Can someone explain (without editorial) what Academy ODP is?
There is nothing to explain it on the USAWP website and is sounds like it may be an invite only type thing separate from the regular ODP camps and clinics and pathway to NTSC.
If Academy is a “fight club” type of thing that we dont talk about (lol) then a DM to explain from someone in the know would be appreciated.
Thx.
Interested as well. Wondering if it’s a dated term or referring to Holiday Camp, nomination and invite only?
It’s described on the ODP website and in the ODP manual. Who is actually attending seems oddly hush hush.
It’s the really good players quietly selected after they’ve collected all the ODP camp registration fees from everyone else. Ok, kind of a harsh way to put it, but….
So thats 100% what I was thinking. Last year a guy on deck was joking it was the “Skull and Bones Society” of USA Water Polo. Hence why I was apprehensive to even ask and made the fight club reference.
Thx for the PDF NLM, I didnt go that deep on the website.
Are there Academy age groups? or is it all studs of all ages thrown in together to practice and to learn?
While we’re at it, can someone more knowledgeable than me shed some more light on holiday camp. I’m not trying to stir things up, just wanting to understand better. We don’t know anyone that has been selected to attend.
Holiday Camp is based on nominations from Zone Chairs, Club Admins, and Club coaches, from all Zones, and it’s for 8th graders at least 12 years old. Based on feedback we have heard from PSW participants, it’s reasonably well organized. For the SoCal participants, note that it takes place in December at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, so a warm jacket, hat, and gloves might be needed!
My son participated in all USA water polo/ODP related camps from the holiday camp, Jos, NTSC, middle school championship, and the national team. His fondest memories are from the holiday camp. Highly recommended.
@wp2024 once a club admin nominates what criteria does ODP use to select? Do you know what is asked on the nomination form? Also does it show a better chance of being selected for regionals? Thanks
Our club sent a girl to Holliday camp last year, she was passed over for girls on the coaches team. So no it does not guarantee your kid a spot in ODP. I believe every club gets to nominate one boy and one girl. I think they all get in. I would put that money in their college fund. My kid did ODP until they moved it to Chicago… Academy kids got to skip the camps but had to show at the selection scrimmages. I believe Academy is the top kids from that years NTSC camp. Top academy kids are named to teams the others get to practice a couple times a year with the group. It is like a 30 man college roster but only 15 get to travel.
Holiday camp is based on club selection (~2 players in 8th grade). I don’t think ODP makes any further selection. There is no connection at all between the holiday camp and the ODP pipeline process and does not increase changes of being selected for regionals in a any direct manner other than the obvious bias where the clubs usually send their best players. Hence, those players are usually also selected for the regional teams. As a general comment, the ODP pipeline process (regional, national, NTSC) has its weaknesses, inconsistencies, and politics. You will see players that are not getting selected one your to regionals then are selected to the national team the following year, and sometimes vice versa. Politics – ODP process tends to put some emphasis on diversity of clubs. That is, kids from top clubs might be disadvantaged if they are the ‘4th kids’ versus the ‘2nd kid’ from a less competitive club. Overall, the process is too long and expensive when coaches can identify talent based on seeing them playing for 10min. But, that’s the process with its dis/advantages. good luck
OK, now for some editorial. Everyone needs to weigh what they think they are getting out of the ODP experience. IMO, it provides a social experience for the players and maybe a few hours of diverse coaching. Both are benefits. The play tends to be very selfish. It may provide some exposure for very high level players that either play outside of California or play for very small clubs. But let’s be honest, there’s no reason a kid from a school/club like Newport or Harvard Westlake needs to go to ODP for exposure. If you go to a camp or selection process, it’s just that, an experience. Chances are, 90%+ of the selections are made before anyone watches a selection camp. However, if the Academy kids skip the regular camps, it actually gives all the other kids there a chance to be seen. So, while it may seem like a unfair perk given to kids who have been there before, it actually may provide more opportunity for the kids at the camp. If your kid is part of the Academy, he or she can expect to go pretty far.
Thanks, NLM.
Here is some pertinent text from the document:
ODP Academy
Based on performances in the previous season in the program and pipeline teams, an ODP athlete may be invited to participate in the ODP Academy. This group is made up of invitation only athletes hand selected by our National Team staffs from the previous year’s ODP and pipeline national team season. A first year ODP athlete is not eligible for participation in the Academy.
Training will be held approximately once a month from October through May 20XX, and led by USAWP Senior Team coaching staff. The Academy athletes will then be released to their respective zone teams for zone training and the ODP National Championships. Specific Academy training dates will be delivered to the invited athletes after all current pipeline team activities are complete. The ODP Academy provides our potential future Olympians with year-round training and instruction from the top of the pipeline.
