The Iowa Olympic Development Program (ODP) is heading into one of its most exciting chapters yet, and the momentum has never been stronger. From national recognition to a new class of athletes advancing to play on the regional stage, Iowa ODP is delivering on its promise to provide the state’s top talent with development pathways, competitive opportunities, and high-level instruction.
Iowa ODP Continues Recognition as U.S. Soccer Talent Identification Program
Iowa Soccer Association is proud to announce that Iowa ODP has again been accepted as a U.S. Soccer Talent Identification Program for the 2026-2027 season, a meaningful recognition that further connects the program to the national development pathway.
At its core, U.S. Soccer Talent ID designation embeds Iowa ODP directly into the national federation’s formal player identification and development pathway. It creates a direct pipeline for Iowa’s top talent to be evaluated by U.S. Soccer national scouts, considered for regional teams, and put on the radar for US Youth National Team selection.
Representing Iowa on the Regional Stage: Interregional Selections
Representing your state on the regional stage is a high honor in any ODP cycle, and 24 Iowa players recently earned that recognition. 15 girls and nine boys will compete at the ODP Interregional Event in Orlando, Florida.
Girls Selections: Zoya Assadi, Nora Barnett, Reese Barnett, Emma Gilbert, Millie Guy, Ayla Jenkins, Daryah Kidd, Katelyn Kingma, Camia Louis, Rylie Massey, Paulina Nathan, Maya Nguyen, Carly Selsby, Harper Weig, Annie Yeh
The girls will compete from November 21–25, 2026.
Boys Selections: Benjamin Balster, Clark Carrig, Thiago Catalan, Gabriel Navarro, Mark Risma, Carver Schminkey, Colter Shepherd, Zachary Woerth, Cedric Young
The boys will compete from January 14–18, 2027.
To reach this stage, each of these players worked their way through a demanding pathway of open tryouts for the State Pool, State Pool invitations, Regional ID invitations, and ultimately Regional Team selection, with the possibility of National Team selection still ahead.
What’s New: The Tri-State Event
Iowa Soccer Association is excited to introduce a brand-new addition to the ODP calendar with its Tri-State Event, taking place November 14–15 in Des Moines.
Featuring Iowa athletes alongside their contemporaries from Nebraska and Illinois, the Tri-State Event brings a fresh and exciting competitive opportunity to the ODP landscape. It also serves as the final Discovery Phase event, making it a meaningful stop on the pathway for players looking to earn their place in the program.
ODP Discovery Phase Tryouts
The 2026-2027 ODP cycle is officially underway, and the ODP Discovery Phase (the program’s open tryout period) is giving players from across Iowa the opportunity to step into one of the state’s premier development environments.
Earlier this fall, Discovery Phase sessions were held in Central Iowa at Spring Creek and in Eastern Iowa in Cedar Rapids. Coming up next are two statewide tryout dates open to all players (Boys: October 31 | Girls: November 7). Location details will be announced soon.
Iowa ODP is organized by birth year and is designed to run seamlessly alongside a player’s regular club participation. The program provides high-level instruction, competitive events, and a direct talent-identification pathway to regional and national teams, all while helping players grow within a statewide community of like-minded, motivated competitors.
To contact the Iowa Olympic Development Program, please call Damien Corrieri at (515) 451-5157 or email dcorrieri@iowasoccer.org. Also make sure to follow Iowa ODP on Instagram!