Super Y-League Feature
Thursday, February 28, 2013
BRADENTON, Fla. - The 2013 Super Y-League Girls ODP National Camp opened Thursday in sunny, 70-degree weather at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, with more than 150 of the top U13-U16 players from throughout North America anxious to make an impression. The annual event showcases the elite youth players that competed in the Super Y-League, and gives them the opportunity to perform in front of top college and national team coaches.
The camp’s coaching staff, including college coaches from LSU, Bowling Green, Columbus State and Seattle University, spent the afternoon getting to know the players while taking them through testing and their first training sessions. After an introduction talk from USL National Technical Director Peter Mellor, the players split into teams and headed to the fields. IMG Academy staff conducted a series of performance tests including the 40-yard dash, the vertical leap and the dreaded endurance staple, the beep test.
The older group set the bar high in the beep test, but they were no match for Julia McGuire (Quickstrike FC) and Haven Snyder (Keystone Athletic Grifos) from the younger group, who both reached level 13-2 to lead the day.
Friday will present a full day with morning training, afternoon games and nutrition and mental training sessions. The coaching staff will work to educate the players while identifying select team candidates.
"This is the first time I’ve been here and I really didn’t know what to expect, but I think there is definitely good quality," Bowling Green State University Head Coach Lyndsay Basalyga said. "When you walk into a facility like this, it’s hard not to get excited. The weather, the field quality - a lot of these kids came from the northeast and they’re coming from snow and not being outdoors for a long time, so the facilities and the weather definitely help."
Basalyga, a former University of Maryland standout, said she’s looking for consistency from her players throughout the four-day camp.
"I told my team right from the start this afternoon, ’this is an environment where you want to shine, so don’t be afraid to be the best player on the field and don’t be afraid to be the best player on your team. I think it’s consistency; athleticism will play a little bit of a role, but it’s consistency, ability to keep possession, and ability to defend, and for me personally it’s just how they do throughout the week. Are they constantly getting better session after session?"