Thoughts on ODP

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What are your thoughts at the younger ages? U13 and U14? Is it worth it at this point. I've heard two arguments that are complete opposites. Too young and the seriousness might kill the love for the game or yes absolutely so you know how your kids stacks in the state.

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For us, it has been a completely positive experience. Great quality coaching, it's on the club off season so it doesn't interfere. My son has had a great time at ODP, he is a 99 so it is his 2nd year.

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Give it a try but don't belabor it. ODP is the first big read which tells you how your player stacks up on the bigger stage. If you child finds success stick with it because it can do great things for them but if they don't it tells you you would probably be wasting your money if you were thinking of going big with club soccer.

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People get pissed off at ODP because it bursts a lot of bubbles. Those people are like the ones who get pissed off at the SAT's when they get the scores and realize that their kid is not going to get into an Ivy League school. If you participate with realistic expectations and can recognize when you have achieved your goals it can be great. Also, in an age of Facebook and texting, the kids end up connecting with other kids from all over the place. Mine loves that part of it. Can do without the marathon training sessions though, finds them boring.

[Unregistered]

Give it a try but don't belabor it. ODP is the first big read which tells you how your player stacks up on the bigger stage. If you child finds success stick with it because it can do great things for them but if they don't it tells you you would probably be wasting your money if you were thinking of going big with club soccer.

Sticking with a theme. It is amusing how some soccer parents react to ODP. Some act like those that tell their kid they won't get into college unless they score in the 2100 range even though there are lots of places you can get into with a 1500. They completely miss the opportunity to target the level where their child does fit properly and instead spend all of their time bashing away at the testing tool. If your child is destined to score in that 2100 range you probably already know it because they will have been testing in the 98% range on all of their other standardized tests since they entered school and probably have been identified by a program like the John's Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. If your child gets identified by ODP what it does is put them on the same sort of course. Now if they go out and get all C's in high school they are not going to reach that potential but it is not like some kid who was scoring in the 70% all the way along is going pop up and take their opportunities away from them. It is theirs to lose. The other part of the scenario is if you know your kid is in the 70% you probably shouldn't be putting them on the Ivy League track because that is not likely to happen. Doesn't mean that they can't go to college though, it just defines what their options are going to be. If you think about ODP in the same way it can be a great tool.

[Unregistered]

For us, it has been a completely positive experience. Great quality coaching, it's on the club off season so it doesn't interfere. My son has had a great time at ODP, he is a 99 so it is his 2nd year.

Same here with our daughter. She enjoys it and likes meeting the other kids across the state that attended.

[Unregistered]

Sticking with a theme. It is amusing how some soccer parents react to ODP. Some act like those that tell their kid they won't get into college unless they score in the 2100 range even though there are lots of places you can get into with a 1500. They completely miss the opportunity to target the level where their child does fit properly and instead spend all of their time bashing away at the testing tool. If your child is destined to score in that 2100 range you probably already know it because they will have been testing in the 98% range on all of their other standardized tests since they entered school and probably have been identified by a program like the John's Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. If your child gets identified by ODP what it does is put them on the same sort of course. Now if they go out and get all C's in high school they are not going to reach that potential but it is not like some kid who was scoring in the 70% all the way along is going pop up and take their opportunities away from them. It is theirs to lose. The other part of the scenario is if you know your kid is in the 70% you probably shouldn't be putting them on the Ivy League track because that is not likely to happen. Doesn't mean that they can't go to college though, it just defines what their options are going to be. If you think about ODP in the same way it can be a great tool.

Agree 100%, especially if you play for Benfica and they promise you a spot. Saves a lot of
aggravation.

[Unregistered]

What are your thoughts at the younger ages? U13 and U14? Is it worth it at this point. I've heard two arguments that are complete opposites. Too young and the seriousness might kill the love for the game or yes absolutely so you know how your kids stacks in the state.

I think it's worth it as it's another life experience to teach success or failure. Making it through a complete year means you made it through some sort of elimination. Not making it through one of those stages is just a opportunity to teach how to respond.

