Michigan Olympic Development Program for Soccer

[Skulley]

I am proud to announce that my son made the Michigan State Olympic Development Team for soccer in his age group which is done by birth year.  He was born in 2000.  He was one of 30 kids picked out of over 80 kids.  He really worked hard to get there.  He is now on the road to the Regional Team and then hopefully with a lot of hard work and perseverance, the National Team, and maybe in time the U.S. Olympic Soccer Team. 

The tryouts were this weekend August 4 and August 5 at Canton Independence Park.  The tryouts are age group specific and he was one of five kids from his club that are his team mates that made it in that age group.  His club had the most kids that made it.  It was pretty interesting to see the tryout process that they use to pick these kids.  It was very competitive and all the kids were excellent soccer players.  It should be an interesting road to travel and I will keep you all informed as to how he does.


BD                   

[Skulley]

The U12 Michigan Olympic Development Program for Soccer had their first trainings on November 17 and 18 at the Eastern Michigan University Soccer/Football Dome.  All 30 players showed up and Coach Gronthik Chatterjee lead the troops in a very tough and challenging practice.  My son played in three different positions, right forward, and then at right and left halfback respectively.  At the halfback positions, he showed the why he should make the first cut coming in January by shutting down two of the top forwards in the age group.  My son usually plays in the midfield on his regular travel club team but has most recently indicated to his coach that he really likes playing defense too henceforth the halfback positions Coach Chatterjee assigned him to during the training. 


The next trainings are in January at Wixom Total Soccer.  I'll be sure to let you all know how that turns out.


BD                           

[djkimmel]

Tell Alec I said congratulations and good luck!

[Skulley]

Thanks DK.  I let him know and he said thanks too.  We appreciate your support.  Alec is probably playing the best soccer he's ever played.  He certainly is motivated and it's been showing in training as well as in games as of late.  I am proud that he has set goals for himself.  The bride and I are very proud of him.  That's pretty impressive for a 12 year old kid.


BD                   

[BIGSHOW]

Congrats for your son. I wish him luck

[Skulley]

Thanks BIGSHOW. We appreciate it.


BD.                 

[bigjc]

As the father of a boy who loves soccer (while I wish he loved football) I echo the sentiments of Congrats and good luck.  Hope his good fortune doesn't cut into fishing time too much...LOL

[Skulley]

Is your boy playing travel soccer bigjc?? It automatically cuts into fishing time. I wouldn't miss it for the world. Alec is very exciting to watch as he is more a play maker than a goal scorer. He does score his share of goals, but he is very generous with the ball.


BD.                             

[bigjc]

Actually, Noah is only 9, and he plays in a league sponsored by my church.  It only runs for 15 weeks, so it doesn't really cut into fishing...yet.

[LAPORTE]

Congrats to Alec there Bill, Sounds Like your doing a great job... Keep up the good work. It takes time grooming the youth of America... there will plenty of time for fishing 

LaPorte

[Skulley]

Actually, Noah is only 9, and he plays in a league sponsored by my church.  It only runs for 15 weeks, so it doesn't really cut into fishing...yet.

That's sounds like a rec league. In travel, you're going to trainings 3 to 4 times a week. There are games almost every weekend. Then there's tournaments out of town like Columbus, Cincinnati, Fort Wayne, Indy, Chicago, to name a few. That's all year long except maybe mid-June until August 1st when it all starts over again. It's more as they get older. Since Alec made the ODP team, so far, there is the 1st cut in January, and he makes the final team, there is a regional tournament usually in Chicago, in July. So I will be taking vacation days to fish during the week. If I get out fishing 25 times a year, that's a lot with a kid playing travel. If Noah gets the bug, you may have to join a travel club near your home.

It's not like that for every parent whose kid is playing travel. It is for me because mine is ahead of the curve for his age. He may be one that makes it to the big league. So with him being right now one of the top 30 kids in the state in his age group, well I guess that says something about him as a player. He is playing some if the best soccer I have ever seen him play right now and he is very exciting to watch.

Don, thanks. I still get out and fish, but his development is very important to the bride and I and we're going to make sure he turns out to be a respectable young man. Thanks!!


BD.                

[Skulley]

Here is the latest news from the soccer front sports fans. I am very proud to announce that my son made the final cut for the Michigan ODP this past Sunday March 3, 2013. The training session was at Michigan State University at the Duffy Daughtery Building. He is one of 16 field players on the team along with 2 goalkeepers. They will be training a couple times a month until the team travels to Rockford, Illinois to play in the Midwest Regional tournament. There will be a team there from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and of course our Michigan boys as well as North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Pennsylvania. That won't be until the end of June and early July. Aside from trainings, the boys will have a soccer camp at Grand Valley State sometime in May to June time frame.  The Midwest Regional Tournament is where they pick players for the National Pool.  Players from the National Pool of Players is where the Olympic Team is picked from. U13 age group in this case or kids born in 2000 won't be eligible for that Pool until 2017 to actually be able to have a shot at making the U.S. Olympic Team. More to come as I learn more.


BD.                            

[djkimmel]

He could be the first GreatLakesBass.com Olympian?

[Skulley]

He could be.....



BD.