# ODP and High School Soccer



## CaliSoccer (May 3, 2017)

For those of you who believe that playing on academy team is the creme de la creme and that ODP is insignificant with high school soccer falling to the bottom of the totem pole here is a look at the 2017 recruiting class for UCLA.

http://www.uclabruins.com/news/2017/4/26/womens-soccer-ucla-soccer-signs-standout-recruiting-class.aspx

Handful played for their high schools and also ODP experience.


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## Striker17 (May 3, 2017)

I love it when people post things like this and take no account for the fact that GDA doesn't even start until Aug.
Also rocket scientist you could be ECNL and ODP so your post is worthless .


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## CaliSoccer (May 3, 2017)

Striker17 said:


> I love it when people post things like this and take no account for the fact that GDA doesn't even start until Aug.
> Also rocket scientist you could be ECNL and ODP so your post is worthless .


So what? Point is they listed ODP for a reason for 30% of the list and only ECNL *once*. My point was people are always quick to bash ODP and high school soccer yet those paths led these player to where they are now! Don't take it personally just an obeservation.


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## watchnsilence (May 3, 2017)

CaliSoccer said:


> For those of you who believe that playing on academy team is the creme de la creme and that ODP is insignificant with high school soccer falling to the bottom of the totem pole here is a look at the 2017 recruiting class for UCLA.
> 
> http://www.uclabruins.com/news/2017/4/26/womens-soccer-ucla-soccer-signs-standout-recruiting-class.aspx
> 
> Handful played for their high schools and also ODP experience.


The haters are typically the ones whose kids don't make the team/list/cut. ODP has it's benefits and my DD enjoyed it immensely.  She also played on her high school team for the experience of being able to play with her friends.


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## Striker17 (May 3, 2017)

Uh no.
That's not the case.
Do a little research


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## Justafan (May 3, 2017)

CaliSoccer said:


> For those of you who believe that playing on academy team is the creme de la creme and that ODP is insignificant with high school soccer falling to the bottom of the totem pole here is a look at the 2017 recruiting class for UCLA.
> 
> http://www.uclabruins.com/news/2017/4/26/womens-soccer-ucla-soccer-signs-standout-recruiting-class.aspx
> 
> Handful played for their high schools and also ODP experience.


That was the old landscape, new landscape will undoubtedly change the old one.


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## Kicker4Life (May 3, 2017)

Striker17 said:


> Uh no.
> That's not the case.
> Do a little research


We see this a lot on the forum.  The landscape is changing so fast, people apply old models to future landscape. However it is not to downplay the "experience" that ODP and HS provides.


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## Overlap (May 3, 2017)

All are just another path to where they want to go....no matter how many times the landscape changes


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## MakeAPlay (May 3, 2017)

Kicker4Life said:


> We see this a lot on the forum.  The landscape is changing so fast, people apply old models to future landscape. However it is not to downplay the "experience" that ODP and HS provides.


I always hear that the landscape is changing and that now the sun is going to rise in the west but weirdly, the more things change the more they remain the same.  The top schools are still going to recruit from the YNT not from watered down GDA teams.  They will still recruit specific identified players and local players that pass the eyeball test.  Two of the three most accomplished college freshman from the SoCal 2016 recruiting class came from outside the usual circles but both played and started on ODP national championship teams.

Don't believe the hype.  Believe your eyes.


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## MakeAPlay (May 3, 2017)

CaliSoccer said:


> So what? Point is they listed ODP for a reason for 30% of the list and only ECNL *once*. My point was people are always quick to bash ODP and high school soccer yet those paths led these player to where they are now! Don't take it personally just an obeservation.


If all the freshman from the Cal South ODP '98 national championship team had stayed together they would have likely been an Elite 8 team.  My player's college coaches said that her performance at the ODP regional championships made her a priority recruit and she wan't even ranked in the top 75 of her recruiting class by TDS but ended up being one of their top ten freshman by the end of the year.  Her college just committed a player who has no YNT experience but killed it at the ODP regional championships.  My point is they have found great players at ODP and aren't suddenly going to stop looking for players there when it has worked for them every year up to this point.

