S.Cal Sweeps ODP Nationals

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Having grown up in LA and played and coached on clubs there, as well as having my kids play there before moving here a few years ago the real difference I see is that in California we had a couple days of training a week with the team, same as here. However, it was available year round even at the youngest age groups. More importantly, there was optional training available every day that was not team oriented and was on a drop in basis.

So you had the opportunity to train pretty much anytime you could. The idea that kids in California all specialize sooner was not my experience, I played, my kids played and all of their teammates for the most part, played multiple sports as well. The difference was that it was not an either/or thing outside of fall. If basketball took up Tues and Thurs, then soccer was available M-W-F, or vice verse, it was basically available all the time. That is definitely not my experience in Oregon.

Additionally, there was a lot more fluidity within teams particularly at the younger ages, with players playing up as well as playing their own age, movement to and from the A team and other teams, etc. There was also less designating of specific positions. All in all it felt far more like you were part of a club training players individually, as opposed to a specific team oriented mentality that I perceive here.

Much of that may be due to the resources and organization of the clubs in California and some of that disparity may in turn be a direct result of a higher population base. Having said that though, there is a lot of room for improvement in the league(s) and clubs here, that have nothing to do with external factors imo. Also to be fair, it seems that some are taking steps to improve as well.

[Unregistered]

Having grown up in LA and played and coached on clubs there, as well as having my kids play there before moving here a few years ago the real difference I see is that in California we had a couple days of training a week with the team, same as here. However, it was available year round even at the youngest age groups. More importantly, there was optional training available every day that was not team oriented and was on a drop in basis.

So you had the opportunity to train pretty much anytime you could. The idea that kids in California all specialize sooner was not my experience, I played, my kids played and all of their teammates for the most part, played multiple sports as well. The difference was that it was not an either/or thing outside of fall. If basketball took up Tues and Thurs, then soccer was available M-W-F, or vice verse, it was basically available all the time. That is definitely not my experience in Oregon.

Additionally, there was a lot more fluidity within teams particularly at the younger ages, with players playing up as well as playing their own age, movement to and from the A team and other teams, etc. There was also less designating of specific positions. All in all it felt far more like you were part of a club training players individually, as opposed to a specific team oriented mentality that I perceive here.

Much of that may be due to the resources and organization of the clubs in California and some of that disparity may in turn be a direct result of a higher population base. Having said that though, there is a lot of room for improvement in the league(s) and clubs here, that have nothing to do with external factors imo. Also to be fair, it seems that some are taking steps to improve as well.

Same experience I had in Texas. Love your post and observation that there was less designation of specific positions and that the clubs in CA trained players individually as opposed to complete focus on the team and team wins. Texas also developed the individual players so you see a lot more technical players than you do in Oregon, that's for sure.

[Unregistered]

Same experience I had in Texas. Love your post and observation that there was less designation of specific positions and that the clubs in CA trained players individually as opposed to complete focus on the team and team wins. Texas also developed the individual players so you see a lot more technical players than you do in Oregon, that's for sure.

Oregon's population is 4 million.

California is #1 at 38 million and Texas is #2 at 25 million.

There are more opportunities for coaches in California and Texas than Oregon. The top coaches will not end up here unless they happen to fall in love with Oregon or happen to have family.

The environment is less competitive in Oregon. Most teams in Oregon train 2 days per week. In California and Texas the top teams are training 3 to 4 days per week to stay on top. May not seem like much more, but you are talking about 33% to 50% more training time. That adds up over the years. The quality of games are much better. Anybody who is playing Spring league will agree with me on this one.

Not all top players in Oregon, California, or Texas do ODP. It is probably more noticable in Oregon since we do not have the depth of California or Texas.

[Unregistered]

This is contradictory

The structure of soccer is different down there. The top teams train 3 times per week, the players are motivated to train away from the team with private trainers at least once a week and people are way more competitive which produces a different type of player.

You also look at how their ODP program is set up. The players are recommended by club coaches, then they are scouted in games by ODP staff and then they are considered for the ODP State pool at ID days. It isn't about who can afford ODP it is about who the best players are. You get a far more talented group of players assembled than OR.

