ODP

New Jersey ODP recently took part in the Eastern New York SubRegional Tournament in Albany, New York. This annual event brought together a range of talented youth athletes, with boys and girls teams from the 2008 to 2013 birth years competing in a weekend filled with high-level soccer. Several ODP State Associations were represented at the event, including Eastern New York, New York West, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and New Jersey.

“We wanted to put together another tournament to prepare for the ID tournament and give our kids and our neighbor’s kids a second chance to be identified. We have been lucky enough to have states like NJ, Mass, CT, NH, NYW and ME to support us,” said Jim Volpe, Eastern New York ODP Director. “We made it as affordable as possible. We just wanted to give the kids one more opportunity. The moral to the story is we can do anything if we all work together. It has been my privilege and pleasure to work with all of you on this event.”

The Eastern New York SubRegional offered valuable match experience, allowing players to showcase their abilities in a competitive environment and further their development in preparation for future ODP events.

“Having competition at the ODP level allows the NJ ODP players to learn and develop individually in a good team setting,” added Auke Wiersma, NJYS ODP Training Director. “To have the opportunity to play with and against players at those excellent levels surely makes the players better. They can bring the experiences back to their clubs, making ODP an invaluable part of their and others’ soccer and life development.”

New Jersey Youth Soccer and New Jersey ODP would like to extend their gratitude to Eastern New York ODP for their hospitality and for organizing such a well-run tournament. We also want to thank the dedicated players, families and coaches who made the trip to Albany and made it such a rewarding weekend.

New Jersey Olympic Development Program (ODP) recently hosted its 2024 NJYS Friendlies Tournament, providing a platform for New Jersey ODP players to compete against Eastern New York ODP teams and top club teams from New Jersey and New York.

The tournament featured multiple games throughout the day, offering competitive matchups for boys’ and girls’ divisions in age groups ranging from 2008 to 2013. Matches were held at premier locations across New Jersey, including Jackson and Oceanport.

“The NJYS Friendlies allowed coaches to observe players in a game setting for the first time this season,” said Homere Breton, NJYS ODP Team Management and Young Olympians Coaching Director. “From the touch, we noted a wonderful display of players becoming acclimated with each other, while they tweaked their individual strengths and weaknesses.”

The NJYS Friendlies aim to prepare NJODP teams for the winter season, where they will participate in high-level tournaments across Maryland, Eastern Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina.

“Our coaches were able to use inclusive language, give constructive feedback and provide encouragement to create a supportive environment,” said Alex Lalaoui, NJYS ODP Coaching Director.

New Jersey Youth Soccer and New Jersey ODP would like to express their gratitude towards Eastern New York Youth Soccer for taking part in these NJYS Friendlies. We also want to thank all the families and players who came out to support this event.

“We now have a very promising foundation from which we can work,” concluded Breton. “The talent is there and those who are willing to commit to the program will have the opportunity to be identified for East Region selection.”

The Olympic Development Program is an identification system linked to the United States Soccer Federation and US Youth Soccer. The program offers its players a pathway that could lead to representation of the Regional and U.S. Youth National Teams. Originally established in 1977, ODP was the first program in the country designed to identify potential youth national team players. ODP players begin initially in the local sector before progressing to the state, regional and possibly national levels. By playing with like-talented athletes, ODP offers the opportunity for players to advance in their personal development and to be scouted by college coaches.

For more information about New Jersey ODP, please email odp@njyouthsoccer.com. Also, make sure to visit the program online and like the official New Jersey ODP Facebook Page.

The New Jersey Olympic Development Program (ODP) recently kicked off its 2024/2025 season with an Intro Night Webinar hosted by James Galanis, NJYS Director of Technical Operations. The webinar highlighted key topics including program achievements, challenges, updates for the season, the benefits of New Jersey ODP and an overview of the training curriculum. Additionally, an exciting new partnership with World Strides Tour Company was announced.

