The Columbus United Soccer Club continues to grow and to help its players make inroads into the highest levels of soccer in the state of Mississippi.
Ten Columbus United players recently validated that statement when they received invitations to the state’s Olympic Development Training pool.
Ian and Glenn Misiak, Charles Stanback, Roger Shilling, Dylan Southard, Avery Velek, Effie Morrison, Sam Vogel, Ashley Martian, and Brooke Lester are part of the first wave of players to come up through Columbus United, which has been in existence for less than 10 years. The players are involved in age-group from Under-11 up to U-16.
“Three or four years ago, we had two kids accepted into the ODP Academy Camp,” said Tom Velek, director of competitive soccer and the director of coaching for Columbus United. “I think it is really significant that we have went from two kids getting into the Academy Camp to 10 being accepted into the state training pools. That is a huge jump going to those pre-Academy Camps to this number getting accepted into pools. It is very representative of the progress we have made.”
Columbus United is the Columbus-Lowndes Recreation Authority’ Division II competitive soccer club. Its primary goal is to develop players and to challenge them to get better. The coaches pursue that goal through skills training, conditioning, and competition against a greater number of teams. Teams usually will play 25-30 matches in intra-city competition and in tournaments against teams from Starkville, Oxford, Greenville, and others from throughout the state and region.
In 2009, Shilling and Avery Velek, Tom Velek’s son, were accepted to and competed in the ODP Academy Camp at Belhaven in Jackson. U.S. Soccer uses ODP to attract the top talent in all age groups. The program is a feeder system into the regional teams and, eventually, the U.S. National Teams. Velek coaches Avery on the Under-14/U-15 boys competitive soccer team.
Southard is a member of the undefeated Division I Tupelo Futbol Club 99 boys team.
Derrick Parnell, who has coached Martian, Morrison, and Vogel and is the step father of Morrison, said the chance to play with some of the state’s top players will help all of the players develop.
“You always play up to your competition or down to whoever you’re playing with,” Parnell said. “This is going to give them a chance to play with some of the more elite players in the state. All of these kids are good students, hard workers, and they have been doing this for a long time. They all have aspirations to play at the next level. I think this is where it all falls in line.”
Parnell also feels the players will get a chance to work with better coaches who will expose them to new things and broaden their horizons.
Velek said ODP programs are the ones Columbus United players have to be involved with if they are going to compete at the state and regional levels, as well as compete for college scholarships. He said the involvement of so many players who are members of high schools teams at Lowndes County schools already has raised the caliber of play.
Velek said a key for Columbus United is to develop a progression of age-group teams that allow players to continue their maturation. He feels the club is off to a fine start and feels that the experiences these 10 players will have will benefit the rest of the club’s players indirectly.
“We already are seeing our club programs be more competitive,” Velek said. “It is about introducing our athletes to the same type of quality opportunities that any kid has if they are growing up in a large, metropolitan area.”
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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