College coaches aren't into reinventing the wheel and even Anson Dorrance (who coached the US Women's WNT to the inaugural WWC title and also has 23 national championships as a college coach) said that he is going to wait and see how it goes and made a point to emphasize that he doesn't agree with a top down approach to development.  He is arguably the greatest women's soccer coach of all time and they are going against him.  No surprise that 2016 was the least successful year for the women's side of US soccer.


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## Kicker4Life (May 3, 2017)

MakeAPlay said:


> If all the freshman from the Cal South ODP '98 national championship team had stayed together they would have likely been an Elite 8 team.  My player's college coaches said that her performance at the ODP regional championships made her a priority recruit and she wan't even ranked in the top 75 of her recruiting class by TDS but ended up being one of their top ten freshman by the end of the year.  Her college just committed a player who has no YNT experience but killed it at the ODP regional championships.  My point is they have found great players at ODP and aren't suddenly going to stop looking for players there when it has worked for them every year up to this point.
> 
> College coaches aren't into reinventing the wheel and even Anson Dorrance (who coached the US Women's WNT to the inaugural WWC title and also has 23 national championships as a college coach) said that he is going to wait and see how it goes and made a point to emphasize that he doesn't agree with a top down approach to development.  He is arguably the greatest women's soccer coach of all time and they are going against him.  No surprise that 2016 was the least successful year for the women's side of US soccer.


Had a great conversation with him a few months ago and i agree with you.  One point he made is that Clubs should put their best Coaches at the younger age groups not the olders.

As for your previous rebuttle, my eyes can read the past, view the present but I can not see the future.  Until GDA has a few years under its belt, no one knows.  You can only speculate.

In regards to "watered down GDA", that statement has zero merit and cannot be applied across all age groups. ECNL WILL be watered down at '03 and '04 and US Soccer hasn't started flexing their muscle at the older age groups. I wouldn't be surprised if US Soccer doesn't "highly recommend" to some of the girls in the current YNT camps that they join a DA team. I do t agree with it, I hope it's not the case, but I don't put anything past those in power from manipulating it.

Peace!!


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## MakeAPlay (May 3, 2017)

Kicker4Life said:


> Had a great conversation with him a few months ago and i agree  one pint he made is that Clubs should put their best Coaches at the younger age groups not the olders.
> 
> As for your previous rebuttle, my eyes can read the past, view the present but I can lot see the future.  Until GDA has a few years under its belt, no one knows.  You can only speculate.
> 
> ...


I agree with Anson that the biggest and most impactful ages for development are prior to the teenage years.  I haven't ever heard of US Soccer steering players to a particular team/club but I have seen college coaches do it.

Regarding the GDA being watered down it is simple math.  There were 8 ECNL teams in SoCal with another 2-3 that could compete with them.  Now you have 13 GAD clubs covering the same geographic area.  The only thing that might help it is the overlapping age groups adding a few additional players per team that would have otherwise been in a different age group.  We will see if it is a better product on the field.


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## NoGoal (May 3, 2017)

CaliSoccer said:


> So what? Point is they listed ODP for a reason for 30% of the list and only ECNL *once*. My point was people are always quick to bash ODP and high school soccer yet those paths led these player to where they are now! Don't take it personally just an obeservation.


2 of their announced players were only in the ODP player pool.  Both did NOT make the ODP team in their respective birth years.  I would say...it was the name brand club and playing ECNL that got them their offers.  I would even venture to post....they didn't get much in athletic money, but instead being admitted into UCLA the prize.


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## Kicker4Life (May 3, 2017)

MakeAPlay said:


> Regarding the GDA being watered down it is simple math.  There were 8 ECNL teams in SoCal with another 2-3 that could compete with them.  Now you have 13 GAD clubs covering the same geographic area.  The only thing that might help it is the overlapping age groups adding a few additional players per team that would have otherwise been in a different age group.  We will see if it is a better product on the field.


