United Soccer Leagues (USL)

Super Y-League Technical Director, Peter Vermes, and League Director, Matt Weibe, provide insight on the new developments of the Super Y-League's ODP system for the 2004 season operated by United Soccer Leagues, the base of high-level amateur and professional soccer in North America. The ODP programs of the Super Y-League were approved by the United States Olympic Committee and United States Soccer Federation in August of 2002. The new ODP program in the United States implemented its first scouting system and Regional ODP teams in the 2003 season.

Vermes: There's really a two-fold answer to that. On one level we are trying to give another option to players. Competition makes both programs better. There's no question we can improve the product, because from a perspective of identifying players for the national team pool, people are being missed. We were able to show this in 2003 when we launched the program.

Perhaps more importantly, in the SYL ODP, players are going to be evaluated in their natural playing environment. Soccer in this country has evolved incredibly over the last 10 to 15 years and to set up a player identification system that does not conflict with the busy playing schedules the players already have, is the right thing to do.

The top players are getting great training already from the many good clubs out there. The evolution of the game in the country has developed coaches that are able to identify players within the club system. With SYL ODP they'll be evaluated in the context of their club schedule.

Weibe: We received a very positive response off of the ODP system from many clubs, players and parents. We weren't really sure how the soccer community would react to the new ODP system. Although, the ideas were based on the premise of what the top clubs in the country wanted, the first year was needed to test what worked well and what didn't.

At the completion of the regional identification weekends, we conducted a survey of all of the players, coaches and parents. Overall, after the surveys the SYL ODP system got a solid B+ rating for the first year, which is very good. It gives us a strong foundation to create a strong ODP system for the players and clubs. Now that we know where to focus our points in the scouting system and the identification weekends, we can take these ideas and build them into the 2004 season.

Weibe: In 2003 Peter Vermes and John Doyle served as SYL Technical Directors. Both played a vital part in the creation of new ODP system. Although John will not be involved as a Technical Director, because he has taken on a new role as Assistant Coach for the MLS San Jose Earthquakes, he will remain a part of the development of the SYL's ODP system in Northern California.

Vermes: This system is based on league play. Every league game will be evaluated utilizing the National Scouting Network. The National Scouting Network is vertically integrated from the SYL Technical Director level to the Club Technical Director (Director of Coaching).

This concept on identification provides the individual player with the best opportunity to excel to the highest levels, because they are consistently being evaluated in their natural environment. This environment with the club through competitive league play gives a true system to identify players in their natural form, as opposed to an open tryout scenario, where players may not react as well.

Competitive league play is the closest relationship to competing in the World Cup. Players must compete for points, have synergy with their team, play for promotion, play to avoid relegation and play to win a league championship. These are the same concepts as what our U.S. National Teams face in international competition.

Part of the problem with the state ODP tryout system is that players tend to think just of themselves because that's why they are there. With SYL ODP, it is clear from the beginning that the players are being evaluated as part of - not separate from - their team context. This will also help ensure that we are developing players at all positions. The other system tends to promote forwards and midfielders because they tend to do the things that stand out in a short tryout, but in SYL ODP you're looking at who are the best central defenders, outside backs, defensive midfielders, wingers and so on.

We thought in 2003 that the player voting system at the end of each match to determine the Regional Pool Team would be effective. Overall, in some areas of the country it was effective and in others it wasn't. In developing a new strategy, we found that directly involving the Technical Director from the club instead of the individual coaches from each team would be more beneficial in the identification process. At the end of the day the Technical Director of each club knows their players and they know which players have the ability for higher levels. This isn't the case with the state ODP programs, because emphasis is placed on open try-outs based off of coaches who really don't know the players.

Vermes: The structure of the system itself provides safeguards for identifying players. The hierarchy ranges from the SYL Technical Director to the Club Technical Directors. The Divisional Head Scouts provides a system for safeguards along the way, as well as depoliticizes the process.

