4 Questions Series - Gareth Glick STYSA ODP
April 3rd 2020
Sporting Directors Note;
One of my favorite pieces of the game is the people you meet on your travels.
I have known Gareth for a while, but most closely this year after he approached me to work with the Olympic Development Program (ODP) this past year, the program he manages for STYSA.
Gareth, pictured here at his Head Coach role for the BV Calvary is understanding of football as he is the the structure for players in the USA. His leadership is calm, considered, but ultimately player based and for love of the game. His love for it, is clear and obvious especially when he is speaking with players, parents and his colleagues.
This is ultimately reflected in a wonderful program with ODP. The past issues with the program seem to fade away and the standards are higher than ever. In turn this will drive the program forwards. This is one of the reasons TTi so gladly endorses the ODP route (there is more information on ODP below the answers).
Despite his devotion to Leeds United, I foresee us having a long friendship within and outside the game. I hope you enjoy his answers in our 4 Questions series.
1. You have made several critical changes to ODP since assuming management - how have those changes played out so far?
I think the changes have been largely positive based on the player and team development that we are seeing in each of our age groups and the positive feedback that we have received. Obviously, having more time with the players that are selected, having a consistent coaching staff in the age group and being able to bring the groups together has helped our coaches instill our principles of play and gain a better understanding of the players in their age group. I am excited about being able to see that continued growth over the next few years as we move through multiple cycles and are able to retain players from year to year.
2. The pathway for the US based player seems convoluted, how does ODP fit into that process?
I think this is a great question and one that we are in the process of discovering. Prior to the development academies, ODP was the process by which players were identified for the national team. When the development academies became part of the landscape, ODP lost its identity and there was a debate about where it sits in the US Soccer pathway. My personal vision for ODP has two sides. First of all, I believe that it’s an important identification and development tool for players in areas where they might otherwise not be found so that we can connect them to a network for progression into professional development academies. The other side is that we should be using ODP as a place to catch players as they fall out of development academies. We all know that development is not a straight line for any player. Every player will have times when they experience setbacks in their development and it’s important that we have a place that can serve as a trampoline for the players that are released from academies. I think ODP is the perfect place for those players to supplement their training while the academies can continue to monitor their development with the ultimate goal of the player bouncing back into the academy.
3. How would you describe the philosophies and playing style of the State groups?
The ODP style of play is consistent across all of our teams and across the region and the country. First and foremost, ODP is always a learning environment and we encourage our coaches to put players in pressure situations where they have to make decisions and, at times, learn from their mistakes in a safe environment that allows them the security of doing that. We ask players to be brave on the ball by playing through the lines and out of the back. You will not see an ODP team hitting a big ball from back to front. We believe that it’s important for our players to be technically sound under pressure and that they need to be able to make autonomous decisions to solve the problems that the game creates. In doing so, we believe that our players will be prepared to succeed when they reach a level where their physical skills do not separate them from the opponent.
4. What do you think is the most important advice you could give to a young player that wants to be a pro?
I think the best way to answer this is by looking at the common traits that we see in professional athletes of any sport. First of all, I believe that professional athletes are driven to improving their craft every day. This means that they are never satisfied and are always looking to find an edge in training, in games, and on their own time. They always look for ways to improve and challenge the group instead of being the average of the group. They dedicate time outside of training to perfect their craft and separate themselves from the herd. I believe that the second, and perhaps most important trait for any professional athlete, is resilience. Life is full of setbacks and development is not linear. Everyone experiences setbacks in their life and in their development but professional athletes don’t allow it to distract them from their ambition. Instead, professional athletes use those setbacks and obstacles as learning experiences and motivation to drive them forward. At the end of the day, where you finish is more important than where you are right now.
What is ODP?
STX ODP seeks to identify elite players from all over the state with the intention of developing those players with supplemental training in a competitive environment while exposing them to opportunities for success at higher levels of competition.
STX ODP offers the following benefits:
Training and playing with top players in your age group from around the state to work hand in hand with the clubs to supplement the day to day club training environment.
Instruction from highly-qualified coaches
Competition against other states’ ODP teams
Exposure to USYS Regional Scouts, US Soccer Scouts, Development Academy Coaches, Regional team scouts, and College coaches
The opportunity to represent South Texas and the South region in competition.
You can find out more about ODP here: http://www.stxsoccer.org/about_odp