The ODP perhaps doesn’t stand out from a slew of other sports
acronyms already clogging the mainstream, but a handful of soccer
players in San Benito County continue to push the Olympic
Development Program to the forefront.
Most recently, Hollister’s Paulina Llamas and Alexandria Reckas
each advanced to the ODP Cal North State pool soccer team for their
respective age groups
— Llamas in the 1997 category, Reckas in 1996.
HOLLISTER
The ODP perhaps doesn’t stand out from a slew of other sports acronyms already clogging the mainstream, but a handful of soccer players in San Benito County continue to push the Olympic Development Program to the forefront.
Most recently, Hollister’s Paulina Llamas and Alexandria Reckas each advanced to the ODP Cal North State pool soccer team for their respective age groups — Llamas in the 1997 category, Reckas in 1996. Surviving a December cut from roughly 90 players down to approximately 40, Llamas and Reckas are now one step closer to reaching the ODP’s overall mission, which is to groom young soccer players on a yearly basis in order to further progress and develop the U.S. National team.
It may sound like a lofty goal for the 12-year-old Llamas and 13-year-old Reckas now, but making cut after cut after cut through the ODP’s extensive selection process — where the top players are identified on a state level through a series of tryouts based on technique, ability and attitude — certainly has a way of instilling a desire early on.
“I’m concentrating on making the top group of girls who go to Idaho,” said Reckas, an eighth-grader at Sacred Heart Parish School who is eyeing a trip to Moscow, Idaho in July where a regional team will be selected.
“I have not stopped training.”
Reckas has been to Idaho before. In fact, she has been on the Cal North State team before.
Last year, the outside mid advanced all the way to the 96 Region IV squad, an ultra-exclusive 16-state regional soccer team that was the be-all, end-all for Reckas’ age group.
She was unable to advance any further as a result, at least until this year when Reckas’ age group can compete for spots on both the state team and regional team, as well as the national team.
“Now, Alex is going for nationals,” said Reckas’ father, Ted.
It won’t be easy, of course. Reckas noted qualifying to this year’s Cal North team was much more difficult than a year ago. She even said that two girls who qualified to last year’s team failed to qualify this year.
“The girls improved over the year,” she said. “They were a lot faster, tougher and taller, and it was really good competition to go against.
“But I’m not the fastest girl out there. I just try to beat them with skill.”
Reckas, who also noted the pressures of making the state team after she made it a year ago, is now preparing for team practices in April. She is one of 36 girls on the state pool team, which will bring only 25 to Portland, Ore., for the Nike Friendly Cup over Memorial Day Weekend.
From there, the team will travel to Idaho in July, where Reckas will look to qualify to the Region IV team for a second straight year.
“You don’t want to be the odd man out,” she said.
The regional team is the furthest Llamas can advance, however. Her age group prevents eligibility to the national team for at least one more year. But Llamas’ qualification to the state pool team is certainly a feat unto itself, as she and Reckas are the only two female soccer players from San Benito County to advance that far.
“I was really surprised,” Llamas said. “There were a lot of good players … a lot of good midfielders going for the spot.”
A seventh-grader at Spring Grove, Llamas said she made several strong passes and cross attempts during her December tryout in Ripon, which whittled some 90 players down to 45.
“I wanted to do my best,” she said. “And I was confident because I was trying my best.”
Llamas will be training through March in order to make a cut of 18 players who will get to travel to Portland for the Nike Friendly Cup, while two squads of 18 players will travel to Idaho in July.
Before then, Llamas feels she needs to work on her communication on the field — “I’m really shy,” she said.
“I think Paulina has a real good chance,” said Ted Reckas, who’s coached the Hollister United 12U team. “She looks like a real strong candidate to make the regional pool for her age.”
