The Richmond Kickers are pleased to announce that U18 Girls Elite players Payton Cook and Katie Cousins and U16 Girls Elite player Seeley Yoo were selected to the US Youth Soccer ODP 1998 and 1996 All-Star teams, respectively, for the 2013 Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program Girls Thanksgiving Interregional, which took place November 24-29 at Spanish River Athletic Park in Boca Raton, FL.
Of the nearly 300 players that participated in the event, four rosters were constituted based on outstanding performance, one for each of the 1996 through 1999 age groups.
The US Youth Soccer ODP Girls Thanksgiving Interregional featured players that were selected from US Youth Soccer State Association and regional level evaluations. Throughout the six-day event, players trained at practices and competed in matches in front of nearly 100 national staff and collegiate coaches for the opportunity to be selected to a higher level of play.
US Youth Soccer ODP, established in 1977, is the original Olympic development program in the United States. Formed to identify a pool of players in each age group from which a National Team could be selected for international competition, selected players are exposed to the nation’s top coaches from collegiate institutions, U.S. Soccer and the professional leagues. Programs exist in each state and with competitions such as the US Youth Soccer ODP Championships, Interregional Training/Competition, Regional Camps and International play. US Youth Soccer ODP continues to lead the way in elite player identification and development. US Youth Soccer ODP is an approved program of the U.S. Soccer Federation.
