quote:
If the US ODP program cannot find and/or produce better quality, faster, quicker athletes, then their current method needs to be trashed. We have got to seek athletic players first, then train and then coach, in that order.
Amazing!

On my way back from the CESA North-South Soccer Classic this past weekend, I had a pretty good conversation with two Midlands area high school coaches concerning the Olympic Development Program at the national and state levels.

My comments targeted what is said above, in that the ODP system, in general, does not recognize the best individual "soccer players" in this state -- much less our country. Think of the Palmetto State as a microcosm of the entire picture. The fact that little Johnny/Joanne can tryout on a particular date and be one of the 18 players to show up and be selected based on the premise that he/she can fund his way to the ODP training camps, practices, games, etc. That's a fundamental flaw from the outset.

At this point, we are relying on the club system to identify these players, but that might not trickle down to the regular player/athlete that has not been made aware of this program via his club, school, or community. Also, shouldn't the "state team" truly represent the best players available? What if the player cannot afford this training and experience? Is he/she shoved to the side for a player that can fund these costs? Where does SCYSA pick up its tab in this development? Where do the clubs incur the 'coverage' of these players? The way it stands now the ODP does not address the best athlete at an early stage of his/her development.

And who chooses these teams? The SCODP statute says that an ODP coach cannot 'recruit' or encourage players to tryout. Why not? Maybe that particular player hasn't heard about the tryouts or perhaps some other factors (financial, transportation, etc.) limit that player's ability to tryout.

Again, let's look at the SCODP system. Van Taylor (who I like) is the Director and he is the head men's soccer coach at Lander University in Greenwood, S.C. An analysis of the Bearcats' current roster reflects seven players from the Palmetto State (albeit four from Greenwood) and only one outside of a 60-mile radius -- that's a player from Columbia (90 miles away). However, 11 internationals dot the Lander roster and I would think that a person with this much exposure to South Carolina's "best soccer players" would be able to attract more than seven student-athletes to a state-supported institution. Or is that the problem? Perhaps Taylor has recognized that the average South Carolina player just can't compete at the NCAA Division II level.

I have more I will be addressing in the near future, but for now that's it due to a meeting I have to attend.