Non-stop soccer
BUTLER TWP — Tate Mohney always is on the move. Soccer practice fills up the weekdays and games the weekend.
“It's chaos,” Mohney said.
Monday is Olympic Development Practice, Tuesday and Thursday feature under-13 practice, followed by U-14 practice Friday.
Mohney is one of three Butler School District athletes — along with Andrew Chwalik and Michael Zirpoli — involved with the Region I ODP soccer program.
Zirpoli and Chwalik helped the ODP U-15 team go 2-0-1 at the Region 1 tournament June 6-8 at Rider University in Lawerence, N.J.
The Pennsylvania team will take on New York East Saturday in a semifinal. The winner will play the winner of Maryland and Virginia.
“It's pretty intense. Every player wants it just as much as you,” Chawlik said. “It's kind of crazy, everyone gets involved, coaches get involved.”
Mohney, who will be a freshman at Butler this year, also plays baseball and basketball.
Soccer is his passion and the ODP Program, which requires all players to tryout, has helped build his skills.
Mohney's U-14 team went 3-0 at the Region 1 tournament, outscoring their opponents 12-2.
“They move the ball around quickly,” said Mohney, who is in his first year in the ODP Program. “I dribble around a lot. I need to move the ball around quicker.”
All three play club soccer for Northern Steel. The ODP program was formed in 1977 to help form a pool of players for the U.S. National team to pick from for international competition.
Region I has teams from Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Rhode Island, Vermont and Maine.
“When I play for ODP, everyone is good,” Zirpoli said.
Chwalik, who will be a freshman at Butler this upcoming school year, is in his third year in the program. The process of making the team wasn't easy.
“Every week, you have to show up and work because they were valuing every single second and always watching,” Chwalik said. “I would just take a deep breath and try not to think too much.”
Zirpoli joined the ODP team during the spring sessions, hoping to find some increased competition.
“It's very competitive,” Zirpoli said. “Everyone knows each other and when they step on the field it's all business.”
Mohney enjoys doing the ODP and plans to try to keep juggling all the activities. Even if it can get confusing at times.
“It's hard going from one team to another,” Mohney said. “My older team, they are a lot more skillful.”