Throughout the year, New Jersey ODP will participate in training sessions and tournaments against State ODP Programs from regions such as Eastern Pennsylvania, Eastern New York, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia. They will also compete with all 15 state associations in the East Region ODP Tournament.

Galanis outlined this year’s training topics, which includes possession, defending, attacking, defensive and attacking transitions, and set plays, all delivered by skilled coaches who cultivate a competitive learning environment.

Another notable announcement was the new partnership with World Strides Tour Company that will provide New Jersey ODP players with a unique nine-to-ten-day international experience, featuring three to four games, professional team visits, stadium tours and cultural excursions. This season’s international destinations include Scotland, England, Spain and Italy.

On behalf of NJ Youth Soccer and New Jersey ODP, we would like to extend our gratitude to the players and families who joined us for the 2024/2025 ODP Intro Night Webinar.

The Olympic Development Program is an identification system linked to the United States Soccer Federation and US Youth Soccer. The program offers its players a pathway that could lead to representing Regional and U.S. Youth National Teams. Originally established in 1977, ODP was the first program in the country designed to identify potential youth national team players. ODP players begin initially at the local sector before progressing to the state, regional and possibly national levels. By playing with like-talented athletes, ODP offers the opportunity for players to advance in their personal development and to be scouted by college coaches.

For more information about the New Jersey ODP, please email odp@njyouthsoccer.com. Also, make sure to like the official New Jersey ODP Facebook Page.

Will Scherer, NJ Youth Soccer

New Jersey ODP recently competed in the USYS East Region ODP Tournament that took place in Manheim, Pennsylvania, and Hammonton, New Jersey. At the competition, New Jersey ODP boys and girls teams in the 2007-2012 age groups played against various other ODP State Associations within the 15 Olympic Development Programs in the Eastern Region.

“Players enjoyed experiences within high quality match settings to collaborate and compete with other players committed to taking responsibility for their own development and performance,” said Lou Mignone, NJYS ODP Youth Coaching Director. “Coaches continued to guide players based upon team tactical principles and player actions within the Game Idea for fine tuning performance during attacking, defending and transitional moments with details for position-specific task execution.”

The ODP State Associations that participated in this event were Connecticut, Delaware, Eastern New York, Eastern Pennsylvania, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York West, Pennsylvania West, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.

“The East Region hosted another excellent event,” said James Galanis, NJYS Director of Technical Operations. “The level of the players was very impressive, and the games themselves were contested in a highly spirited manner. This tournament continues to improve and NJODP is already looking forward to next year’s event. Congrats to everyone that made this event possible and to the players and coaches for displaying the quality of ODP in general.”

New Jersey ODP would like to extend its appreciation to US Youth Soccer, who spent countless hours to ensure the event was successful for each of the ODP state associations that attended. Our state association would also like to thank thank the families and players for another incredible ODP season.

The Olympic Development Program is an identification system linked to the United States Soccer Federation and US Youth Soccer. The program offers its players a pathway that could lead to representing Regional and U.S. Youth National Teams. Originally established in 1977, ODP was the first program in the country designed to identify potential youth national team players. ODP players begin initially at the local sector before progressing to the state, regional and possibly national levels. By playing with like-talented athletes, ODP offers the opportunity for players to advance in their personal development and to be scouted by college coaches.

For more information about the New Jersey ODP, please email odp@njyouthsoccer.com. Also, make sure to visit the program online and like the official New Jersey ODP Facebook Page.

New Jersey Youth Soccer has opened registration to tryouts for its 2024-2025 Olympic Development Program (NJODP) for players born between 2008 and 2013. NJODP is a USYS Identification program designed specifically for players with aspirations to play at the highest level. Selected State Team players will be considered for US Youth Soccer East Region Teams, which may offer opportunities for national or international competition.

