Following the trends of US Soccer and of many other Olympic Development Programs, and in response to needs of find additional means - beyond open tryouts - to identify top soccer players and get them involved with ODP, beginning with 2002 season the NH ODP will introduce a formal policy of scouting and recruitment of top NH soccer players as an additional means of player identification. On a basic level, if the NH ODP could identify and recruit the top players from each of the top clubs in the state, then our state teams would compete with the best of Region 1. The NH ODP also needs to do a better job of identifying those “unfound gems” from less traditional soccer venues, i.e. school, recreational and lesser club teams. Beginning in the 2002 season the NH ODP State Director of Coaching will implement player scouting and recruitment in the following ways:

1. By appointing NH ODP Directors of Scouting and Player Identification;
2. By appointing a NH ODP Administrator to assist the NH ODP Directors of Scouting and Player Identification;
3. By refocusing the job description of all NH ODP Head Coaches to more actively include scouting and recruitment of top players as they assemble state teams.

The Directors of Scouting and Player Identification will:

• be generally available as an Associate NH ODP Staff Coach to help with training sessions and competitions when needed, and to attend all NH ODP Staff Coach meetings and functions;
• help coordinate and oversee all efforts of NH ODP scouting, player identification and recruitment;
• scout NH youth soccer tournaments and competitions whenever possible, to identify, recruit, and refer players to the NH ODP;
• contact and/or meet with all major competitive soccer club Directors of Coaching in NH to introduce and socialize the new NH ODP Scouting Policies, and to foster support for cooperation and communication between club soccer and NH ODP efforts of player development, as well as to solicit nominations of top players in each club;
• attend as many NH soccer league meetings as possible to do the same;
• contact and/or meet with NHSCA Secretary to collect All-State nominations of all top high school soccer players in the state, and contact via e-mail or direct mailing all high school soccer coaches in the state to solicit nominations of players to the NH ODP;
• forward all nominations to the appropriate NH ODP Head Coach;
• create a general process for NH ODP Head Coaches to adapt and use when following up nominations;
• submit and end-of-season summary report and recommendations at the end of the NH ODP season to the State Director of Coaching;
• and also “cc” all communications regarding their player identification efforts to the NH ODP State Director of Coaching.

The NH ODP Administrator designated to assist the NH ODP Directors of Scouting and Player Identification will:

• assist the NH ODP Directors of Scouting and Player Identification in all of the above efforts, including actual organization of direct mail and/or e-mail efforts to collect nominations and forward them to the appropriate NH ODP State Team Head Coach;
• and specifically will compile a list of major, competitive NH soccer club coaches names and contact information in each ODP age group, and provide that list to each NH ODP State Team Head Coach;
• and also “cc” all communications regarding their player identification efforts to the NH ODP State Director of Coaching.

The NH ODP State Team Head Coaches will:

• follow through on every nomination forwarded to them, first directly via a personalized letter and then followed up with a phone call, to invite and recruit the nominee to try out for the NH ODP;
• contact the coaches of major, competitive soccer clubs in NH to solicit support and to solicit nominations of their top players;
• and scout NH youth soccer tournaments and competitions to identify, recruit and refer players to the NH ODP whenever possible;
• and also “cc” all communications regarding their player identification efforts to the NH ODP State Director of Coaching.