Skyline League Awarded ODP District
SOCA is pleased to announce that in a joint effort with VYSA (Virginia Youth Soccer Association), SOCA has agreed to become the host for a VYSA Satellite District Olympic Development Program (ODP) for boys and girls. The Satellite District will be led by Carl Gray (VYSA State ODP coach) and Brian Kuk (SOCA DOC and Region I Boys ODP staff). The satellite district coaching staff will include select coaches from Shenandoah Valley United, Augusta FC, Faquier Football Club, Culpeper Soccer Association, and SOCA.
VYSA recently released the following statement:
The VYSA is pleased to announce the addition of a new ODP satellite location in Charlottesville, Virginia. This West-Central location will help serve not only Charlottesville, but the surrounding areas and the many members of the Skyline Soccer League. Gordon Miller, VYSA Technical Director, “We are very excited about coming to this area to identify, help develop, and, ultimately showcase the most talented, committed youth soccer players at a higher level. We felt like there were a number of good players, who were missing out on the benefit of the ODP, because they couldn’t travel the distance to our closest district training locations of Roanoke and Richmond. Therefore, we thought we should try and serve our members better and bring our most successful program to them.”
Tryouts will be held August 7 & 8, 2010 at South Fork Soccer Park in Charlottesville. For more information on the benefits of the ODP and how to register for the tryouts please visit the VYSA website at www.vysa.com.
After the tryouts and player identification dates wrap up, regular ODP training will then take place, at the same location, every Friday night (beginning at 5PM) throughout the fall. The West-Central players will then come together, in November and December, to compete with and against all the other talented players from around Virginia for possible inclusion into the state teams.
“Bill Mueller and Brian Kuk of SOCA have been instrumental in helping to open up this area to the ODP. Along with our head coach, Carl Gray, we are looking forward to working with them to get this program off the ground,” claimed Miller.
This new development in ODP system will dramatically reduce traveling distances thereby allowing players from the west-central portion of the state, in the region surrounding Charlottesville, to participate in the state-run program with increased convenience.
“Creating a satellite district operating from Charlottesville makes perfect soccer sense. We believe that there are many qualified District ODP candidates that are not choosing to participate, simply because of the distance of travel. VYSA has done a wonderful job assessing the potential of this area and the quality of players from west-central and central Virginia. There are many talented players that are not involved with VYSA ODP, especially from Harrisonburg, Augusta, Charlottesville, Fluvanna and surrounding areas. I hope that they see this as there opportunity to be seen, to be identified into a great program without worrying about constant long distance travel”, said Brian Kuk.
For more information on the VYSA ODP program and the Charlottesville district check www.VYSA.com or contact Brian Kuk at Brian.Kuk@SOCAspot.org.
Fall 2011 Crowns Two Club Champions
Central Virginia United captured the Premier Club Championship for Fall 2011. The win came in Coaching Director Brentley Kellum's first season as DOC. Congratulations to Coach Kellum and CVU for their accomplishment. CVU won the title with an impressive overall season. Fielding teams in 15 of 16 divisions, CVU took first place in six age groups and came second in three. The total of 116 club points amassed by the club easily outdistanced spring champion New River United by 31 points in second place. Valley Association Football Club finished third in their first full season of fall play while defending fall champion SOCA took fourth. Augusta Futbol Club and Shenandoah Valley United rounded out the table in 5th and 6th place respectively. CVU's title marked the club's second such achievement but their first since the League's inaugural season in 2005. At that time, the club was known as Lynchburg United.
Fluvanna Youth Soccer Association won the Fall 2011 Classic Club Championship in a very even race. Five clubs each completed impressive seasons with FYSA nipping Greene Futbol Club for first by a margin of 39 club points to 33. Greene's runner up finish is their best ever result in the Skyline League. Defending champion Heart of Virginia Soccer Club took third place closely followed by Central Virginia United and Nelson Express in fourth and fifth respectfully. Fluvanna's championship was their third triumph in the Classic Club competition since it began in the spring of 2010.
For more information on the seasonal Club Championship please check the Champions Page of this website.