ENYYSA Release – April 22, 2014-If you ask «Parlez-vous français?» when attending the 3rd Annual ODP College Showcase this weekend at Golden Goal Park in Fort Ann, you could receive an enthusiastic «Oui!». That’s because for the first time ever, the ODP College Showcase will have an international flavor as Provincial teams from the Province of Québec will be taking on Olympic Development Program (ODP) teams from the Northeast United States. 20 teams, both boys and girls squads of teens born in 1997, ‘98 and ‘99, will be competing and the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) will be well represented by seven ODP teams.
The games will be played this Saturday, April 26 from 8:15 am to 5:15 pm and on Sunday, April 27 from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm.
ODP is traditionally considered the highest level of youth soccer in the state. Eastern New York has been running a very successful program for decades and former ODP players such as Crystal Dunn, Cari Roccaro and Nicholas Gaitan have all used ODP as a springboard to represent the United States recently in international competition.
“We are very pleased to host the 3rd Annual ODP College Showcase this weekend at Golden Goal Park,” commented Richard Christiano, President of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association. “To broaden the experience, we will have a panel of college coaches from all types of schools to discuss expectations and the how-to’s on being recruited plus once again have a Saturday night social with a DJ.”
Beautiful Golden Goal Park is in Fort Ann, a short corner kick from Lake George, and is located at the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains. To keep costs down, players and families will be staying in cabins at the scenic facility on both Friday and Saturday night.
27 coaches from both men’s and women’s programs attended last year and 39 programs have already committed to scouting the competition this weekend as our event becomes a fixture on the Northeast soccer calendar. This is purely a showcase, not a tournament, and no standings will be kept.