Again, I don't think the younger side of GDA will be watered down. ECNL blew it by not letting Beach in (yes, I'll take the homer ridicule) but who better than them to cover the gap between RSC and the cluster of 4 ECNL teams in newport/OC?   Anyway, I agree it will most likely be diluted at the older ages of GDA.


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## MakeAPlay (May 3, 2017)

Kicker4Life said:


> Again, I don't think the younger side of GDA will be watered down. ECNL blew it by not letting Beach in (yes, I'll take the homer ridicule) but who better than them to cover the gap between RSC and the cluster of 4 ECNL teams in newport/OC?   Anyway, I agree it will most likely be diluted at the older ages of GDA.


Beach has some good coaches handling several of their teams.  I think that you misunderstand how ECNL worked when it was founded and through the first two rounds of expansion.  Clubs were added based upon their success nationally.  All of the original 8 ECNL clubs in SoCal had won a USYS national championship.  Beach, Legends, Southbay Force (LA Galaxy Southbay), LA Premier, Albion, Carlsbad Lighting and Pateodores did not win a national title prior to the ECNL teams splitting off.  It is as simple as that.  The one club that might have a gripe about not getting ECNL in SoCal is Laguna Hills Eclipse.  They are the one club that won one prior to the split that was not a member.  I am not sure why but I think that they didn't apply for it initially and got left out on the later rounds of expansion due to geography.


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## MakeAPlay (May 3, 2017)

NoGoal said:


> 2 of their announced players were only in the ODP player pool.  Both did NOT make the ODP team in their respective birth years.  I would say...it was the name brand club and playing ECNL that got them their offers.  I would even venture to post....they didn't get much in athletic money, but instead being admitted into UCLA the prize.


I hope that they contribute this year.  Orlando or bust!!


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## NoGoal (May 3, 2017)

Kicker4Life said:


> Again, I don't think the younger side of GDA will be watered down. ECNL blew it by not letting Beach in (yes, I'll take the homer ridicule) but who better than them to cover the gap between RSC and the cluster of 4 ECNL teams in newport/OC?   Anyway, I agree it will most likely be diluted at the older ages of GDA.


Beach FC HOMER, lol


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## gkrent (May 3, 2017)

MakeAPlay said:


> I am not sure why but I think that they didn't apply for it initially and got left out on the later rounds of expansion due to geography.


Bingo!


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## Kicker4Life (May 3, 2017)

gkrent said:


> Bingo!


. Then LH bucked the system and went to Strikers.


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## Lambchop (May 3, 2017)

CaliSoccer said:


> For those of you who believe that playing on academy team is the creme de la creme and that ODP is insignificant with high school soccer falling to the bottom of the totem pole here is a look at the 2017 recruiting class for UCLA.
> 
> http://www.uclabruins.com/news/2017/4/26/womens-soccer-ucla-soccer-signs-standout-recruiting-class.aspx
> 
> Handful played for their high schools and also ODP experience.


Academy hasn't even started yet!


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## watchnsilence (May 3, 2017)

NoGoal said:


> 2 of their announced players were only in the ODP player pool.  Both did NOT make the ODP team in their respective birth years.  I would say...it was the name brand club and playing ECNL that got them their offers.  I would even venture to post....they didn't get much in athletic money, but instead being admitted into UCLA the prize.


Hmmm. Not accurate.

V. Villacorta - Won USYS National Championships in 2015 and 2016 with Cal South ODP teams

H. Sharts - Member of Cal South ODP team that won the National Championship

D. Satterwhite - Cal South ODP player (maybe only player pool??)


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## Lambchop (May 3, 2017)

MakeAPlay said:


