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MONTANA ODP

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15

Feb, 2017

Portland Timbers/Thorns Montana ODP ID Camp

Portland Timbers/Thorns Montana ODP ID Camp Invitation Montana Youth Soccer Players,

On behalf of the Portland Timbers and Portland Thorns soccer organizations, we wanted to personally invite you to our Portland Timbers and Thorns/Montana ODP ID camp this summer here in Montana.

This a giant step for Montana ODP players who are interested in working with our Portland Timbers and Thorns ODP staff, while also having the opportunity of being identified and evaluated. No question, we are always looking for ways to find elite players for our nationally recognized Timbers and Thorns Academy programs.

As some of you may know, Major League Soccer awarded the Timbers the state of Idaho as a homegrown territory for us more than two years ago. This means any player that comes from the state of Idaho and goes through our program can sign with our organization before any other team. It’s a great advantage for the Timbers. The first step in this process with Idaho was the interest from the state to be involved with us by hosting an ID type of camp.

Montana has shown the same interest, and while we don’t have the power to call Montana a home-grown territory, there is a mutual interest in a partnership with the ODP program and these ID type camps. So step one in this potential partnership with Montana moving forward will be to partner with the Montana Youth Soccer Association ODP program and offer identification opportunities. Having run ODP here in Oregon for so many years, we have a good relationship with Ric Plante, your ODP Director and are interested in seeing the elite players in the state of Montana. This means all serious soccer players should be trying out with Montana ODP.

The next step in this process will be to offer Montana ODP players a quality Timbers and Thorns experience with an ID camp this summer to evaluate and identify potential players. We did a similar week in Idaho our first year and the week was fantastic with over 100 players, the feedback was incredible and from that camp, our Timbers Academy staff here in Oregon invited a numbers of players from Idaho to attend Timbers Academy tryouts and training that summer.

Step three in this process would be to help evolve the Montana ODP program into something similar to how we run the program here in Oregon. This would start with assisting with ODP tryouts, looking to create Regional Training Centers, offer curriculum to each regional training center that comes straight from our Timbers academy staff, and to start identifying players for the Timbers and Thorns Academy which is the pathway to playing collegiately or professionally someday.

With the partnership now in place, here is what Montana/Timbers ODP players can expect this next year:
• Timbers and Thorns ID camps this summer in Montana
• Players who are identified in the Montana ODP structure will have the opportunity to be
           invited to train and play with the Timbers or Thorns Academy program.
• Timbers Staff will look to be on hand for ODP Tryouts and assist with evaluating purposes.
• Offer Curriculum to each ODP age group or Regional Training Center age group.
• Potential for Timbers and Thorns Uniforms for all Montana ODP players

Again, we want to let you know how thrilled we are with the opportunity to host our ID camps in the state
of Montana this summer. This is a first step in a partnership between the Portland Timbers, Portland
Thorns and the Montana ODP program and hopefully a great soccer experience for you.

Thanks,
Erik Lyslo
Portland Timbers ODP Director

Field Status

Open Open

Amend Park (02:17 PM | 12/27/16)

Open Open

Belgrade Event Center (02:17 PM | 12/27/16)

Open Open

Playfair Park (02:17 PM | 12/27/16)

Open Open

Siebel Fields (Airport Fields) (02:17 PM | 12/27/16)

Open Open

Washington-Grizzly Stadium (02:17 PM | 12/27/16)