The year 2008 has been a banner year for the Roswell Soccer Club. After a national search the club hired Manny Sanchez as Director of Coaching, our U-14 girls were selected to participate in the Region 3 Premier League, our U-16 boys were promoted to Classic 1 and we had 12 players selected for the Georgia State Soccer Olympic Development Program.

The number of players selected is four times the number of players selected the previous years. The players who were selected are considered among the best players in the state of Georgia and are picked via a series of tryouts, scouting and recommendations. The ODP system is the first step in the selection process for the United States National Teams. The state of Georgia participates in a number of sub-regional events against other state ODP teams. The last sub-regional event was held in Gainesville, GA the weekend of January 10^th and 11^th, 2009. During those events scouts from the Region III (Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida, Mississippi and Alabama) and U.S. National Staff evaluate players to move forward. The ODP year culminates in a week long Region III Camp where final evaluations and selections are made for the Region III team. The Region III selections then compete for spots on the U.S. National Team rosters and pool. Last year one of Roswell’s own, Kelsey Nix was selected to the Region III pool.

ODP players get the opportunity to train with the top players and coaches from the state and get to know players they would normally be facing on the other side of the soccer pitch. It is a great learning opportunity and an ideal way to showcase talent, develop life-long friends and gives the players the opportunity to represent Georgia on the field! For more information on ODP go to:http://www.gasoccer.org/org/orginfo.asp?o=1728&wzb=1