North Carolina Youth Soccer Association Olympic Development Program Parent Information Packet 2017-18 Tuesday, September 26, 2017 1
North Carolina Youth Soccer Association P.O. Box 18229 Greensboro, North Carolina 27419 State Office 336.856.7529 Fax 336.856.0204 Players and Parents: Welcome to the NC Youth Soccer Association Olympic Development Program tryouts! This information packet describes the purposes of the North Carolina Olympic Development Program and its focus upon the growth and development of soccer players within North Carolina. Also included are a listing of North Carolina Olympic Development Program Events and a fee schedule. The event and fee information is preliminary and subject to change. The ODP program is designed to complement a player s club commitment. US Youth Soccer s ODP is not only the first and original ODP program, it s the only elite player development program that can claim members of Major League Soccer and women s professional soccer leagues, as well as most current and past national and youth team members, as alumni. The North Carolina Olympic Development Program demands a commitment to excellence as the program offers the experience of being developed, exposed and identified by some of the State and Region s top collegiate, club and US National team coaches! Those participants who are selected will be representing our state at an elite level of youth soccer. If you have any questions about the tryouts or the Olympic Development Program, please email or call. Again, we thank you for your time and commitment. Good luck with tryouts! Sincerely, Bill Furjanic John R Trice Keri Jones Bill Furjanic John Trice Keri Jones Technical Director of Coaching Education Assistant Technical Director ODP Administrator & Player Development ODP odp@ncsoccer.org North Carolina Youth Soccer Association john@ncsoccer.org coach@ncsoccer.org 2
This information packet is designed to educate both parents and players about the ODP process. Please utilize this information packet as a tool to answer most of your questions as well as give you an insight into our ODP program. The US Youth Soccer / North Carolina Youth Soccer Association Olympic Development Program Philosophy Our Olympic Development Program is designed to identify players of the highest caliber on a continuing and consistent basis for the purposes of developing their skills and abilities; and creating sustained success for the U.S. National Teams at the international level. The Olympic Development Program Provides Superior Benefits The Olympic Development Program is an integrated and comprehensive approach that provides benefits superior to other elite player concepts: Focus upon the individual player. Development of the individual player is enhanced as he or she trains and plays against the best players in his or her age group. Development of the individual player is enhanced because he or she must learn to adjust to varying groups of teammates. This requires the player to respond to the varying styles, strengths, weaknesses and abilities of the other elite players, rather than becoming dependent on habits of a fixed group. The highest quality of competition against the best of the best selected from the entire state rather than one or two associations. Exposure to regional and national team coaches. Exposure to college coaches within the environment of the highest quality competition. The opportunity to represent North Carolina, Region III and the United States in domestic and international competitions. How Are Players Selected? Players are selected in North Carolina based on open tryouts conducted by NC Youth Soccer Association State Coaches, experienced college and club coaches. These coaches are selected by the State Select Standing Committee based on the coaches ability to identify and train players with superior talents. Players can also be invited into the ODP program if they are scouted and identified by our extensive ODP staff and scouts. Selection of Olympic Development Program players is not an easy task. Players are evaluated on the four components that make up a soccer player: 1. Technique 2. Tactics 3. Fitness and Athletic Ability 4. Psychological Component (attitude/desire for excellence) 3
What Will Happen at Tryouts? (Policies and Procedures) ODP goes by birth year, for example a player born in the year 2001 would try-out for the 01-age group. Dates and locations of ODP try-outs/ training sessions can be found on the ODP Calendar on our website http://www.ncsoccer.org/odp In the youngest age groups (2005 & 2006 & 2007 birth years) players will attend try-outs on November 19, 2017. They do not train on Saturdays. If the calendar shows two times for the training date, players should attend both sessions! All other age groups (01, 02, 03, & 04): Tryouts are Saturday & Sunday. o o Boys: December 2 nd & 3 rd, 2017 (Players should attend both days and both time slots!) Girls: December 9 th & 10 th, 2017 (Players should attend both days and both time slots!) Players will receive two numbered T-shirts which they use for tryouts & throughout the year at trainings and events Coaches will receive a list with players designated numbers and first names only! Players will be placed in small groups, rotate through games, etc. Players will be assessed and identified by the ODP staff. The staff will determine those players selected to the initial State Pool. Coaches don t immediately reduce to a team, but rather a player pool. Communication with Identification and Selection All Players must currently be registered with NCYSA (please see our FAQ for more details) When Players releases occur, Player status will be posted on the NCYSA website, by the following Wednesday afternoon at 5 PM. Payment for training sessions is required, whether a player is in attendance or not, to stay in the ODP Program Payment is due no later than 9 AM the Monday prior to training. Attendance is notated during the payment process. If attendance status changes after this date, please email Keri Jones, ODP Administrator at odp@ncsoccer.org Payment can be made online. PLEASE DO NOT PAY AT THE FIELD. If withdrawing from the ODP program please notify Keri Jones, ODP Administrator, via email of your intentions at odp@ncsoccer.org Players need to notify the NC ODP Administrator to formally withdraw from the program or they will be responsible for all training sessions in which they were invited. 4
