some on region staff lately but not state teams.

My point is that CESA kids don't get a competitive advantage because the tryouts are at MESA. There are no CESA coaches holding tryouts. Now if you want to argue that CESA kids know the bounces and have that advantage I can't argue that. You got me on that one.

If the problem is travel then I see the point, but don't bring the CESA/ODP/backpocket thing in to this. It doesnt wash.

The CESA/ODP thing is a self-fulfilling prophesy. A lot of talented kids play at CESA.
That said, I bore witness to a CESA player being held over this past summer when the player was about the 8th-best performer on the team. Even the player was surprised to be held over, based on evaluations.
When I asked, I was told a CESA-affiliated evaluator went to bat HARD for the player. No knock on the player. Good kid. A generally solid player. But a poor week.
As to tryouts, my proposal is simple. Hold 3: one each in the Lowcountry, Midlands and Upstate. Mandate that each player attend 2 tryouts, thus eliminating any questions about home field. Assemble a balanced staff of evaluators, who recuse themselves from evaluating their own kids.
It ain't rocket science.

LD- been doing ODP for the last 5 years.....seen coaches go after players from CESA who did not try out or go to sub regional. I think that this is a move to reel in more CESA players. Think about it....CESA u15-18 will come out of R3p seeded 1 or 2 and will host. Might as well stay and try out.

The reality is, clubs in this state openly recruit, and use every tool at their disposal to do so. When I approached an SCYSA official about it, he pretty much blew me off.

Why is this relevant?

Nowadays, various organizations aren't selling a high-quality training experience and competitive league play; they're selling EXPOSURE to cash-strapped parents who are hoping against hope their kids will get an athletic grant-in-aid.

Coaches use their kids' promotion through the ODP ranks as a selling point for their clubs. I know because I've heard the rap.

Pretty pathetic, actually.

r u dreaming? clubs recruit in every state and probably more than here in sc. never heard of a club coach selling players odp success as a recuiting tool.

let your player make the decision to do or not do odp. odp is not for every player and not such a big deal anymore.

You summarized it perfectly: "a beauty contest." I hope and assume you're not 100% OK with that.

And who said it SHOULD be easy? My point is, the selection process as currently constituted includes little or no due diligence (calls to club coaches to confirm what you think you see during split-session, 3-hour tryouts); zero objective evaluation of key components of athleticism; and perhaps 5-10 minutes (at most) of genuine individual technical evaluation.

Conversely, it includes a lot of hyped reputation, looking at last year's team lists, and general grab-assing. "John Doe was held over last year. He MUST be good." (Except little Johnny hasn't grown or improved.) KIDS CHANGE!!! They grow. They get injured. They burn out. They have girl/boyfriends. They get distracted and sidetracked in a million and one ways. All I ask is that they DON'T get sidetracked by a crappy process.

I ask that evaluators have and use the time to form their own HONEST and CURRENT opinions -- not just go with the flow and what's been done before.

I've watched it long and hard, my friend, and that's NOT what's happening now.

What does recruitment have to do with ODP?
IF a club thinks they have more to offer a certain player why not recruit? Remember no one makes you play for a certain club..It's choices that players and parents make..
So the tryouts are at MESA...so what? That's a big change?
I'm looking for a program that is funded so those that can't afford it has the opportunity..How much does Landon pay for his training? This state needs to step outside the box..be proactive and make some REAL changes..Three teams from this state in every age group? Stop following the same old ideas and learn to lead and not follow..It's okay if we fail at it..At least we can say that we tried and maybe learn something from our mistakes..But how can we expect the state to get it right when we can't seem to find a common theme among ourselves? Don't get a chip on your shoulders...Just think about it..

I'm with you.
Though recruitment DOES have a lot to do with ODP when the recruiter is touting the number of kids from his club on the state ODP team (that, oh, by the way, he helped select).
But you're right on with the cost factor and getting outside the box. To me, many of this state's soccer lifers seem afraid to try, or even contemplate, anything genuinely different.
I actually have proactively and constructively approached these folks on several occasions, only to be told what we CAN'T do ... as opposed to what we CAN try.
One more thing: honorable disagreement HERE is NOT a bad thing. Dialogue leads to solution.

It ain't dreaming when they've sold it to you!