Frequently
Asked Questions
(FAQ’s)
Who should participate in the Olympic Development
Program?
The
Olympic Development Program (ODP) is the entry point for USA Water Polo girl’s
and boy’s Youth and Junior National Teams.
The Youth age is 15/ 16 years old & younger and the Junior age is 17
to 18 years old.
|
|
June 2008-May 2009
Born in Years
|
June 2009-May 2011
Born in Years
|
|
Junior
Age: 17/18
|
1991-1992
|
1993-1994
|
|
Youth
Age: 15/16 & under
|
1993 & under
|
1995 & under
|
What is the Olympic Development Program?
The
Olympic Development Program serves as the primary feeder system for USA Water
Polo’s Junior and Youth National Teams. The foundation of the program is a
systematic approach to athlete, coach and referee development through a year
round training program that focuses on long term development.
When are tryouts for the Olympic
Development Program for athletes born in 1991- 92 and 1993 & under?
Tryouts
for the Olympic Development Program will take place January- March 2009.
Where are tryouts for the Olympic
Development Program for athletes born in 1991- 92 and 1993 & under??
Tryouts
for the Olympic Development Program are conducted throughout the United States
in twelve training zones. The twelve
training zones are as follows:
Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, Mountain, Pacific
Northwest, Hawaii, Pacific CA, Central CA, Coastal CA,
Southern Pacific and Pacific Southwest.
How do athletes born in 1991-92 and 1993
& under tryout for the Olympic Development Program?
Each
training zone will be conducting ODP tryouts for their individual zone. Interested athletes should sign-up for the
tryout through their zone. Athletes
should visit their local zone website for details about the tryout.
ODP
training teams are announced at the conclusion of each tryout.
How do athletes born in 1995 & under
tryout for the Olympic Development Program?
1995
& under tryouts will be conducted in each ODP training zone during the
months of April- June. The Olympic
Development Program will manage the registration process for the tryouts. ODP coaches in collaboration with the Zone
Chairs and the Olympic Development Program will determine dates and location.
All
1995 & under tryouts will be for 10 hours and there will be $100 tryout
fee. All tryouts will follow the same
ODP tryout plan and selection process.
The Olympic Development Department will select the coaches to administer
the 1995 & under tryouts.
At
the conclusion of each tryout, each ODP training zone will name an ODP training
team of 18- 32 athletes. The 1995 &
under ODP training teams will begin year round training in Phase 2 (June 2009-
May 2010) of the Olympic Development Program.
Athletes
born in 1995 and under are encouraged to participate in the 1993 and under
tryouts. If not selected for the 1993
and under training team, the experience will be beneficial for the 1995 and
under tryouts. Furthermore, athletes who
are born in 1997 and under are encouraged to attend the 1995 and under
tryouts. An athlete will be charged only
one tryout if they tryout for more than one age group.
Do athletes have to have a USA
Water Polo membership to participate in ODP?
Yes,
all ODP athletes must have a current GOLD USA Water Polo membership.
Can you explain the
phases of the Olympic Development Program?
The Olympic Development Program will be implemented in two phases.
Phase 1: January 5th - May 25th,
2009 Phase 2: June 1st, 2009 -
May 31st, 2010
·
ODP
operates on a 2-year cycle following FINA age categories
o 2008-09
Age Categories (Male and Female)
§
Born in 1991-92 (17/18 & u: Junior)
§
Born in 1993 & u (1516 & u: Youth)
·
Phase
1: January 5th-May 25, 2009
o
Phase
1 ends May 25th, 2009 at the conclusion of the ODP Championship
§
Phase 1 is the completion of the 2008-09 2 year
cycle
Training Hours
Phase 1 (January 1st – May 25th,
2009): ODP Training Teams will train for a minimum of 20 hours and a maximum of
30 hours
Phase 2 (June 1st, 2009 – May 31st,
2010): ODP Training Teams will train for a minimum of 60 hours and a maximum of
80 hours
·
Some
teams may not be able to train in the same location for all the
training
hours due to geographical challenges
o
Those
teams/athletes will train at selected times in their respective geographical
areas to complete their training hours
Why should I
participate in the Olympic Development Program?