> If all the freshman from the Cal South ODP '98 national championship team had stayed together they would have likely been an Elite 8 team.  My player's college coaches said that her performance at the ODP regional championships made her a priority recruit and she wan't even ranked in the top 75 of her recruiting class by TDS but ended up being one of their top ten freshman by the end of the year.  Her college just committed a player who has no YNT experience but killed it at the ODP regional championships.  My point is they have found great players at ODP and aren't suddenly going to stop looking for players there when it has worked for them every year up to this point.
> 
> College coaches aren't into reinventing the wheel and even Anson Dorrance (who coached the US Women's WNT to the inaugural WWC title and also has 23 national championships as a college coach) said that he is going to wait and see how it goes and made a point to emphasize that he doesn't agree with a top down approach to development.  He is arguably the greatest women's soccer coach of all time and they are going against him.  No surprise that 2016 was the least successful year for the women's side of US soccer.[/QUOTE
> Well gee, the rest of the world is catching up!  Many Asian countries have their "equivalent club" teams practice five days a week!  That will produce success, at least in soccer.  Can you just imagine what our parents would say?  Poor kids, no time for friends, TV, iphones, iPads, dances, football games, parties, face timing, tweeter, instagram, iPods, chilling, etc. etc. etc. There is an old saying that says, "the more you do something, the better you get, the better you get the more you do it."


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## NoGoal (May 3, 2017)

watchnsilence said:


> Hmmm. Not accurate.
> 
> V. Villacorta - Won USYS National Championships in 2015 and 2016 with Cal South ODP teams
> 
> ...


Actually you're NOT accurate.  These players are in my DDs age group and I know the players like the back of my hand. Not to mention she has played with a few of the committed UCLA players; Ashley, Karina, Satterwhite, Billinghausen , and Sharts either on her prior club team, ODP G99 and or ODP Region IV ream.

You are also missing a player from your list above!


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## chargerfan (May 3, 2017)

Are you suggesting there is something wrong with parents who would like their soccer player daughters to also have friends and a social life? What's your point?


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## CaliSoccer (May 3, 2017)

chargerfan said:


> Are you suggesting there is something wrong with parents who would like their soccer player daughters to also have friends and a social life? What's your point?


My point is that reading is fundamental.


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## chargerfan (May 3, 2017)

CaliSoccer said:


> My point is that reading is fundamental.


I obviously wasn't responding to you. Reading is fundamental.


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## CaliSoccer (May 3, 2017)

chargerfan said:


> I obviously wasn't responding to you. Reading is fundamental.


Well I started the thread so who exactly were you responding to? Replying correctly is fundamental.


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## chargerfan (May 3, 2017)

CaliSoccer said:


> Well I started the thread so who exactly were you responding to? Replying correctly is fundamental.


No need to be a jerk over a little bit of posting confusion. Wow, you're a real pleasant fellow, aren't you?


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## LadiesMan217 (May 3, 2017)

CaliSoccer said:


> So what? Point is they listed ODP for a reason for 30% of the list and only ECNL *once*. My point was people are always quick to bash ODP and high school soccer yet those paths led these player to where they are now! Don't take it personally just an obeservation.


ODP is trash - end of story.


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## NoGoal (May 3, 2017)

LadiesMan217 said:


> ODP is trash - end of story.


How would you know?  Your DD's club coaches didn't allow your DD to participate in it.   It's funny though...I know a player on your DDs team that did, made the final team and eventually got a YNT invite.


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## NoGoal (May 4, 2017)

NoGoal said:


> How would you know?  Your DD's club coaches didn't allow your DD to participate in it.   It's funny though...I know a player on your DDs team that did, made the final team and eventually got a YNT invite.


I almost forgot, I bet it shows nicely on her player resume.

Cal-South ODP 2001 team 2015, 2016 and 2017
2 time ODP Region IV Champions 2015, 2016 and 2017
US Soccer YNT U16 Camp 2016
Then add her club team accomplishments

Doesn't look like crap to me. 

FYI, your DDs college head coach was the Director of the ODP Region IV ID Camp 3 years ago.


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## Kicknit22 (May 4, 2017)

People can bury their heads in the sand all they want.  ECNL and ODP have been a great platform for youth soccer up to this point, and may continue for a couple more years.  GDA will in no way "water down" anything, anymore than ECNL did at its inception.  ECNL was a new platform at the time, and with an excellent biz plan and marketing, it was successful at grabbing the attention of College coaches as the pool to swim in.   "Most" of the elite players wanted to play for an ECNL team.   GDA is just another platform, but with a different set of rules and restrictions, like them or not.  If successful, like ECNL, ODP gets watered down as will ECNL.  Only a fool will believe that College coaches won't be turning thier primary attention to the direction of GDA.   This IS the current landscape of youth soccer. It's only speculation as to how it will all work out.


