The event at the Allen Creek Soccer Complex is hosted by Hall County Parks and Leisure Services and Gainesville Parks and Recreation.
"The women's soccer ODP Subregional Camp at Allen Creek will bring together the best high school aged soccer players from Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee," said Stacey Dickson, president of the Gainesville/Hall County Convention and Visitors Bureau. "All of these girls are members of their respective state ODP soccer teams, selected through fall tryouts by each state organization. Two Hall Country girls are members of the Georgia squad -- Mary Mancin and Tess Patton."
The two-day event features 74 games and begins Saturday according to complex Director Mike Little and continues through Sunday.
"We are fortunate to have a complex like Allen Creek Soccer Complex available for use," said Melissa Brooks, ODP Administrator for soccer. "This is one of the few in Georgia that can accommodate so many teams and games at one location. It was an added bonus to discover after we had started working on these games that one of players parents works for the city. Jay Mancin has been an incredible resource in putting together what we think we will be a very successful event."
Since the fall selection of the state squads, each team has been in training with high-level coaches. In Georgia's case, this includes UGA soccer coach and former UNC standout Robin Confer, plus Robert & Michelle Parr, formerly of Georgia College and State University. Other Georgia coaches who will be present include Kennesaw State's Frank Pitt, and Columbus State's Samantha Bird.
"This will be an impressive gathering of athletes and coaches," Dickson said. "These players take their athletics seriously and work hard for a chance to eventually compete at the Olympic level. It is quite an honor for Hall County to host such a prestigious event."
After training together in the fall and winter, the athletes will undergo another roster reduction in the spring, with the best of the best selected to represent their state at the ODP Region Camp held each summer at the University of Alabama-Montevallo. At that camp, players are observed by high-level coaches to receive additional training and subsequent selection to the Region ODP team. This team will travel to national level camps and be scouted by national team coaches.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/1/205650