US Youth Soccer ODP is Launching a New Structure and Exciting New Format
US Youth Soccer is revamping the ODP nationwide, starting in the 2019/20 seasonal year. A new Pathway to the top has been created, a scouting system will be launched, and more events are added, including a National ODP Camp and an International ODP trip for the top ODP players.
The New Pathway and Player Selection Process
The State Associations will start the selection process with state ODP tryouts. In Georgia, it means the state tryout process will remain the same, with Preliminary Tryouts followed by State Tryouts.
State pools will be selected in all 6 boys age groups and the 5 girls age groups. The state pools will train once or twice per month in the fall and winter. The boys will train at the Atlanta United training facility. The girls will train at a location to be determined.
All the age groups pools will attend the January Sub-Regional event in NC January 4-5, 2020.
Based on player evaluation at practices and the January 4-5 Sub-Regional, a state team in each age group will be selected to participate in the newly created Regional ODP Championship.
The Regional ODP Championship dates and locations are:
2008, 2007, 2006 boys and girls January 24-27, 2020 Florida
2005, 2004, 2003 boys and 2005, 2004/03 girls June 5-9, 2020 Tennessee
During the early summer, additional Sub-Regional events will take place, as follows:
The 2008 boys’ and girls’ pools will participate in a Sub-Regional in NC June 6-7, 2020.
The 2006 & 2007 boys’ and girls’ pools will participate in a Sub-Regional in FL June 12-14, 2020.
Scouting and Player Selection Process
Region ODP scouts will attend all the Sub-Regional events as well as the Regional ODP Championships and use these events to identify players for the Region ID Camp which will take place in July 2020 (exact dates and location TBD). US Youth Soccer will invite the identified players to the Region ID Camp which means states will no longer send state teams to the Region ID camp.
At the Region ID Camp, a Region Team will be selected in each age group and these Region Teams will participate in an Inter-Regional event in November (girls) and December (boys) in FL. In this event, the four Regions of the USA will play each other in front of US Soccer scouts, MLS scouts, and College coaches.
At the Inter-Regional event, a pool of 24 players will be selected and invited to attend a National ODP Camp January 22-26, 2020 in FL. This camp will be free for the players.
At the National ODP Camp, a team of 18 players will be selected in a couple of age groups to travel on an international trip which will be free for the players. The international trip will take pace in the spring of 2020, location and dates TBD.