2007 US Youth Soccer ODP Girls Thanksgiving Interregional Schedule Announced
Coral Springs, Florida

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FRISCO, Texas (September 18, 2007) The annual US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program (US Youth Soccer ODP) Girls Thanksgiving Interregional is scheduled to be at the North Community Park and Coral Glades High School Sportsplex in Coral Springs, Florida. Teams will arrive on November 17, for two days of training, with competition play beginning on the 19th and running through Friday, November 23.

Continuing its tradition of elite play, competition and player development, youth from the nation's elite player identification and development program, US Youth Soccer ODP, will train and compete in front of U.S. Soccer National Team Staff and leading collegiate coaches to maximize their exposure for selection to National Teams and collegiate programs.

The US Youth Soccer ODP Girls Thanksgiving Interregional will represent teams in the 1991 – 1993 age groups including the U.S. Soccer Under-15 and Under-16 National Team Pools. For more information on the US Youth Soccer ODP Girls Thanksgiving Interregional, including schedules, visit www.USYouthSoccer.org. National teams from the United States and Canada are also participating in the Thanksgiving Interregional.

Rosters for the US Youth Soccer ODP Girls Thanksgiving Interregional will be released on November 1, 2007. US Youth Soccer ODP is viewed as the premier identification and development program for the national's youth seeking the opportunity to compete at the national and collegiate levels of play.

"The US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program is a vital part of the identification process for our youth national teams,"" said U.S. Women's National Team head coach Greg Ryan. "Creating an environment for the most talented girls to play with and against the best players possible not only allows for their maximum growth as players, but also allows the national team coaches to see who really has the qualities to play at the highest level. The US Youth Soccer ODP gets a lot of credit for the success of our youth national teams at all age levels."

Initially created in 1977 as the US Youth Soccer Select Team Program, US Youth Soccer ODP was formed to identify a pool of players in each age group from which a National Team could be selected for international competition. A girls program was added to US Youth Soccer in 1985.

The players must try out to qualify for the program's high-level training from carefully selected and licensed coaches through a series of trails at their local, State Association and then regional levels. Those selected are exposed to the nation's best coaches, trainers and facilities.

US Youth Soccer ODP is the original Olympic Development Program and the only elite player development program that can claim members of Major League Soccer as well as a majority of current and past national and youth team members, as alumni. US Youth Soccer ODP begins at the state level and offers regional and national championships and participation in international tournaments. For thirty years US Youth Soccer ODP continues to lead the way for players seeking to participate at the highest levels of soccer.