Interview on NJ ODP’s Road To Becoming A Great Player
One of the many paths to the top in our American youth soccer world is the New Jersey ODP, led by James Galanis, NJYS Director of Technical Operations, who oversees the development of the Olympic Development Program. To Register for ODP Tryouts, Click HERE.
NJ Youth Soccer registration for 2024-2025 Olympic Development Program tryouts is open for players born between 2008 and 2013. New Jersey ODP is a USYS youth soccer ID program for ambitious, competitive, and talented soccer-loving players who dream big and want to develop their skills to the highest level.
“You can sign up for the NJ ODP tryout and end up representing your state, your region and your country — this is a real pipeline for ambitious players,” says James Galanis, NJYS Director of Technical Operations. 
The ODP program is designed to provide high-level training. This road starts at the state level, and after careful evaluation, the very best players are recommended at the regional level before reaching player identification nationally.
Galanis oversees the development of the Olympic Development Program for New Jersey Youth Soccer.
“New Jersey is a hotbed for talent.”
John Galanis
New Jersey’s ODP has grown significantly in the last decade.
Back in 2014, only 750 youth soccer players attended the player identification. Last year, in 2023, there were 1,750 players, which reflects a 130% increase. In 2017, there were ten ODP teams representing New Jersey. Last season, for 2023/24, there were 27 teams representing the state. That is a 270% increase.
SoccerToday interview with James Galanis on the New Jersey ODP.
Diane Scavuzzo: Please tell me about New Jersey’s ODP pathway.
James Galanis: This is a real pathway where a youth soccer player can register for ODP tryouts, be selected to represent his home state and the Eastern Region of the USA, and even perhaps become one of the players chosen for national or international competition. Tryouts for the New Jersey Olympic Development Program (NJ ODP) are conducted every summer to select the best young soccer players in the state.
The ODP tryout process is competitive, and players who are selected participate in 14 amazing events throughout the year. The very best youth soccer players in the program are recommended for the US Youth Soccer Eastern Region.
Diane Scavuzzo: What are your goals for the upcoming ODP tryouts this summer?
James Galanis: On the field, our goal is to identify ambitious players who want the honor of representing their state and having a chance to play for the ODP National Team. Our goal is always to identify the best youth soccer players in the state of New Jersey and give them a fantastic playing and learning experience.
Diane Scavuzzo: How many coaches are involved in the NJ ODP program?
James Galanis: We have 32 coaches who oversee the entire ODP. The coaching staff consists of club and college-level coaches.
Diane Scavuzzo: Can you provide a few details on NJ ODP?
James Galanis:
The NJ ODP program has 14 events for this upcoming season, and every minute has been carefully thought out. The state tryouts are in July and August, and the teams are formed in September. We have multiple training sessions, games, and mental toughness tactical awareness webinars. In December, we play a regional tournament, and then in the New Year, we play four additional regionalized tournaments, followed by a spring event in NY.
The goal throughout these sessions is to provide our ODP players with knowledge about the game and prepare them for their future.
Diane Scavuzzo: How do you identify talented youth soccer players in New Jersey at the tryouts?
James Galanis: We look for players who are comfortable on the ball and intelligent without the ball. Youth soccer players who want to learn, and have a strong mentality. At the ODP tryouts, we look for youth soccer players who are determined and physically well coordinated — youth soccer players who are competitive and have a good attitude.
Diane Scavuzzo: What does a good attitude look like?
James Galanis: A player who wants to learn, who is enthusiastic and coachable, that is the biggest thing.
Diane Scavuzzo: What advice would you share with players who felt they had a bad day or session at the ODP tryout?
James Galanis:
There are no bad days—a bad day is just an opportunity to make it a good day by focusing on what you need to do better. It is about processing a bad day and turning a negative day into a great day.
Our coaching staff is there to encourage players to be their best.
Diane Scavuzzo: What are you ODP coaches like?
James Galanis: Our ODP coaches want to give the players as much knowledge as possible to help them grow.
There is real unity amongst the coaching staff in our ODP program.
They love working together — the playing styles are the same.
Diane Scavuzzo: What is your playing style?
James Galanis: Our playing style is 4-3-3, which is the recommended playing style of U.S. Soccer, and we mirror that.
Diane Scavuzzo: How does the NJ ODP pipeline work for ambitious and talented youth soccer players who dream of representing the USA?
James Galanis:
After every training session and event, our coaches evaluate the players. At the end of the year, we analyze the database, and the players with the highest scores are the ones we recommend to the eastern region camp.
The practice is fair and working well—this year, we recommended approximately 80 players in the U12 to U17 age groups.
Diane Scavuzzo: Do youth soccer players return year after year to NJ ODP?
James Galanis: Players definitely come back year after year—our goal is to make every single minute rich in knowledge. We don’t get a lot of time with the kids. We identify them, encourage them, develop them, and let them show us how good they are.
As I have said, New Jersey has a lot of good players.
