During the first training of Pre-ODP Session 1, our Director of Coaching, Adam Howarth presented information regarding Pre-ODP.

If you were unable to attend or want to review the slide deck from the presentation, please follow the link below.

All players should continue to check-in with the onsite ODP admin in Schaumburg and Rockford.

If you were assigned a temporary last week, please be sure to wear that number again. If you received your uniform, make sure to have your number updated at check-in.

For those who will be checking in for the first time this weekend, we will take your photo.

If you are still waiting for your uniform, please wear the below.

Field Players:

• Wear Blue top
• Black shorts
• Black socks

Goalkeepers

• Wear black top
• Black shorts
• Black socks

If you need to order any individual items please do so before December 10. To order individual items, CLICK HERE

If you encountered any issues with your uniform, please email websupport@scoresports.com and copy odp@illinoisyouthsoccer.org

This weekend there will be multiple ODP presentations run by our ODP Director, Marek Radziszewski. The schedule for the meetings will be the same for Saturday and Sunday.

Meeting Schedule

2010 - 8am

2014 & 2015 - 12pm

2013 - 2pm

2011 & 2012 - 6pm

If you know that you will be missing an ODP training session, please complete the ODP Absence Form. The link to the form is below and can also be found on the bottom of this email.

You can also find a link to the form on the ODP homepage.

We don't penalize players for missing a session. If you have a conflict between ODP and club event, we encourage you to discuss the conflict with your coach before making any decisions.

For the 2012-2015 birth years, each age group is divided into two groups. The breakdown is below.

OLDER

January 1-June 30

YOUNGER

July 1-December 31

Think, Play, Win: Sports Psych Tips for IL ODP Players

WEEK 1 – Welcome!

IL ODP players — welcome to Week 1 of Think, Play, Win, your new weekly boost of practical sports psychology tips designed to help players sharpen their mental game on AND off the field of play.

Powered by pep360 (Whole Player. Whole Person. Whole Potential.), this series gives players simple, actionable tools they can start using immediately to train an important part of performance: the brain!

What We’ll Cover This 2025/26 Season

We’ll focus on two mental-performance areas that directly impact a player's ability to compete at a high level:

1️⃣ Growth Mindset & Winning Mentality

Relentless drive to improve • Compete with purpose • Learn from challenges

2️⃣Game Understanding & Decision Making

Read situations • Anticipate earlier • Make quicker, smarter decisions under pressure

These topics are central to the “6 Key Qualities of a Youth National Team Player (YNT)” — a hugely influential framework created by U.S. Soccer. It transformed youth development nationwide because it:

●      Sets clear expectations for players being scouted for YNT selection

●      Helps coaches and clubs align training plans with national standards

●      Shows players and parents the qualities that matter beyond technical ability

●      Reflects modern talent ID: holistic, not just “can they dribble or score?”

Why This Matters for YOU

Your IL ODP coaches will continue to develop a player's technical, tactical and physical abilities during training. This weekly insert is where a player can develop their mental edge.

But ultimately, the choice is theirs!

The best players in the world — from the YNT pathway to the pros — share a common trait:

 👉 They take ownership of their development, especially the mental side of the game.

A player's willingness to work on both their physical and mental skills shows true commitment to becoming the best version of themselves as a player and a person.

Want More?

If you’re interested in pep360’s individual, small-group, or team mental-skills support, click the link below to complete an Interest Form. Let’s Think. Let’s Play. Let’s Win — together.

 Learn More about Train Your Brain: https://linktr.ee/pep360

#ThinkPlayWin  #TrainYourBrian #MasterYourMentality #ILODP