The premise from which all of the evaluations will be made, is based off of a competitive philosophy. If they were going to become the coach of that team, would they take that team to a youth World Cup? Would this be the same 18 players if their job was on the line? They're not there to pick players for the prestige of a club, but they are there to pick players for the interest of the nation. Clubs now have that connection to provide a service to their country and become an integral part of identifying players.
At the SYL ODP Identification Weekends the SYL Technical Director will have authority on player and coaching decisions. The SYL Technical Director will work closely with the other ODP Staff Coaches and the USSF National Staff Coaches to ensure that the proper players are being identified.

Weibe: We are putting a ton of faith in the club system, and so does every player who wants the best training. This is no different than what is done in other leading soccer nations of the world. When a national youth coach in Germany is selecting his team, he calls the coaches at Bayern Munich and the other leading clubs to find out who is deserving of a call-up. The open tryout system served its purpose for the time, but as a soccer nation we have progressed forward, and the development of high-level clubs provides the opportunity to scout players through league play. An increasing number of clubs are run like professional businesses and are more than ready to take the lead role in this process. In certain areas of the country, the state ODP has become a second club team to players, and this has an adverse effect on the clubs. It has become very apparent that there is tension between the club and state ODP systems over where a player should spend his or her time. Ultimately, a player has loyalty to their club, and that is where they need to remain. If the identification system is built into the club itself, than the club takes even more responsibility to develop its own players. That raises the whole level of soccer in our country, and ultimately raises our international competitiveness in the game.

At the end of the day, clubs are the biggest part of soccer in the United States. Clubs drive the direction of the game and make our national teams successful. The basis of this league was created to provide clubs with more opportunities and assist them in the development and change of the game. The same is with the SYL ODP system. Over the past five years, I have heard many clubs complain about the ODP programs within their states. With that mind, when were approved to have an ODP system of our own we listened to what the clubs wanted and constructed a program based off of their needs.

Vermes: Players competing in the season will be evaluated by the Divisional ODP Staff Coach within their respective division. At the end of the season the Divisional ODP Staff Coach, in conjunction with the aid of the Technical Directors of each of the clubs within the division, will formulate a Divisional ODP Team. This will comprise of 21 players in each age group; sixteen field players, two goalkeepers and five alternates.

The Divisional ODP Team selected to participate in the Regional ID Weekend will then go to one of four Identification Weekends with the other teams in the same age group from around the country. U.S. National Staff Coaches and the SYL Scouting Network will evaluate players for SYL National ODP Teams, where they will be given careful evaluation based on their technical, tactical, physical, and psychological abilities.

The regional identification weekends will include strategic training, goalkeeper training, game play and testing of things such as speed and agility. The main purpose of these weekends is for players to be closely evaluated by US National Staff Coaches and the SYL National Scouting Network. The main result of this evaluation is to form National ODP Teams consisting of 21 players (18 field players, 3 goalkeepers) in each of the SYL age groups, U13-U17.

Weibe: Since much of the evaluation takes place in the course of league play, the majority of the cost is covered in the club fees for the league. For the identification weekends we want to do as much as we can to subsidize the costs, just as we did with the initial scouting. There is going to be a minimal cost for players to cover the basics of room and board -and of course their own travel. We will continue to work out arrangements with sponsors and to pursue grants from foundations to help cover these costs. We also encourage clubs to establish foundations or scholarships to make certain that all of the top players are enabled to participate. If a player is good enough but has difficulty paying the expenses, we want to find a way to get the player there. After all, this identification process is intended to discover the best and brightest soccer players, not the ones with the most money.
The system is designed in such as way that there is minimal cost associated with operating this program.

This is not an open tryout process that involves fees, and there are no weekly practices that involve time or money. This system is designed around the competition of the league and the direct involvement from the Technical Directors of each club. In 2003 we proved that an effective low cost program would equal more opportunity for players. One of the highest ratings in the survey on the 2003 ODP system was the cost. Parents felt that they were getting great value for what they were paying. It is our belief that and ODP system should be at minimal cost to a player. With the infrastructure of the league and the clubs, the economics of this system can be kept minimal.

