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Sunday, January 13

COCOA, FLORIDA – United Soccer Leagues Super Y-League ODP National Camps for their U15-U17 boys wrapped up today at the Cocoa Expo Center in Cocoa, Florida. The final day of the event began with the first of two ‘89/’90 Select Team matches, which began at 8:30 AM. The second round of matches, which included the second ’89/’90 Select Team game and the final ’91 Select Team match, began at 10:00 AM. After all the SYL ODP matches were complete, the coaches met for one final time to produce the 2008 Super Y-League Select Team rosters for the ‘89/’90 and ’90 age divisions.

The first ’91 Select Team match, played Saturday evening, was one of the most exciting games of the entire weekend.

“That game was very fast,” said Rick King of Valparaiso University. “The coaches were talking, and we thought that the fact that it was played at night, under the lights, brought out something in the players. There was an aura about the game. It was played at a pace similar to the college level. You could tell that there were four or five guys who were capable of competing at that level a year ahead of time.”

King headed up the goalkeeper training sessions and evaluations for the SYL ODP Camps this past week. The fact that one of the best matches of the week ended in a 0-0 spoke very highly of the goalkeepers and defenders competing at this event.

“There were keepers here who are slated to play for the University of New Mexico, Cal and Central Florida,” said King. “All of those programs are very strong.”

King became involved with the Super Y-League ODP system in the past few months after attending the Super Y-League North American Finals.

“I got a call from John [Hannan, SYL ODP Technical Director] asking if I was interested in coaching at this event,” said King. "If he is involved with something, it is probably an event that you want to be familiar with.”

King’s college side struggled record-wise in their 2007 campaign, his first year on the Valparaiso coaching staff, but the season was supplemented by the great strides the team took in player development.

“Our development at Valparaiso is so much better than it was in the past,” said King. “There are a few returning guys that we are quite high on and some kids on our radar from SYL Finals that would be great additions to our squad.”

“Coming here [SYL ODP Camps], we were looking for a ’08 or ’09 freshman center back, center mid and a big-time goal-scorer,” said King. “We needed to fill positions right up the middle of the formation.”