A member of the University Heights Academy girls soccer team is among those to be honored by the Kentucky Youth Soccer Association. Sophomore to be Kate Cansler was selected by the association to represent the state at the U.S. Youth Soccer Sub Regional Olympic Development Program (ODP), which will be taking place this summer in Indianapolis and Pittsburgh.
Players at the sub regional events will have an opportunity to earn an invitation to the U.S. Youth Soccer Midwest ODP Camp, in Michigan, this July.
The Olympic Development Program is a national program to identify and develop youth players to represent their state, region, and country in soccer competitions. ODP teams are formed with each of the 55 US Youth Soccer State Associations and four regions, made up of the best players in the various age groups.
At the state association level, pools of players are identified in each eligible age group, brought together as a team to develop their skill through training and competition. From the state pools and subsequent teams, players are identified for regional and national pools and teams.
Cansler represented Kentucky in England in April as part of the ODP program. She trained in Liverpool and Manchester during the trip and scored a goal for the Kentucky team in one of the games.
As a seventh grader, Cansler represented the state in region play.
She scored 24 goals and had a team-high 14 assists for the Lady Blazers as a freshman in 2017.
