- May 23, 2025
Micah Reynolds, 13, was selected to the 2012 Boys ODP National Select Team and played with the team in the Easter International Cup at ChampionsGate near Orlando. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Micah Reynolds with his parents, Jim and Kim Reynolds. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Micah Reynolds with ODP coaches Damien Corriero and Jeff Muhr at the Easter International Cup tournament. Courtesy photo
Micah Reynolds (third from left, front row) with the 2012 Boys ODP National Select Team at the Easter International Cup tournament. Courtesy photo
Micah Reynolds juggles the ball at the Indian Trails Sports Complex. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Micah Reynolds juggles the ball at the Indian Trails Sports Complex. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Micah Reynolds kicks the ball into a goal at the Indian Trails Sports Complex in Palm Coast. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Micah Reynolds, 13, of Palm Coast, has been steadily moving up the ranks in the United States Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program.
On April 16-19, he played with the 2012 (13U) Boys ODP National Select Team in the Easter International Cup at the ChampionsGate Sports Field Complex outside of Orlando.
Micah has moved up each level from the Florida ODP Team to the South Region Team to the National Team. He was the only Florida player to be selected for the ODP National Select Team.
Over 300 high-level club teams and academies from the United States, Mexico and other countries participated in the Easter tournament. The 2012 ODP National Team won the Bronze Bracket of the the Super Group, the top tier of the 2012 groups, after placing third in pool play.
Micah, a box-to-box center midfielder, was one of two captains on the team, his father, Jim Reynolds, said. The team was playing together for the first time. The players had one practice on Tuesday, April 15, the day before their first game, Jim Reynolds said.
“Other teams, academies, have been playing together for a long time. It says a lot about the players and how well the coaches did with very little time to work with them,” he said. “Their willingness to build relationships with each kid and provide good feedback and get them all on one page was awesome to see.”
They played the Inter-Miami Academy team which featured Lionel Messi’s son, Thiago, and Luis Suarez’s son, Benjamin.
“It was a great weekend,” Jim Reynolds said. “Thursday was really hot and humid. By the time they played their second game, both teams were really tired. Micah did well. He created some great opportunities. It was great to see him competing with kids at such a high level.”
Micah said he likes the challenge of trying to advance to each ODP stage and playing high-level teams.
“I like challenges,” he said. “It pushes me to my limits, and hopefully helps me get better.”
His said his goals are to make the U15 Men’s Youth National Team and one day play professionally.
There are different paths to making the youth national teams, but Micah is following in the footsteps of his parents, Jim and Kim, and their older son, who all played on the Florida ODP teams.
“The benefit of ODP is the friendships that are built that can end up lasting a lifetime,” Jim said. “He’s enjoying it. He’s in a message thread with three or four of them from the state team, and they talk regularly together.”
He also has text threads with kids he met from Texas, Mexico, Utah and California in the South Region event, Kim said.
Micah also plays with local friends with the Inter-United Soccer Club of Palm Coast. Kim, who is a counselor in the Seminole County School District, is also the Inter-United Friday Night Soccer director. Jim is the club’s director of personal training and a coach with the club’s United Premier Soccer League’s men’s team.
Kim played soccer at Polk Community College and UCF and went on to play professionally for seven years.
Micah gets asked to play in guest tournaments with high-level club teams and he did a four-week tryout with Orlando City Academy. But if selected he may not go that route.
“We've discussed it as a family,” Jim said. “He enjoys playing with his friends, doing 3v3 tournaments and being able to guest play with other players and do ODP, whereas if he makes Orlando City, all that comes off the table. You sign a contract and you're there. He loves the game enough that he wants to play as much as possible.”