The ODP residential camps bring in coaches from other states and from other countries so the kids get exposure to lots of quality coaches. We don't have ODP residential camps in OR do we? I may be wrong on that.

You are saying that a family can't afford ODP (current RTC in OR is about $450 and then add another $700 for the State team and regional camp) but they can pay for two private training sessions per week.

[Unregistered]

You are saying that a family can't afford ODP (current RTC in OR is about $450 and then add another $700 for the State team and regional camp) but they can pay for two private training sessions per week.

Are you talking about private training for OR or So Cal? So Cal ODP is way, way cheaper than OR ODP. They do a fantastic job of subsidizing the costs for families.

Just remember if you are part of a private training group then the cost can be $10-20 per session depending on the number of players and the coach. Clearly some trainers charge more. So it doesn't actually cost as much as people think.

One on one training is the really expensive one. In So Cal it can range from $100-150/hour with some trainers. In OR it seems to be more like $50-75/hour.

[Unregistered]

Are you talking about private training for OR or So Cal? So Cal ODP is way, way cheaper than OR ODP. They do a fantastic job of subsidizing the costs for families.

Just remember if you are part of a private training group then the cost can be $10-20 per session depending on the number of players and the coach. Clearly some trainers charge more. So it doesn't actually cost as much as people think.

One on one training is the really expensive one. In So Cal it can range from $100-150/hour with some trainers. In OR it seems to be more like $50-75/hour.

Subsidizing ODP costs on the boy's side may make a difference. I am not so sure about on the girl's side. I have seen the players and parents from Southern California on the girl's side. I think they do okay financially and a difference of $1000 is not going to make a difference for them. They are not from inner city LA.

[Unregistered]

At Region 4 championships, the 99 boys took it at the Cal South boys in a battle that was 50/50 and could have gone either way. Cal South scored late to win 2-1. There is a gap, but Oregon can hang.

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At Region 4 championships, the 99 boys took it at the Cal South boys in a battle that was 50/50 and could have gone either way. Cal South scored late to win 2-1. There is a gap, but Oregon can hang.

That would be a more credible statement if Oregon boys 99 would not have tied two out of three of the other game. Just beating Idaho is not really something to write home about.

[Unregistered]

That would be a more credible statement if Oregon boys 99 would not have tied two out of three of the other game. Just beating Idaho is not really something to write home about.

Are you really that big of d-bag or do you just come across as one? just curious.

Considering So Cal blitzed through everyone else in this age and every other age, I think it is certainly something to be proud of take So Cal to the wire. But d-bag's probably do not get that. So you get a pass.

[Unregistered]

Are you really that big of d-bag or do you just come across as one? just curious.

Considering So Cal blitzed through everyone else in this age and every other age, I think it is certainly something to be proud of take So Cal to the wire. But d-bag's probably do not get that. So you get a pass.

I'm jumping into this late...

my buddy coached the B'99's for So. Cal.....
he said at regionals they were missing top 6 players as they were at National Camp....he said they struggled a bit at Regionals.....rightfully so when you're missing 6 of your top players.

I'm from So. Cal......this happened through all of my time in ODP....top players are identified very early and you never see them until the critical times come....

I've lived in Idaho and now in Oregon....coaching ODP in both states....its just waaaaaaaay different here.....you may get one top player in all age groups that gets identified to go to national camp....so Oregon rarely loses their top players

[Unregistered]

I'm jumping into this late...

my buddy coached the B'99's for So. Cal.....
he said at regionals they were missing top 6 players as they were at National Camp....he said they struggled a bit at Regionals.....rightfully so when you're missing 6 of your top players.

I'm from So. Cal......this happened through all of my time in ODP....top players are identified very early and you never see them until the critical times come....

I've lived in Idaho and now in Oregon....coaching ODP in both states....its just waaaaaaaay different here.....you may get one top player in all age groups that gets identified to go to national camp....so Oregon rarely loses their top players

Interesting. I just checked the US youth soccer website for this age group, no National camp during Regional championships. Not to mention there were plenty of kids at the regional championships that do regularly attend national camps and travel with the national team.