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## MakeAPlay (May 4, 2017)

Kicknit22 said:


> People can bury their heads in the sand all they want.  ECNL and ODP have been a great platform for youth soccer up to this point, and may continue for a couple more years.  GDA will in no way "water down" anything, anymore than ECNL did at its inception.  ECNL was a new platform at the time, and with an excellent biz plan and marketing, it was successful at grabbing the attention of College coaches as the pool to swim in.   "Most" of the elite players wanted to play for an ECNL team.   GDA is just another platform, but with a different set of rules and restrictions, like them or not.  If successful, like ECNL, ODP gets watered down as will ECNL.  Only a fool will believe that College coaches won't be turning thier primary attention to the direction of GDA.   This IS the current landscape of youth soccer. It's only speculation as to how it will all work out.



I think the point that you are missing is that when ECNL started it was successful clubs that were already putting players into college and onto the YNTs.  The college coaches didn't have to change their behavior.  They were still going to the same clubs just organized in such a way as to insure that those clubs played each other regularly.  In addition, the top schools were picking their players from the YNT camps and ODP regional and national tournaments and following it up by observing them in their club environment playing ECNL games.  ECNL was just an enhancement of an existing system.  ECNL did not ban high school.  They let the individual clubs in the individual markets decide what was best for their membership.  The idea was to let the soccer people on the front lines make the decisions based upon what they saw on the ground in their market and to have a platform for most of the best players to compete regionally and nationally.

Your beloved holy grail GDA, which you admit you know very little about, is a top down attempt at controlling the market that is unprecedented in youth sports.  The funny part about it is that we are talking about many of the same teams, with the same pool of coaches, teaching the same thing.  Then you add in some less accomplished clubs, that may or may not have accomplished coaches.  Then you saturate some markets and leave some pretty significant metro areas either underrepresented or ignored completely.  

College coaches will go where they have found players in the past in addition to checking out the shiny new toy.  I applaud you for pursuing what you think is the best for your player with such vigor.  Good luck to you and her.


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## Kicknit22 (May 4, 2017)

Don't call it "my" holy grail GDA, MAP.  I'm not a champion for it, and not trying to sell it anyone on it.  Just stating my opinion.  You say yourself that it's the same clubs, coaches, etc. but add in a few more "less accomplished clubs".   Maybe GDA will have a different affect regionally?  But, here in SoCal, I think he writing is on the wall.  JMO.  I'm not an expert on the subject, nor do I have the experience that some of you all have.  But, I also don't think it's necessary to see what's happening.  Much respect MAP, glad you and your DD are past this transition and don't have to deal with it.


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## MakeAPlay (May 4, 2017)

Kicknit22 said:


> Don't call it "my" holy grail GDA, MAP.  I'm not a champion for it, and not trying to sell it anyone on it.  Just stating my opinion.  You say yourself that it's the same clubs, coaches, etc. but add in a few more "less accomplished clubs".   Maybe GDA will have a different affect regionally?  But, here in SoCal, I think he writing is on the wall.  JMO.  I'm not an expert on the subject, nor do I have the experience that some of you all have.  But, I also don't think it's necessary to see what's happening.  Much respect MAP, glad you and your DD are past this transition and don't have to deal with it.


Hey one of the less accomplished clubs I actually like is Beach.  They were always good in my players age group even before the SCDSL/CSL split.  We will see what that writing on the wall in SoCal is.  Again, for the clubs in SoCal that are consistently putting out college and YNT players, that will not change.  We will see how it all settles out.  Good luck you you and your player.


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## gkrent (May 4, 2017)

LadiesMan217 said:


> ODP is trash - end of story.


I would not call the opportunity to win a legit National Title trash.


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