CODP — A Program of the U.S. Olympic Committee

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2008 Festival

The Annual CODP Festival will be held July 25, 26 & 27th on both rinks at New Hope Arena, MN 4949 Louisiana Avenue North, New Hope, MN 55428 - Phone #763-531-5181.

Each visiting team will compete in two games on the 25th, two games on the 26th and one game the morning of the 28th. Festival format starts at 8:00 a.m. on the morning of July 25th.

College coaches and scouts from across the country will witness players who show unusual potential featured in development focused competition. The 16 team festival will showcase national talent from the following areas:

• CODP Metro / Post Graduate Teams - ( Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN) Jack Blatherwick, Marci Bydlon, Kris Scholz, Laura Slominski, Tiffany Hagge, Len Vannelli, Mitch Stevenson
• Wisconsin Selects 19 & 16 - TBA
• East Coast Eagles - (Boston, MA) Steve Cedorchuk
• Minnesota Thoroughbreds - (Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN) Steve Weber, Marci Bydlon
• St. Louis - (St. Louis, MO) Dan Torgerson
• Texas - Shelly Pottorf

The invitation-only festival will include teams of the highest level of skill. Each of the visiting coaches is asked to only invite the best players from their region. Games will consist of regular and mixed team play with a focus on improvement and player development. The 5 time U.S.A Hockey Men’s Olympic team physiologist and coach Jack Blatherwick, is the program consultant for CODP and has designed the festival to be the only one of its kind in North America. For specific festival game schedule and roster information, please contact: CODP Director of Operations, Len Vannelli, at lenny@codpmn.com.

Jack Blatherwick has a Ph.D. in physiology from the University of Minnesota. Jack was the team physiologist for the Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Minnesota North Stars and currently works for the Washington Capitols. He was also a coach/physiologist on the U.S. Olympic hockey teams in 1980, ’84 ’88 ’92 and ’94.

Check out Jack’s new website at: www.overspeed.info

The Community Olympic Development Program (CODP), a United States Olympic Committee-sponsored program, identifies talented and motivated athletes and works to improve athletic development and performance in Minnesota. USA Hockey has included CODP in their "High Performance Plan" and is a feeder program for future National and Olympic Teams.

Since 1996, CODP as an off season development program has provided over 5,000 athletes a developmental pipeline to college, National, and Olympic-caliber teams.