Local soccer star Alvaro Pichardo made the regional soccer team after playing only one year in the Olympic Development Program (ODP).

Pichardo has been playing soccer since he lived in Nicaragua with his family when he was 6 or 7 years old.

“He has been working very hard for that,” Pichardo’s mother Argen Loaisiga said. “I think he deserves this opportunity. He has been waiting for this chance for a long time.”

ODP was created in 1977 to identify the pool of players that will be used to create a national team for international competition.

Players are selected based on their technique, fitness, athletic ability, and their attitude. Pichardo presented enough in those 4 areas to be selected as the top 18 best players in the region.

He was the only player from Mississippi to make it and he was selected as one of the best 4 forwards in all 12 states that make up the southern region.

“I work hard,” Pichardo said. “I give it my all.”

According to his mother, Pichardo spends all of his time exercising and playing soccer.

“He doesn’t go any other place besides the SportsPlex to play soccer,” she said. “After school, during the night, during weekends. Always.”

Pichardo plans on traveling to Santa Barbara, California, in December to take part in a regional event where four teams from the north, south, east and west will meet up to play games with the best 18 players from each region on each team. Every state except Alaska and Hawaii will meet in conjunction with a NCAA final four men’s soccer tournament.

Over the course of the 2009-2010 season, Pichardo scored 11 goals and had 8 assists.

Even though he sat out about six games last season, he led the Starkville High School boy’s soccer team in both goals and assists.

Pichardo has the unconditional support of his mother in his soccer career.

“He’s my favorite soccer player,” Loaisiga said. “I’m here to support him and always stand up by his side because he is a good boy and a good player.”