Enjoy it if you are in it or decide not too but keep the expectations real as you never know what the next year will bring. Sometimes its just a injury and sometimes someone better might come along.

[Unregistered]

I give this thread another 6 hours max before it completely blows up. Surprised it hasn't already.

[Unregistered]

What are your thoughts at the younger ages? U13 and U14? Is it worth it at this point. I've heard two arguments that are complete opposites. Too young and the seriousness might kill the love for the game or yes absolutely so you know how your kids stacks in the state.

If you believe in ODP (I'll leave that debate for others), younger is probably better than later. The biggest payoff from an exposure point for ODP comes from making the Inter Regional roster for the Thanksgiving years. This year that was the '98s (current u15) and older.

That roster is chosen the summer before at camp, so I would say the absolute latest that makes sense for starting ODP is u14. You'd probably be better off with u13 because that gives you chances to make the IR roster with more spots and thus less pressure.

[Unregistered]

I give this thread another 6 hours max before it completely blows up. Surprised it hasn't already.

I think ODP should be put to the test like many want of the DAP. The idea being that these avenues give some training and allow the 'top' players to be displayed in front of interested coaches, let them show the numbers and justify their existence. If the goals of these programs are to place kids into top college teams and/or National teams then give us the numbers. What percent of ODP kids are getting onto the National teams or Division 1 soccer programs??

Personally, in the great liberal state of Massachusetts, with the goal of identifying Massachusetts best players and being genuinely available to the whole state, the ODP program should be free and have three locations; West, Central and East, the latter likely to have a larger pool given the geographics. From these sites the best team can be selected. It would therefore be open to all who are interested. Since it would be free then there should be no hesitation in trying out.

[Unregistered]

I think ODP should be put to the test like many want of the DAP. The idea being that these avenues give some training and allow the 'top' players to be displayed in front of interested coaches, let them show the numbers and justify their existence. If the goals of these programs are to place kids into top college teams and/or National teams then give us the numbers. What percent of ODP kids are getting onto the National teams or Division 1 soccer programs??

Personally, in the great liberal state of Massachusetts, with the goal of identifying Massachusetts best players and being genuinely available to the whole state, the ODP program should be free and have three locations; West, Central and East, the latter likely to have a larger pool given the geographics. From these sites the best team can be selected. It would therefore be open to all who are interested. Since it would be free then there should be no hesitation in trying out.

I think that clubs should be free too. Why charge for development. Coaches should volunteer their time and share their expertice.95% of clubs players will never play in college or go pro so why should parents have to pay for a sport where you only need a field,50.00 shoes and one soccer ball@25.00

[Unregistered]

I think that clubs should be free too. Why charge for development. Coaches should volunteer their time and share their expertice.95% of clubs players will never play in college or go pro so why should parents have to pay for a sport where you only need a field,50.00 shoes and one soccer ball@25.00

Same reason you pay for Dance, Piano, Guitar, Judo or Karate lessons. It's an activity they love to do (hopefully) or that gets them doing something other than sitting indoors watching TV or playing Video games going brain dead.

And also because coaches do this for a living, and many volunteer many hours with players and teams outside of their regular paid time. It is their job, their living.

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Same reason you pay for Dance, Piano, Guitar, Judo or Karate lessons. It's an activity they love to do (hopefully) or that gets them doing something other than sitting indoors watching TV or playing Video games going brain dead.

And also because coaches do this for a living, and many volunteer many hours with players and teams outside of their regular paid time. It is their job, their living.

My point exactly ..this is why ODP will never be free. Bolts will not be free. Revs will be the only show in town so the pecking order will be Revs on top and then everyone else below and if your kids is not good for you not to pay , your other option is programs like ODP.

There are many people in the Mass youth Soccer that would love for ODP to be free but it will never happened unless there is some other way to bring in revenue.
It is life and people who put down ODP are just venting,I doubt their kid is playing for the Revs becuase there are only so many slots available. I can't believe that everyone who post hate toward ODP have kids in the academy system

[Unregistered]

Coaching is awful and overall quality of play is not good either. Save your money