News Article

STATE ODP TRYOUTS TO START IN MARCH ACROSS NEW YORK

The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association will be starting ODP tryouts in March. For more information, please visit http://www.enysoccer.com/programs/odp_tryouts/

Subject: Olympic Development Program Tryouts to Start in March Across New York

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

February 18, 2013-The Olympic Development Program (ODP) is considered the highest level in the state and the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is particularly proud of our program. Our Girls 1997 ODP South team will be playing for the ODP national championship at the FC Dallas Stadium Complex in Frisco, Texas from March 1-3. Crystal Dunn, Cari Roccaro and Nicholas Gaitan are all former Eastern New York ODP graduates who have represented the United States recently in international competition. Our ODP players dot the rosters of Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League plus Alex Singer and Amanda DaCosta are playing professionally in Europe.

Because of the large geographic region and population that Eastern New York encompasses, ENYYSA has both North and South ODP squads in all age groups and both genders from Under-12 to Under-17.

“With the changes we have initiated for 2013, every player in Eastern New York will have a real opportunity to try out for ODP,” commented ODP Chairperson Julian DiDonato. “Over 90% of the players within Eastern New York will be within 30 minutes or less of an ODP tryout field. We’re trying not to overlook anyone no matter where they live in Eastern New York. We expect to increase our talent pool, offering the elite youth soccer players in Eastern New York the full benefits of being a part of ODP.”

ENYYSA is pleased to initiate these changes that makes ODP more inclusive and less costly for our players:

Under-12 to Under-15 Divisions (based on calendar year of birth). Tryouts will be held at 10 locations throughout ENYYSA. A player is not limited to where he/she can try out and can try out in more than one location. Registration is required for each location. All tryout results will be posted to the ENYYSA website, http://www.enysoccer.com/programs/odp/home/. The second round of tryouts for selected players will take place later in March at the same venue.

The fee is $35 for an affiliate player who “pre-registers” or $50 for on-site registration. For non-affiliated players, meaning those players that are not registered with a league or club affiliated with ENYYSA, they are subject to a $65 fee. Each player will receive a numbered tryout t-shirt, which is required to be brought to all tryout sessions. Registration is open until February.

The schedule for the first round of tryouts:
March 4, 6-9 pm Rising Stars Sports Center, Westmoreland (girls and boys)
March 4, 6-9 pm Cantiague Park, Hicksville (girls)
March 9, 8 am-1 pm Verrazano Sports Complex, Brooklyn (girls and boys)
March 9, 8 am-5 pm Flushing Meadows Park, Queens (girls and boys)
March 9, 8 am-12 pm SUNY New Paltz, New Paltz (girls)
March 10, 8 am-12 pm SUNY New Paltz, New Paltz (boys)
March 10, 9 am-4 pm Cedar Creek Park, Seaford (boys)
March 10, 12-6 pm College of Staten Island, Staten Island (girls and boys)
March 11, 6-8 pm Randalls Island (girls and boys)
March 18, 5:30-8:30 pm Tibetts Brook Park, Yonkers (girls and boys)
March 18, 5:30-9 pm Afrim’s Colonie, Albany (girls and boys)

Under-16 and Under-17 Divisions. No tryouts, move directly to State ID Training. Players in the program the prior year will be invited back to participate in the State ID Training, starting in April. Any premier and/or elite player who did not participate previously can be recommended by a League/Club President, Director of Coaching, League Select Coach or an USSF/NSCAA National Licensed Coach. A Recommendation Form is available online at http://www.enysoccer.com/programs/odp/home/. Player recommendations will be reviewed by the ODP Staff, and if accepted, that player will be invited to the first training session.

With 123,843 youth soccer players––68,587 boys and 55,256 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 12 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 Special Children. 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. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.

Randy Vogt
Director of Public Relations
Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
53 North Park Ave., Suite 103
Rockville Centre, NY 11570
Ph: 888-5-ENYYSA
Fax: 516-678-7411
http://www.enysoccer.com/