As has been the case over the past few years, this year’s ODP staff once again took a little while to configure. We are constantly looking at ways to improve the product we provide for our players and their families. While we believe that we currently offer one of the finest and most comprehensive programs in Region 1, we will never stop looking for ways to grow and improve. We pride ourselves on offering a program that challenges our players with more than just training sessions. It’s critical that our staff not only understands the technical and tactical aspects for the game, but also has the ability to create an environment where the players are free to be creative and explore the boundaries of their ability. This commitment to pure development is central to the selection of our staff … it also makes the task of finding coaches with the appropriate range of skills and talents, much more challenging.
While the process may have taken a little longer than usual, I believe we have assembled an excellent staff for this year’s program. You can rest assured that the players are in the hands of the most qualified people that could possibly be assembled from our State Association. They are professional, committed, and excited about getting started in December. You can also expect them to be courteous, punctual and available to you and your son or daughter.
In response to feedback from players, parents and staff, we have made a significant change to the format of our indoor training program this year. The most important change is that the players will be with us for longer periods of time. Our indoor sessions will be 4.5 to 5 hours in duration. Even though the sessions will be longer, we believe that this is a more efficient use of everyone’s time. Each indoor session will be divided into three separate units. The first unit will be a 90 minute field session that will focus on the technical aspects of the game. The middle unit will be held in a classroom and will cover a variety of topics, including self-training, nutrition, positional roles and responsibilities, goal setting and role models, and parent education. The final unit will be another 90 minute field session that will be functional in nature.
The head coaches have been through a planning workshop where the format of the indoor sessions was outlined, and together we have collected and developed content that represents some of the latest and greatest material related to each subject. The material will be delivered at an age appropriate level.
The coaches in both head and assistant positions have been selected not only for their on field ability, but also for their communication skills in the classroom and their underpinning knowledge of one or more of the above subjects. Since we will only see the players four times during the indoor program, support from the parents becomes critical to our success. Whenever appropriate (and as space permits), we welcome the participation of the parents in the classroom sessions.
As always, when new ventures are attempted there are bound to be some unforeseen obstacles that are out of our control. All the advanced planning can sometimes come unstuck through no fault of our own, so we ask that you are patient and supportive as possible during this initial year of change. As always we welcome your input and feedback to help us continue to improve the program.
Glen Buckley
State Director of Coaching
