Louisiana ODP is designed specifically to give the elite youth soccer player an opportunity to focus on his or her personal development as a player in a highly competitive soccer environment. To become the best, one must play with the best. Where club soccer focuses on results, ODP focuses entirely on the development of each individual player.
Player Identification
The US Youth Soccer Regional and National ODP programs are designed to scout and identify those elite players who can compete at the highest level possible. This process starts with the Club. Coaches are asked to identify their elite players and pass them on to LSA Technical Director, Bryan Thorp. LSA then brings these players into LA ODP to learn, grow and develop with the best players in the State.
Each of these players is scouted by our ODP Coaching Staff led by Bryan, Ryan Lazaroe, our Boys ODP Director, and Mark Matlock, our Girls ODP Director. ODP also brings in coaches from the National and Regional ODP coaching staff as well as coaches from professional teams across the country to scout our ODP players.
Finally, our players will be scouted by Regional Staff Coaches at a South Region ODP Tournament. Based on the input from all of these coaches, invitations will be sent to players to attend Regional ODP Camp in July.
WHAT IS THE SOUTH REGION SCOUTS LOOKING FOR IN AN ODP PLAYER?
In terms of player qualities- here is a link to what US Soccer utilizes in their approach to defining player qualities:
For the South Region, you can read how those qualities are applied by position:
Both documents provide insight into the qualities, roles, and responsibilities of Regional and National Team Players that State ODP Players should employ in their personal development plans.
In 2019-20 MLS (Philadelphia Union, FC Cincinnati) and NWSL (Houston Dash) scouts recognized and invited multiple players into Academy Trials. The South Region invited 9 Boys and 6 Girls to represent the South Region at the November 2020 Event.
For an explanation of the ODP Process click the links below