The Girls Academy is Raising the Bar for Girls Soccer in the US

Published: February 21, 2022
Updated: February 21, 2023
By: Jenn Ireland

Category: The Women's Game

What is the GA soccer league? It’s the Girls Academy, and if you don’t know about this league yet then you best learn quickly.

The Girls Academy (GA) is swiftly becoming a household name in the youth soccer world and making an impact as a trailblazing, player-empowering force in girls soccer. Here we are going to dive into everything you need to know about this recently formed, top-level girls soccer league.

Although they are the new kids on the block, the Girls Academy has already established themselves as one of the premier girls soccer leagues in the country, offering players a competitive environment at the highest levels of youth play.

The Girls Academy is sanctioned by US Youth Soccer and it serves as their top-level girls platform. The GA is also partnered with boy’s top-level league MLS NEXT and plans to use that relationship to grow the technical side of the game and bring together the development of the game in the US for both men’s and women’s soccer.

The Girls Academy's origins

The Girls Academy League had a unique start. It was formed less than 2 years ago in the wake of US Soccer’s unexpected shutdown of the DA (Development Academy). This happened in April of 2020 during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Girls Academy was the product of a lot of work from leaders of various clubs working together crazy hard in an effort to salvage the damage caused by USSF pulling the plug on the DA, an act which left hundreds of high-level teams without a league essentially overnight. While a number of DA clubs moved over to the ECNL (or MLS Next for some of the boys) the GA was able to retain a large number of clubs and launch their league pretty much right away.

Here’s a good video from 2020, when players and clubs were having to decide what to do about their future:

In an interview with the Girls Soccer Network, GA commissioner Lesle Gallimore said of the league’s start, “Looking back, after U.S. Soccer dropped the Development Academy on April 15, 2020, I don’t think many would believe that not only would a league like ours exist today but that we would be cemented in the landscape and looking to thrive into the future.”

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Member clubs and leagues

The Girls Academy launched at the beginning of the 20/21 soccer season and has grown steadily since. In the current 2021/2022 season the Girls Academy soccer league has 80 member clubs with teams in the U13, U14, U15, U16, U17 and U19 age groups. The GA consists of 8 conferences around the nation (Northwest, Southwest, Mountain-west, Frontier, Mid-America, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast), has approximately 10,000 players and is already one of the leading youth development platforms for girls soccer in the US.

At each member club, the top level team in each age group participates in the Girls Academy League & national events, with clubs being given autonomy to enter their lower level teams in local leagues and competitions as each clubs sees fit.

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A post shared by Girls Academy (@girlsacademyleague)

League play and national events

The Girls Academy season begins and August and culminates with playoffs and national finals in early summer (June and July). The Girls Academy also holds annual showcase and invitation-only talent ID events giving players opportunity to play in front of collegiate and youth national team scouts and get exposure.

New this year is the GA’s Champions League, “an aspirational platform created to add additional quality competition for the most competitive clubs in the GA.” Teams quality based off of their previous year standings, with 16 teams qualifying in each age group. During the year, Champions League teams participate in 2 national events, with a Champions League winner being crowned each spring in every age group.

"When asked what they wanted as part of their Girls Academy experience, the players were excited about implementing an aspirational competition within the league and Champions League was formed. It gives teams and clubs the opportunity to earn more high-level playing opportunities, provides a memorable experience, and will be fun for everyone."

Lesle Gallimore, GA Commmissioner

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Girls Academy (@girlsacademyleague)

Why players choose the Girls Academy

Talking about the Champions League is a great diving off point for our next topic: player-empowerment, which is one of the biggest selling points for the GA (alongside the high-level of play and recruitment exposure). The GA is built on player engagement and involvement, through all the levels of play. And the Champions League is a perfect example because that was how it came about.

The Girls Academy Advisory Panel

The GA empowers it’s female athletes to get involved in their own development through their player-led advisory panel. The panel has 1045 members and 16 conference representatives (2 from each of the 8 regions). This player-led board plays an active role in shaping the direction of the league.

“The Advisory Panel separates the Girls Academy from any other league in the country. Players are able to advocate for themselves on what exactly they would like to see implemented or changed and panel members work directly with league administration to impact social media campaigns, showcase event improvements, and even nationwide charity initiatives. The Advisory Panel is a crucial way the league shows how active and willing they are to truly engage the players’ voice.”

Elise Evans | GA Player | Ambassador to the Commissioner

(Pictured below are Elise Evans and Lesle Gallimore)

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A post shared by Girls Academy (@girlsacademyleague)

How do I play in the Girls Academy?

If you are interested in playing in the GA, start by checking out this map to find a club near you. Many major metropolitan areas have Girls Academy clubs in the near vicinity, and if there isn’t one nearby yet, you can expect that number to grow over the next few years as the GA really establishes itself and gains a larger foothold around the country.

Other top leagues for high-level play in girls soccer

The Girls Academy is one of the top destinations for elite, youth female soccer, but it isn’t the ONLY place where girls soccer players are thriving. Other current top-level youth girls soccer programs in the United States include the ECNL (Elite Clubs National League), ODP (Olympic Development Program) and the NPL (National Premier League).

Regardless of which league you choose to pursue, my biggest piece of advice is this: make sure that you find an environment in which you are being challenged and pushed, while also enjoying the process and have ample opportunity to grow and things to build towards. Why? Because if you are an invested, motivated and driven soccer player this is the optimal environment for growth: enjoyment + challenge + opportunity.

Hi everyone! I’m Jenn and I create content to help female soccer players and coaches maximize individual and team potential by developing healthy mindset skills. Join other subscribers and sign up for the newsletter for all my best tips and advice!

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Hi everyone!

I'm Jenn, a USSF C-licensed youth soccer coach, mental skills coach & founder here at Expand Your Game. I created this site because it is the site I needed when I was a soccer player.

About me: I am a former newspaper photojournalist who loves downtempo electronic music, guacamole and books of every sort. And of course soccer! On days off you can find me researching tiny farms in Portugal , tossing a frisbee for my dog, or tending to my growing collection of indoor plants.