Vermes: This program is not designed as a scouting service for college soccer, but the collegiate and professional system will benefit from what we are doing. We will allow the collegiate system and scouts for professional clubs to tap into our resources. This will provide player profiles and league information on a regular basis. We realize the importance of collegiate recruiting for players that aspire to compete at these levels, but it is important that we maintain our focus on identifying players for U.S. National Team Programs. Our league finals are well attended by the collegiate programs, and we expect the same for the Identification Weekends.

Vermes: There will be a significant impact on this for the United States. Until the last four years, no professional teams were in the thought process of having youth development programs. The SYL has been a catalyst for this process, which has enabled professional teams to establish amateur youth teams within their organization for player development reasons. Other youth organizations in the U.S. do not have the professional and high-level amateur connection that USL has within its system. This is a major part of the SYL. Anywhere else in the world, players are identified for national teams through youth programs of professional teams. The same concept is starting to take hold here in the U.S. Although we are a long way from becoming more dependent on this, the process has begun, and pro soccer for the first time has taken the lead in assisting our National Team Programs to identify the best youth players. Coaching staff from professional teams will aid in the scouting process to identify the best youth players.

Another advantage that comes with the Super Y-League is the development of USL's connections to major European clubs. It will afford the opportunities for players to be exposed to play outside of the U.S. These are not necessarily the opportunities that they would get with their club teams or other youth organizations on summer tours or tournaments. These are strong relationships that are being built through USL. For a player that dreams of competing in Europe and elsewhere, these opportunities are going to start happening more and more.

Major League Soccer has also played an important role in the Super Y-League. With the addition of DC United, the San Jose Earthquakes and the MetroStars, developing youth programs that compete in the SYL, more opportunities will arise for players domestically. Freddy Adu competed on the DC United Super Y-League team before becoming a professional. With all of this happening it is evident that the professional soccer system in the U.S. has made a strong statement of intentions. Ultimately, the American soccer community wants to win a World Cup on the men's side and continue to win on the women's side. It is just a matter of time and the soccer community putting this together with the leadership of professional soccer.

Weibe: 2004 is the education year for parents and players. 2003 proved that a new ODP system could offer a better structure, reduce player cost and effectively identify players for U.S. National Team Programs. Already, many clubs and players are focusing on the SYL ODP system over state ODP programs, because they feel that this system complements their club and reduces competition conflicts. The SYL will consistently keep its focus on the club system and the players. If all of the right things are done this will be the one true system in the U.S. that will aid the identification process for the U.S. National Team Programs.

Weibe: The SYL administrative staff, and the ODP staff will continue to innovate this program just as we started at the first strategic meeting in 2002. Player identification is crucial to the success of our National Team Programs, and we will continue to do the right thing for the soccer community. The clubs in the league, which are our partners in this ODP system, will offer the best resource to continually developing this system. I am not saying that everything will be perfect with this system. No system is perfect. The difference with the Super Y-League is when something doesn't work or something can be better, we will make it better. We have proved this with our league over the past five years and the same methods will be used with the ODP system. Each year there will be something added, subtracted or altered, if needed, that will make this system the best identification system in the United States.

Weibe: We received very positive feedback from each of the National Staff Coaches at the regional identification weekends in January. They praised the fact that the league was utilized to directly involve the club system in identifying players, as opposed to an open try out process. It was also noted that there were many outstanding players in the SYL ODP program, which do not participate in state ODP programs. They have been very supportive of the SYL ODP system and continue to be a major factor in the development of this new program for selecting players to National Team Programs. U.S. Soccer is certainly moving forward in player development, and as new opportunities are created fro players and as the game progresses so will the need for better identification systems.