Minnesota ODP Players Selected for US Youth ODP National Teams
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wo Minnesota Youth Soccer ODP players — Osher Zmira of St. Paul Blackhawks and Vivian Rojas Collins of Minnesota Thunder Academy — were selected in 2019 to join the US Youth Soccer ODP National Teams abroad. We caught up with each of them to hear their thoughts in advance of their international visits, and on how ODP has impacted their careers.
Osher Zmira
’05 Boys 2019 USYS ODP National Team ST. PAUL BLACKHAWKS
What are you most nervous for? “I’m nervous about playing in front of all the scouts from the European teams that are going to be watching us play.” What are you doing to prepare for the trip? “Showing up to my club’s practices every day, keeping my grades up so the school lets me go in the first place, and putting in the work to improve on whenever I can.” In what ways has ODP helped you to grow as a player and teammate? “Before I knew ODP even existed, I was a good player, but I was raw and unharnessed. Now, after three years of ODP at all levels, I have upped my game by a thousand levels. ODP also taught me how to lead a team the right way. “Being a part of U.S. National Teams is crazy to me. It’s a bit frightening, too; I don’t want to lose my spot. It has opened up so many doors that I didn’t think would ever open for me. A few academies and DA teams are starting to contact me, even colleges. This just goes to show that there is more than one way to reach your goals. For me, that’s to go pro in Europe, and being a part of this team gets me one step closer.”
Vivian Rojas Collins
Selected to ‘05 Girls 2019 USYS ODP National Team MINNESOTA THUNDER ACADEMY
What is a memorable ODP experience? “One memorable experience I had from the National Training Camp is when we went to watch the U17 National Team game against China. It was very fun to watch such a high level of soccer from girls only a few years older than us.” In what ways has ODP helped you grow as a player and teammate? “ODP has helped me to learn how to bond with and get to know people in very short amounts of time.” How do you feel about being selected for the US Youth Soccer ODP National team? “I was very excited and honored to be chosen to be on the ODP National Team. I think that it has been a great experience, and I had a lot of fun with my teammates at the National Training Camp. To all aspiring or current ODP players, my advice is to always work hard and be respectful to yourself and others.”
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March 2020
Soccer Times
Learn more about how the Olympic Development Program can help you and your players achieve their goals at www.mnyouthsoccer.org/odp.
