As the US Soccer Development Academy era comes to a close, City SC has announced that their girls DA teams will join the newly formed Girls Academy (GA) League. The GA is an expansion of the existing DPL league and was formed via a collaboration of 89% of the clubs that were previously members of the DA.
“City Soccer Club is excited to be a part of the Girls Academy, which will provide a pathway for our players to compete locally, regionally and nationally while creating a platform for college exposure. We are proud to continue this collaboration with clubs from our former conference to help shape the future women’s soccer landscape in the U.S.,” said City SC Director of Coaching, Michael Duggan. “The development of our players has always been our main focus and we are confident the GA League will be the best pathway for our players to thrive. City SC has been proud to help pave the way for women’s soccer in our community and we have always made our decisions based on the development of our players.”
After having the opportunity to watch the standard of elite level girls soccer grow under the DA program the past two seasons, the founding clubs acted swiftly to develop a platform that will uphold the same matchday, coaching education and professionalism standards as the DA with key differences as follows:
- Players WILL be allowed to play high school soccer
- Teams WILL be able to participate in outside competitions/tournaments
- Matchday rules WILL allow for re-entry in the game
- Teams will be required to train a minimum of three (3) days per week
- Schedules will be controlled by individual conferences to provide teams with more flexibility, minimize conflicts and reduce travel costs
“We are very excited about the new Girls Academy League. To continue to have the opportunity to compete with like minded clubs who have been recognized on a national platform is thrilling,” said Courtney Drummond, City SC Assistant Girls Academy Director and College Liaison. “The GA National events will be great for our players to continue to get exposure in front of college coaches against some of the top clubs nationwide. Additionally, our new pathway provides our teams the flexibility to attend other college showcases both locally and nationally. City SC is committed to our players first and making their training and game environment the highest level, which will still include live streaming home games at Army and Navy.”
The league has 7 confirmed conferences nationwide, City SC being a member of the Southwest Conference along with Albion San Diego, Albion Las Vegas, Beach FC, LA Surf, Legends. Patedores, SC Del Sol, Utah Royals AZ, and West Coast (formerly OC Surf).
The season is scheduled to start in September and similar to the DA, will include a fall and spring league schedule and three GA Showcase events. The GA league will feature single age groups from U13-U17 and a combined U18/U19 age group, while the pre-existing DPL league will continue to operate in its current form, providing both tiers of competition with an expanded player pool and more extensive opportunities for exposure to college and Youth National Team (YNT) scouts. Although US Soccer has announced the suspension of all YNT programs until 2021, the GA boasts an overwhelming number of YNT players, with 70% of YNT players rostered full time with GA League teams.
“We are very excited for all of our players that will have the chance to play against the best opposition in the country, which in turn gives our players the ability to perform at their best on a National level,” said Carl Higham, City SC Girls Director of Coaching.
The DPL platform upon which the GA is built has proven to be an effective vehicle for player development and college exposure in line with the Girls DA since its inception. The highly anticipated addition of the GA tier is expected to improve upon the already high standards clubs have become accustomed to in the DA, while providing member clubs with more input in shaping the league to best fit the needs of the individual players.
Click Here for a comprehensive overview of the GA league and FAQs
What are the key differences between the new Girls Academy League and the former US Soccer Development Academy?
The main difference between the new Girls Academy League and the former US Soccer Development Academy are the substitution rules and players are allowed to play high school soccer.
What is the season timeline?
August-Dec and March-June
What does the commitment look like?
- How many practices per week? Minimum of 3 practices per week
- How many games per season? 18 league games, 2-4 cross conference games, plus 3 games at each GA Showcase event
- How many showcases/tournaments per season? 3 GA events, plus an additional 2 local Showcase events
Are there playoffs/championships?
Yes there are playoffs and a National Championship
What are the age groups/divisions for the league?
U13, U14, U15, U16, U17, U18/19
Can I play high school soccer?
Yes, players can play high school soccer.
Can I play other high school sports?
Yes, players can play other high school sports as long as they’re in communication with their respective coach.
How will the league guarantee adequate exposure to college coaches?
The GA is committed to making college exposure for players their top priority. The GA will host three Showcase events and City SC is committed to continue live streaming all home games being played at Army Navy.
Will Girls Academy teams be limited in the types of showcase and tournament events they can enter?
There are no restrictions on sanctioned events. GA teams are permitted to participate in any outside showcase events or tournaments they want to partake in.
Will Girls Academy and ECNL teams ever compete against each other?
Yes, teams in both organizations are allowed to compete against each other in any outside competition.
How does this impact the pathway to the Youth National Teams?
The pathway to Youth National Teams (YNT) has not changed. YNT scouts will be at league games and National events. Please note all YNT operations have been shut down until 2021.
Will Girls Academy games still be filmed and live-streamed?
Yes, all Girls Academy games will be filmed at Home and Away competitions. Due to our home games being played at Army Navy Academy, City SC is one of the very few clubs across the country that are able to live stream home games and will continue to do so.
What will registration fees be?
No changes will be made to the registration fees.
Will there be any changes to the existing DPL league?
There will be no changes to the framework of the DPL league. However the number of teams in the DPL league will be expanding.
How do tryouts and team selection work for the Girls Academy teams?
All current DA players will be contacted by their coach during the month of May. Similar to the DA structure the Girls Academy tryouts are ongoing throughout the year.
Does this impact our partnership with the Utah Royals?
No, the new pathway will not impact our partnership with the Utah Royals. The new pathway provides City SC with more flexibility to engage and work with the Royals organization.
CLICK HERE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR GIRLS ACADEMY OR DPL PROGRAM
For more information on the GA League please click here to visit the GA league website.
