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Friday, January 25

COCOA, FLORIDA – The second day of United Soccer Leagues Super Y-League ODP National Camps, the ‘89/’90 and ’91 girls edition, began with the only training session of the weekend. The remainder of the camp will play like today’s afternoon schedule, with players competing in head-to-head matches. Saturday’s action will consist of two 70-minute matches.

Following the lively afternoon action, which began at either 3PM or 5PM, the girls attended a seminar focused on educating the soon-to-be college freshman on the rules and regulations involved in the recruiting process. The tutorial began with the introduction of a guest speaker from the University of New Hampshire Women’s Soccer Program. The speaker focused his discussion on the guidelines surrounding the Division I level. The most important point he made was the need for athletes to be proactive when searching for attention from college coaches.

Marcel Choquette of St. Michael’s College in Vermont followed, with the differences between the Division I and Division II level. He too mentioned the importance of “marketing yourself to the programs you are interested in,” and the need for athletes to “do your homework before committing to an institution.”

Jay Golomb, who coached eight seasons at the Division III level, led the discussion on play in that NCAA division. His points revolved around the availability of academic scholarships over athletic scholarships on every level, and the lack of a scholarship program for Division III athletes.

The collegiate presentation wrapped up with a question and answer session led off by an inquiry from a Canadian player regarding the level of interest in Canadians from American Universities.

USL’s W-League Director, Kristen Lettiere followed the college Q&A session with a presentation on the 13-year-old women’s league.

“The biggest misconception of the W-League surrounds playing eligibility,” said Lettiere. “Our 41-team system allows players at any level to compete alongside one another and still retain their collegiate eligibility.

“Heather O’Reilly, a player with the U.S. Women’s National Team, played at the University of North Carolina and with the W-League’s New Jersey Wildcats throughout her college career,” continued Lettiere. “On the other end of the spectrum, Tiffany Milbrett, who played in the WUSA before it folded in 2003, caught on with the Vancouver Whitecaps of the W-League and has been very successful in our system the past four seasons.”

“Until 2009 and the start of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS), the W-League is the top of the tree as far as the women’s game goes in the U.S.,” said head coach of the W-League Boston Renegades, Darren Gallagher.

Announced just last week, the WPS is aiming at becoming “the premier women’s soccer league in the world and the global standard by which women’s professional sports are measured (www.womensprosoccer.com).”

“I am impressed with the structure of the WPS,” added Lettiere. “I am very optimistic about the lasting power of the league and the rising opportunities available to female players.”

About the ODP National Camps
Over the course of the 2007 season, the top players in the USL Super Y-League were selected by the ODP Scouting System to attend this SYL ODP National Camp. During an intense four-day combine players will be evaluated by ODP Staff Coaches before the most elite athletes are named to the SYL Select Team. During this time, players will learn the demands involved in competing at the highest levels of the game.