What happens if I miss a Training Session? Be aware that players are always being evaluated at every training session. If you are going to miss a training session, please notate during the payment process. Coaches plan their sessions early in the week based on the number of players attending and we plan for coaches based on expected numbers. The sooner we know the number of players missing the better we can plan. ABSENCES SHOULD BE NOTATED NO LATER THAN Monday at 9 AM prior to a training session. Remember that you are responsible for the training session fee regardless whether you attend or not. When are, the final Pools Selected? The final pool selection for the Region Camp in June/July will be selected after your respective training sessions in April. What are Region Camps? (NC is in Region III) US Youth Soccer is divided into four Regions. Region III offers a Region Camp for ODP participants in each eligible age group. The camps are designed to develop the selected elite players through high-level competition and training. During this training and competition, players who can perform at the highest level of play are identified for possible National Team camp, Region Pool, or Region Team participation. The NC Youth Soccer ODP program does not provide transportation for players attending subregional events and/or Region III Camp. Therefore, all players will have the responsibility to transport themselves to and from sub-regional Events and Region III Camp in Alabama. The specifics, as well as the cost, of these Region camps will be provided by NC Youth Soccer Association to all invited players. What is a National Camp? National Camps and Interregional Events are held throughout the year at various locations in the United States. The National Team Coach or a National Staff Coach is present at these events to observe, train, and identify players for placement in the National Pool or on a National Team. 5
What are the Players Expectations? NC Youth Soccer Association has rapidly become a leader within our Region largely due to the strong clubs/associations in North Carolina. NC Youth Soccer Association provides several avenues for the players to improve, but it is their own enthusiasm, and commitment to excellence, as well as the support from their club coaches, that promotes them to the State, Region and National Teams. The Olympic Development Program expects a lot from its players: Commitment to Excellence. Work Hard Play Smart! Attendance players are expected to attend all training/competitive events, absences for a training session must be notated during the payment process. Please advise your Director of Coaching, Coach or Team Manager to avoid scheduling games on ODP dates. What are the Parents Responsibilities? NC Youth Soccer Association appreciates the time and commitment parents make on the behalf of their sons and daughters. Please be aware of the following Parents Responsibilities: IT IS THE PARENTS RESPONSIBILITY TO CHECK E-MAILS AND OUR WEBSITE PRIOR TO ALL TRAINING DATES. FIELDS CAN BE CLOSED UNEXPECTEDLY FOR REASONS OTHER THAN WEATHER. Please pay attention to ALL deadlines and instructions for various activities. Adherence to these dates is the key to reducing costs. IT IS THE FAMILIES RESPONSIBILITY TO RESPOND TO CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE STATE OFFICE. Not doing so in a timely fashion may jeopardize the players opportunity to participate in an event. Parents are responsible for transporting players to and from training sessions, sub-regional events and Region III camp. National ODP Championship - North Carolina Guidelines The Region III Representatives for the National ODP Championships are considered each year at Region Camp and decided upon at the Region III Fall Meeting. Due to the unique opportunity and the high honor this represents, North Carolina s focus, if selected, is winning the National ODP Championships, not only for our State but also for the Region. The following guidelines will be followed for determining participation in the National ODP Championships. 1. Selection of Team (players and coaches) a. The North Carolina team (both players and coaches), that is selected through their performance during games at Region Camp, earns the right for the age group to represent North Carolina and Region III at the respective National ODP Championship. b. The player s age group that earns the right to attend the championship is not necessarily the same players or coaches that will represent North Carolina at the National ODP Championship. c. The team that represents North Carolina at the National ODP Championship will be chosen from: i. Player pool of those players that attended or could have attended the most recent Region Camp. ii. Current player pool in that age group or from a younger age group. 6
iii. Age group head coach will be the head coach for the team at the National ODP Championships (i.e. if the 2001 age group is represented at the Championship, the 2001 head coach will coach the team at the event). d. If the age group head coach is unable to attend, he/she will be replaced by the NCODP Technical Director of Coaching Education & Player Development or their designee upon approval of the State Select Standing Committee. e. All team members (players and coaches) must be in good standing with NCYSA and NCODP. 2. Team Guidelines (players and coaches) a. Players and coaches chosen to participate in the National ODP Championships are required to attend at a minimum the January and February training sessions as well as the February Sub-regional Event (currently conducted in VA). If not, they cannot be selected for participation. Exceptions will be considered on an individual basis. Acceptable exceptions are: Injury, personal hardship, and participation in National or Region team call up and/or team participating in USYS National Championship or President s Cup National Championship. b. All additional training sessions, those beyond the normal ODP training sessions, must be attended by all players and coaches. These trainings are held in order to prepare the team for participation in the championship. Exceptions will be considered on an individual basis. Acceptable exceptions are: Injury, personal hardship, and participation in National or Region team call up and/or team participating in USYS National Championship or President s Cup National Championship. c. If any player misses the required training outlined in item a. and item b. above without an exception, the player will not be eligible to participate in the ODP National Championships. d. It is important that players selected are injury free and able to participate at 100 percent for this event. While we understand that players want to attend this event it is expected that they are honest with themselves, the team, the coaches and NCODP when assessing their form and readiness to participate. Any players that are rehabbing from injury or become injured leading up to the competition will need a doctor s clearance to participate or they may be replaced. e. All individuals will be required to act in accordance with the Code of Conduct or they will be released from both the team and NCODP. 