TAMPA, Fla. ? Chelsea Klotz, an incoming freshman to the University of South Florida women's soccer team, has been named one of 25 members of the 2008 Olympic Development Program Region III pool.
“I think for Chelsea she has gotten one step closer each time in the Olympic Development Program," said USF volunteer assistant coach Chris Brown. "It goes to show the strides that she has made. Her ultimate goal is to be on the National Women's Soccer Team and our goal is to facilitate her ambition.”
Klotz, who was the Florida Dairy Farmers Class 2A Girls Soccer Player of the Year, made the Region III pool after attending the ODP camp held in Motevello, Ala., in July. The team will be finalized with 18 players in January 2009. The decision will be based on each player's success in college, feedback from coaches and their performance at the July 2008 camp. The team will then travel to California for National Camp.
Her team's leading goal scorer all four years of high school, Klotz was the team captain for the Florida Athletic Coaches West All-Star Team and is on the Hillsborough County All-Star Team. A 2007-08 Florida 2A State Championship MVP, Klotz was also selected as an All-Central Florida player by Rise magazine. The Orlando Sentinel tabbed her as a 2006-07 first team All-Central Florida player and a player of the week in November of 2005.
A two-time first team all-conference player and a first team all-Central Florida player, she was a 2008 team captain for Tampa Prep. Klotz was on the 2006 Michelle Akers All-Tournament Team and won athlete of the month honors in both 2005 and 2006. The team's rookie of the year in 2004-05, she earned MVP awards her sophomore and junior seasons.
Klotz is the team's leading goal scorer for her club soccer team, RSL Florida, the 2007 State Cup champions. She was also an SVL all-league player and has been a member of the Florida and North Carolina state ODP teams. In 2007 she played for the Super Y All-League team and the 2007-08 Florida State Championship club team.
She was coached at the high school level by Pam Smith, the 2008 2A girls coach of the year, and at the club level by Jim Cote. Chelsea is the daughter of Carmen and Bryan Klotz.
