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Premier
Program
Odyssey builds premier teams U12 – U18 through open tryouts during the summer. Players who are selected for team rosters are assured their spots through winter and spring play but must try out again for positions on the following year’s teams. Although coaches choose players in order to field strong teams, the primary focus of Odyssey’s soccer program from Academy at U6 through Premier at U18 is on player development rather than team success. Obviously, participation on a good team exposes players to a high quality training environment, and a strong team enjoys competitive advantages as it gains acceptance into high level leagues and tournaments: players benefit from participating on strong teams. On the other hand, a “winning” team that excludes any player from access to resources, including coaching attention and substantial match experience, is not a successful Odyssey team.
Odyssey's soccer curriculum sets specific age-appropriate goals for players in five different areas as they progress through its Premier program:
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Technique
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Tactics
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Fitness
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Psychology
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Formations
Expectations
Training begins early in December and lasts through June. During the winter, teams train twice weekly at the Stevens Avenue Armory in Portland, and players also have access to optional weekly hour-long sessions each in foot skills, fitness and goal-keeping. Premier teams will compete in Odyssey’s Winter Freeze tournament and one or two other indoor tournaments, and the Club’s coaching staff is currently investigating appropriate indoor league options for teams at all levels and hopes that every group can join a local indoor league. Premier teams move from the armory to outdoor training spaces as soon as weather permits. Twice-weekly training continues, but foot skills, fitness and goal-keeping training are absorbed into regular team training sessions. Currently, outdoor league choices are Soccer Maine’s Pine Tree League for the youngest teams, New England Premier for most teams, and Region 1 for any highly qualified team that can’t find suitable competition closer to home. Teams will compete in two or three outdoor tournaments, chosen for the level of competition expected at the tournament and also for schedule and travel considerations.
Gear
- New Odyssey players buy a Nike kit consisting of a warm-up top and bottom, two game jerseys, shorts, and two pairs of socks. The price is about $200.
- Each player must bring a soccer ball to every training session and game.
- Turf shoes or sneakers
- Water bottle
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Shin guards
2009-2010 Fees
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Classic
