US Youth Soccer ODP National Championships

The US Youth Soccer ODP National Championships brings top male and female youth players in the United States to match skills with one another. State ODP teams compete in each of US Youth Soccer's four regions for the chance to participate in the annual National Championships tournaments. The Championships offer players an incentive to continue their participation in the state's Olympic Development Program, which seeks to enhance and accelerate their growth through a variety of competitive elements. ODP identifies and develops youth players throughout the country to represent their State Associations, Region and the United States in national and international competition. Players are selected on the basis of open tryouts. The US Youth Soccer ODP National Championships spotlight the future U.S. Soccer stars, and allows exposure to national team and college coaches. The US Youth Soccer National Championships occur each year in March. Two age-groups of male and female teams participate each year (e.g. 1989s and 1987s will participate in March 2005). The state team from each of the four regions of US Youth Soccer that won their Regional ODP Championship earns the right to attend the US Youth Soccer ODP National Championships.

US Youth Soccer ODP Region III Championships

The US Youth Soccer ODP Region III Championships occur every July. The state winners of this tournament earn the right to participate in the US Youth Soccer ODP National Championships the following March. In the past, the Region III ODP Championship tournament was held separately in conjunction with the Region III ODP boys and girls’ camps. Beginning in 2005, the Region III ODP Championship tournament will be a joint event (boys and girls) of both age-groups. The tournament will occur in the middle of the Region III ODP camps.