Olympic Development
Program Slogan: ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE
ODP Top 12 PRINCIPLES:
·
Raise college profile
·
Respect for the Game
·
Year round training for long term improvement
·
Nationalize water polo
·
Train and compete with and against the best players in the
USA Water Polo
·
Feeder system for the National Teams
·
Systematic Athlete, Coach and Referee instruction
·
Progressive and Evaluative Standards
·
Top quality coaches
·
Opportunity to be seen by
National Teams Coaches
·
Opportunity to compete at the
ODP Championships
·
Learn the American System of Play
Are their fees involved with ODP?
Yes.
Tryout
Fees
Each
athlete must pay a tryout fee. These
fees will vary by zone for athletes born in 1991-92 and 1993 & under age
groups. The 1995 & under tryouts
will be a set fee of $100.00.
Training
Fees: Phase 1
Each ODP training team athlete will have a
training fee of $400. Fees can be
paid in 2 payments of $200. The first
payment is due two weeks after being selected to the ODP training team. The entire $400 can be paid in the first
installment. The second payment is due
no later than May 1, 2009.
Phase 1 Training Fees = $400
|
Training Hours
|
Cost Per Hour
|
|
30
|
$13.33
|
|
28
|
$14.29
|
|
25
|
$16.00
|
|
22
|
$18.18
|
|
20
|
$20.00
|
For Phase 2, each ODP training team athlete will have a training fee of $800. The breakdown of payments for Phase 2 is as
follows:
|
Phase 2: 2 Segments
|
Amount Due
|
Payment Due Date
|
|
Phase 2: Segment 1
June 2009- December 2009
|
$200
|
August 1, 2009
|
|
|
$200
|
November 1, 2009
|
|
Phase 2: Segment 2 January
2010- May 2010
|
$200
|
February 1, 2009
|
|
|
$200
|
May 1, 2009
|
Segment Fees can also be paid in one installment for Phase 2.
Phase 2 Training Fees = $800
|
Training Hours
|
Cost Per Hour
|
|
80
|
$10.00
|
|
75
|
$10.67
|
|
70
|
$11.43
|
|
65
|
$12.31
|
|
60
|
$13.33
|
What do the training fees cover?
All
fees go directly to the expenses and operations of the Olympic Development
Program, which is augmented by direct and indirect support from the United
States Olympic Committee and from USA Water Polo.
The purpose of implementing a fee structure
is to ensure the ODP programs provide adequate and uniform training and competition
across the nation, as well as serious evaluation, mentoring and education all
direct towards the development of ODP athletes, coaches and referees.
Fees help support
2009 ODP Major Initiatives:
- ODP Summit
for ODP Coaches, Referees and Coordinators
- ODP Championship Team Travel:
all expenses for coaches and referees and hotel and ground transportation
for each athlete
- ODP Coaches Mentoring Program:
Assign Olympic Development and/or National Teams Staff to ODP Training
Teams
- Olympic Development and
National Teams Staffs visits to ODP Teams
- Grant in Aid Program
- ODP Coaches Stipends
- Olympic Development Training
Centers
- On-Line Coaches and Referees
Education
- ODP Instructional Videos
- Opportunity for ODP Coaches and Referees
to visit National Teams training and competition
- Move the management of ODP to
USAWP and the Olympic Development Department
Are there any grants that I can apply for that will
help pay for the training fees?
Yes. An ODP Grant is available for athletes who
are unable to afford the training fees. The grant application can be found
on-line at www.usawaterpolo.org.
Should athletes who are selected for an ODP training
team continue to participate with their club team as well?
Yes.
All athletes selected for an ODP Training Team are required to be a member of a
USAWP Club team. One of the primary goals of the Olympic Development Program is
the USAWP Club System will be the feeder system for ODP. In addition, ODP is working in conjunction
with the Club’s to ensure a coordinated calendar. The better our clubs are the better the
Olympic Development Program will be.