3. General Guidelines a. Participation in the National ODP Championship does not guarantee continuation in the NCODP team selection process. Players representing North Carolina at the National ODP Championships must continue to compete for the right to represent North Carolina at their Region III events. They may be released from the pool at any time after the National ODP Championship event. 7
2001 2004 Age Group ODP Phases Tryout / Evaluation Phase Players registered for ODP tryouts will attend the two designated tryout dates Tryouts are an opportunity to be evaluated by our ODP Age Group Staff in Technical, smallsized, and 11 v 11 matches December Training All players invited to attend December Training (training fee applicable) Following the tryouts and first training session, players will either be selected to the ODP State Pool to continue in the program in January or Released from the program. Selections will be posted on the North Carolina Youth Soccer Association website on Wednesday, December 20 th by 5:00pm. Players Released from the ODP program following Tryouts may request an evaluation. Evaluation request must be made by Wednesday, December 27 th. January Sub-Regional Event / January & February Training Phase** Players selected to the ODP State Pool following tryouts are eligible to be selected for a January Sub-Regional Event team. January Sub-Regional Event - Players will be selected to teams to participate in Sub- Regional Events (Boys - Winston-Salem, NC and Girls - Gainesville, GA). Not all players will be selected to a Sub-Regional Team. Those not selected will remain in the State ODP Pool to attend the January training session January Training - All ODP State Pool players are invited to the January Training February Training - All ODP State Pool Players are invited to the February Training Following the February Training, players will either be selected to remain in the ODP State Pool to continue in the program or Released from the program. Selections will be posted on the North Carolina Youth Soccer Association website on Wednesday, February 14 th by 5:00pm. Players Released from the ODP program following the February Training session may request an evaluation. Evaluation request must be made by Wednesday, February 21 st. February Sub-Regional Event / March & April Training Phase** February Sub-Regional Event - Players will be selected to teams to participate in the Sub- Regional Event (Boys & Girls - Williamsburg, VA). Not all players will be selected to a Sub- Regional Team. Those not selected will remain in the State ODP Pool to attend the March training session March Training - All ODP State Pool players are invited to March Training April Training - All ODP State Pool players are invited to the April Training Following the April Training, players will either be selected to attend the Region III ODP Camp in July located in Alabama or named as an Alternate for Region III ODP Camp. Selections will be posted on the North Carolina Youth Soccer Association website on Wednesday, April 25 th by 5:00pm. If a player is unable to attend Region III ODP Camp, an Alternate will be invited to take that spot Players not selected to attend Region III ODP Camp may request an evaluation by Wed, May 2 nd. June Training Session / Region III ODP Camp** All players selected to attend Region III ODP Camp are invited to the June Training Sessions. Alternates are not invited to attend the June Training sessions unless specifically asked to by ODP Technical Staff / Age Group Directors Players will be notified of their team selections upon arrival at Region III ODP Camp. Players attending Region III ODP Camp will receive an evaluation following the conclusion of camp. 8
**Applicable Fees apply. Training Session fee payment required prior to session participation. Sub-regional Event fee required ONLY for players selected to attend the event.** Tentative Budget 2017/18 Tryout Fee $75.00 Register before October 31 st early bird fee. $90.00 On-line registration closes at midnight the Thursday night prior to tryouts. $115.00 Walk-up fee if not pre-registered for try-outs. Training Sessions $240.00 $40.00 per session x 6 sessions (The number of sessions is tentative and subject to change.) Boys Sub-Regional in NC $160.00 Includes fees, coach s fees (does not include Girls Sub-Regional in GA hotel, meals or transportation, 2006 s & 2007 s don t attend) Sub-Regional in VA $160.00 Includes fees, coach s fees (does not include Boys & Girls hotel, meals or transportation, 2007 s don t attend) Region III Camp $675.00 Includes room, meals & coach s fees (2001-2005 Boys and Girls) ($250.00) (Non-refundable Deposit is required for Region III Camp by May 1 st.) Wilson Event $160.00 Includes fees, coach s fees (does not include hotel, meals or transportation; 2006 s & 2007 s only) Total Estimated Cost $1,310.00 (tentative and subject to change: 2001 s - 2005 s Boys and Girls) $475.00 (tentative and subject to change: 2006 s & 2007 s) Financial Assistance Financial assistance is available for those that demonstrate a need. All players must pay the registration/tryout fee. After this, families may apply for financial assistance. Financial Assistance Applications will be emailed upon request by contacting Keri Jones, ODP Administrator, at odp@ncsoccer.org. All financial assistance information needs to be in the office by April 30 th of each calendar year. Please apply early as funds are limited. NC Youth Soccer Association Olympic Development Program is financially self-supporting. It will be the policy of this administration to keep the total cost of this program as efficient as possible. Costs are determined by facilities, hotels, coaches, transportation, entry fees and other projected miscellaneous expenses. 9