We were part of a club that discouraged ODP at the youth age group level. The coach would say that everything you learn at ODP is already taught at the club. Based on the early ODP camps we tried, our daughter agreed and so we stopped.
We decided to try again at 16U and the experience was different. While she didn’t necessarily learn anything new, she liked playing for different coaches and more importantly getting to know other girls that she has played against for the last several years. We noticed that the girls who had stuck with ODP since Development were at an advantage over everyone else…part of that was due to familiarity with the coaches and each other and not necessarily playing ability - they were familiar with the ODP coaching style and played with confidence.
These same girls who have stayed in the pipeline are also the ones who have been invited to Academy and ultimately were being recruited first by the top schools. Some schools will come right out and say that they only recruit from National Team players.
It’s never too late to start ODP and get invited to Academy. Everyone develops at their own pace. I would say that USAWP has done a nice job of expanding the ODP program to give everyone an opportunity to develop and reach their full potential.
Academy was originally mostly for the Youth NT level and above, but has now expanded to include Cadet training as well.
Content cannot be retrieved…
Does anyone know the criteria and who is responsible for selecting who gets chosen to attend Holiday Camp?
Kids are nominated by Club Coaches or Admin. There is a limit per club. So good luck if your club coach is a Parent with a kid the same age as yours.
USA Water Polo is proud to announce the 2024 ODP Holiday Camp
Dates:
Boys Holiday Camp – December 5th – 8th, 2024
Girls Holiday Camp – December 12th – 15th, 2024
We are giving Zone Chairs, Club Admins, and Coaches the first opportunity to nominate athletes for the camps. You will have until October 18th to get your nominations in before it is opened to ALL eligible athletes that are interested in consideration. Nominations will close on October 27th. All Families will be notified by November 1st.
Clubs are limited to 3 nominations per gender. Rankings will go 1 through 3, 1 being your first choice.
Please ensure that no more than one coach from the club submits nominations. Please communicate internally before submitting nominations. Any duplicate club nominations will be voided, and the first entered will take precedence. In the past, we have only been able to offer the camp to the athletes ranked 1st. So please set the expectation accordingly.
Before you nominate an athlete, please inform the athlete and their parents. Please don’t nominate an athlete who does not want to or cannot attend. Make sure they know what Holiday Camp is and when it is.
Your nomination does not mean they are selected. Please do not inform them that they are attending; we will issue selection emails.
Eligibility:
This camp is grade-based - all campers must be in the 8th grade this year. No 7th graders will be accepted.
Athletes must be current USAWP Gold Members.
The club administrator is responsible for confirming that the athlete is in 8th Grade. There are no exceptions.
All nominations will be done through the online nomination form
2024 Girls Holiday Camp Nomination Form
2024 Boys Holiday Camp Nomination Form
Camp size is limited to 120 athletes allocated by ODP Zone
Camp Nominations will be accepted: 10/04/24 through 10/27/24
Costs:
Athlete - $650
Includes campers’ housing, food, and all camp materials.
Airfare is NOT included.
Coach Interest Registration Information:
We will select 24 coaches for each camp to attend the coach’s clinic held in conjunction with the camp. Please make sure you share this info with all your staff. To express interest in attending the camp, current coaches must log into their USAWP membership account on Sport80 and click on Conferences on the left side menu. There, they will find the Boys and Girls camp. They need to register their interest there to be considered.
This does not guarantee your spot at the camp. It is just letting us know you are interested. Then, our High-Performance Staff will make selections and send invitations to selected coaches to attend the 2024 Holiday Camp. Only book your flights once the section email is sent out.
Costs:
Registrations of Interest are free; attending the Holiday Camp is a fee of $125, including room and board, and Airfare is not included.
Ground Transportation to and from COS Airport and the OTC is covered by the USOPC Shuttle.
The USA Water Polo Holiday Camp was started in 1985 and remains one of the USAWP’s greatest annual events. Each year, athletes and coaches from across the country have convened at the USA Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to learn from the top coaches in the country. In 2009, the Holiday Camp was moved under the auspices of the Olympic Development Program (ODP) to continue the tradition of conducting the Holiday Camp with an emphasis on the long-term development of athletes and coaches. In 2009, referees were added to the Holiday Camp.
In 2010, the Holiday Camp was divided into a Boy’s and Girl’s Camp to increase the number of athletes, coaches, and referees participating in this special environment conducted by the best in our sport at an Olympic Training Center.
Thanks,
USA Water Polo
Thanks! Do you know who selects from ODP? Respective boys and girls national development team coaches?
what do you mean? Who selects the kids to get to compete in the ODP championships? That should be the coaches that run the camps and coach the teams. There is pressure added by clubs to get their kids on a team but ultimately the coaches at the day camps are the ones making the teams. Again, the Holiday camp has nothing to do with the ODP day camps and ODP National Championships.