Try-Out Dates/Times:

Stage 1

• July 27th and 28th, August 3rd and 4th (Stage 1 ODP Tryouts)
•  Location: Friendship Field/Bordentown FC (455 Ward Ave Chesterfield, NJ 08515)

Stage 2 (By Invite Only)

• August 17th and 18th(Stage 2 ODP Tryouts – By Invite Only)
• Location: Rider University (2083 Lawrenceville Rd. Lawrenceville, NJ 08648)

Click here to view schedules and locations.

Registration: Once a $25 registration fee has been paid, players have the option and are encouraged to participate in all four tryouts dates for Stage 1. The $25 fee includes an ODP t-shirt that will be used during all the tryout phases. The fee also covers, if invited, Stage 2 of the tryouts. Please click here to register for the 2024-2025 ODP Initial Tryouts. Scroll down the page until Registration Links are viewable.

Selection: NJODP will select elite male and female players from each age group to form the final state team that trains and competes throughout the 2024-2025 season.

Evaluation Process: Candidates are evaluated in four key areas: Technique, Insight, Mindset and Athleticism. Players will be evaluated by official NJODP coaching staff.

NJODP Curriculum Outline: NJODP is scheduled to consist of 13+ hours of on-field training, four tournaments and three seminars including: Mental Toughness, Tactical Awareness and a College Recruitment Webinar. (Players receive a comprehensive evaluation at the end of the ODP season.)

College Recruitment: NJODP provides direct access to college coaches on the staff, at summer tournaments, special events and ID camps. Additionally, NJODP will host a College Recruitment Seminar for incoming 2008, 2009 and 2010 ODP players.

Club Neutral Program: ODP is not in competition with club soccer but rather supplements player development, making players more effective for their respective clubs. Our schedule is designed to minimize schedule conflicts with club soccer.

Regional/National Selection: ODP players begin initially by being selected on the State NJODP Team. All players are evaluated throughout the year, and the best performers are invited to the East Region ID Camp/Inter-Regional Events. Players can also be scouted for the East Region ID Camp throughout the year at ODP events.

For all of the latest news regarding New Jersey ODP, make sure to follow our official ODP page on Facebook. To find out more information about the program, click here. To contact us directly, please email odp@njyouthsoccer.com. Also make sure to follow NJ Youth Soccer on social media: @NJYouthSoccer

Will Scherer, NJ Youth Soccer

The New Jersey Olympic Development Program (NJODP) recently participated in the Virginia ODP Friendlies, which were held at the Warhill Sports Complex in Williamsburg, Virginia. The event brought together boys and girls players from age groups 2007-2012, representing various ODP state organizations including New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

The Virginia Friendlies showcased closely contested matches among the participating states. Alex Laloui, NJODP Youth Director, expressed his appreciation towards Don Rawson, Gordon Miller, Jessica Cottet and Virginia Youth Soccer leadership for their planning and execution of the event.

“Their unwavering dedication to organizing a top-notch tournament created an environment conducive to growth and success,” said Laloui. “From the impeccable facilities to the attentive services, their commitment shined through at every stage.”

NJODP has consistently thrived on the competitiveness that is presented at the Virginia Friendlies. This year was no exception, as teams were thoroughly tested and demonstrated significant growth within each game.

“It was great to have top ODP teams, from the East Region and North Carolina, at our Virginia Friendlies recently in Williamsburg, Virginia,” said Gordan Miller, VYSA Technical Director. “We were especially pleased to have the NJODP teams as they always come prepared, are tough to play against and they always turn up some first-class player talent.”

NJODP would like to extend its sincere appreciation to the players, families and coaches who supported its teams at the Virginia Friendlies.

“Our players and families have demonstrated an exceptional level of commitment to NJODP this year, and it has been a privilege for all of us at NJODP to work alongside such motivated individuals,” said Erika Salter, NJODP Manager.

For more information about the New Jersey ODP, please email odp@njyouthsoccer.com. Also, make sure to like the official New Jersey ODP Facebook Page.