84 Soccer Players From Eastern New York Make the Regional Pool
New York Youth Soccer News: 84 ODP players from Eastern New York made the Region 1 Pool
The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very proud to announce that 84 of our Olympic Development Program (ODP) players––43 boys and 41 girls––tried out and made the US Youth Soccer Region 1 ODP Pool, which is made up of players from Maine to Virginia and West Virginia. These local players, enough to fill seven soccer teams, come from all over Eastern New York, with nearly equal representation between North ODP (Upstate) and South ODP (Downstate).
Eastern New York ODP Chairperson Jim Volpe stated, “I am very proud about placing 84 of our ODP players in the Regional Pool. I’m especially happy that we doubled the number of North ODP players in the Regional Pool from 12 players last year to 24 this year.“
ODP is considered the highest level of competition in US Youth Soccer for the state. Every year, players must be re-evaluated by the ODP professional staff of coaches for a position on each age-specific team. The identification process ends each summer with the most elite players within Region 1 competing for a position on the regional team, which is what US Women’s National Team players Crystal Dunn and Allie Long had advanced to when they were teens playing in Eastern New York. Players are then identified by US Soccer staff coaches for possible entry to the national teams program. Yet even those players who do not make Region 1 or the national teams often use ODP as a path to college scholarships and even on to professional soccer.
The players from Eastern New York in the Regional Pool:
Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association: With over 100,000 youth soccer players–both boys and girls–and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association(ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with 11 leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators.
All levels of soccer are offered–from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Children With Special Needs. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and United States Youth Soccer Association.
