5 FIERCE Players Selected for ODP

The Olympic Development Program (ODP) seeks to identify top players from across the state, support their development with additional training, and provide opportunities for players interested in competing at the next level. This season, US Soccer officially sanctioned the STX ODP as a Soccer Talent Development Program. To receive this designation, STX ODP met the US Soccer Federation's criteria for its programming, standards, and history of player development.

The selection process for ODP is proficiency-based, with only the top players at ID events receiving an invitation to join for the season. Upon selection, players attend monthly pool training sessions to prepare for showcases, regional friendlies, an international trip, and sub-regional events. After attending Player ID events in August, 5 FIERCE players were selected.

Nicole, Campbell, and Amelia have earned consecutive selections to ODP. They return to ODP alongside FIERCE DOC Kamille Cervantes and FIERCE GK Director Nicki Swanson. Both Coach Kamille and Coach Nicki have several years of ODP experience under their belt and are returning to their ODP leadership positions from last season. Coach Kamille will serve as the 2014 Girls Lead Coach, while Coach Nicki will continue as the Goalkeeper Director.

FIERCE is proud to see players embrace the challenge of competing with top talent in STX and earn the recognition of selection to ODP training pools. We look forward to seeing the growth of each of these players over the season, and hope it inspires other FIERCE players to embrace new challenges!

To learn more about STX ODP, visit the USYS South Texas website, or contact Coach Kamille or Coach Nicki.