How many hours will the ODP training teams train?
In Phase 1, each
training team will train between 20- 30 hours.
In Phase 2, teams will train between 60- 80 hours.
How many athletes will be selected to an ODP zone
training team?
Each training team
will consist of 18-32 athletes.
How many athletes will be selected to the ODP Championship
team?
Each ODP
Championship travel team will be comprised of 14 players (12 field players and
2 goalkeepers) who will be selected from the ODP zone training team.
Where are the 2009 ODP Championships?
|
Category
|
Zone
|
Location
|
|
Boy’s Junior
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SoPac
|
J Serra HS
|
|
Girl’s Junior
|
Central California
|
UC Davis
|
|
Boy’s Youth
|
SoPac
|
Capo Valley HS
|
|
Girl’s Youth
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Mountain
|
Kearns, Utah
|
Will athletes have any additional expenses if they are
chosen to the ODP Championship team?
USA
Water Polo will cover the cost of each athlete’s lodging and ground
transportation at the ODP Championship.
All other expenses such as flights, meals and apparel are the
responsibility of each athlete.
What happens if an athlete is on the ODP
training team, but they are not chosen to the ODP Championship team?
An athlete not chosen for the championship
team will still be on the training team and will continue to train with the
best in their respective zone. This is
designed to keep athletes in the program that may not make the travel team at
first but with training and development, could very well make the team at a
later date. From this perspective, age
group team selections represent more of a snapshot of current development
because it is expected that each athlete’s natural progress will vary from
athlete to athlete. It will be a
hallmark of the program that athletes will continue to train and compete with
no secure roster spots from event to event, and rosters changing to reflect
athlete development and commitment.
What happens when the ages of the Junior
and Youth change after the 2009 ODP Championships?
ODP
operates on a 2- year cycle following FINA age categories. The conclusion of
the 2009 ODP Championships is the completion of the most recent 2- year cycle.
On
the Junior level, athletes on the ODP training team will phase out after ODP
Championships. They will be too old to
compete in the Olympic Development program.
On
the Youth level, athletes on the ODP training team will continue to Phase 2
even if they are not chosen to the ODP Championship team. They will automatically continue to Phase 2
and will not need to tryout again. They
will become the Junior training team in their respective training zone after
ODP Championships.
The
athletes selected for the 1995 & under training teams will become the ODP
Youth Training Teams for their respective training zones.
How are the Junior and Youth National teams
chosen?
Youth
level, 44 athletes (at least 2 per USAWP Zone) from the ODP Championships will
be invited to attend a National Youth Training camp. Those 44 athletes will form the 2009 Youth
National Training Team.
Junior
level, 33 athletes (at least 1 per USAWP Zone) from the ODP Championships will
be invited to attend a National Junior Training camp. Those 32 athletes will be the 2009 Junior
National Training Team. From those 32 athletes, 13 athletes will be selected to
represent the USA at the Junior World Championships in August 2009.
The
staffs of the Olympic Development Program and National Teams are responsible
for scouting zone, regional and national tournaments, competitions and
trainings where they will be looking for players to invite to train with the
respective ODP training teams. Also, the
Olympic Development Program will hold periodic ODP Training Zone tryouts to
ensure that all athletes have an opportunity to participate. In addition, athletes can be nominated for
the program by their USA Water Polo Club Coach to be considered for an ODP
training team, since club participation is a critical aspect of overall
development.
If an athlete is chosen for the Youth or Junior
National Team, will there be any additional fundraising commitments?
Yes. Athletes selected for the Youth or Junior
National training camps will have an additional obligation through our a-thon
system of fundraising. Youth and Junior
athletes will be required to raise $500 and $1,000 respectively. If an athlete is also selected for the Junior
World Championships team, the athlete will have an additional Golf Tournament
fundraising goal.
I still have more questions about the Olympic
Development Program. Who do I contact?
You can e-mail any
additional questions to ODP@usawaterpolo.org.