FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the Girls Academy League?

The Girls Academy is the leading youth development platform for the best female soccer players in the United States. In the 2021/22 season, there are 80 member clubs with teams in the U13, U14, U15, U16, U17, and U19 age groups. The member clubs are split into eight conferences that make up the league’s national footprint.

What clubs are in the Mid-America Conference?

 The Mid-America conference is one of the strongest conferences in the country, including 7 clubs that are nationally ranked. Clubs in the conference will include Chicago FC United (IL), SC Wave (WI), Sockers FC (IL), Vision Rush (IA), Salvo SC (MN), Nationals (MI), MI Jaguars (MI), Cincinnati United (OH), Indy Premier (IN), Lexington SC (KY).

What age groups are included in the GA?

One team for each of the following age groups. U13, U14, U15, U16, U17, and U19.

When will the season begin?

U13 and U14 teams will begin competitive play in September. U15 and older teams will begin after the Minnesota State High School League season completes in October 2022.

How many conference games will be played?

We expect our teams to play between 16-18 conference games in a home/away format. Games are typically played Saturday and Sunday, with one game per day.

How many national showcase events will each team attend?

In addition to the travel required in conference play, there are required showcase events for each age group. At U13 and U14, there will be a minimum of one required Regional/National GA event. For U15 and older, there will be a minimum of 2-3 required National GA events. Additional non-GA sanctioned showcase events may be added as well to the season plan as well.

Is there a National Championship?

The Girls Academy season culminates in the GA National Playoffs in June/July, where the top teams from each conference come together to compete against each other and battle for the title of Girls Academy National Champions. For the U-13, U-14 and U-19 age group, 16 teams will be invited to compete for the Championship, with the top two clubs in each conference earning an automatic qualifier joining two additional wild card clubs.

The U-15, U-16, U-17 age groups will have a 32-team bracket, with the top three clubs in each conference earning an automatic qualifier joining 11 wild card clubs. The U-15s, U-16s, and U-17s will also concurrently hold a National Showcase tournament for every team that failed to qualify for the National Playoffs.

How will college recruiting exposure change in the GA?

In the GA’s first two years, it has proven its ability to consistently attract impressive lists of college coaches/scouts from a wide geographical range at all levels of play. Typically, each showcase event will host 200-300+ college coaches. Additionally, in our first year, our players receive strong college exposure during conference games, with 15-20 colleges represented most weekends.

Will girls who make the GA team be allowed to play soccer for their high school team?

Yes, all players will be allowed to play for their high school teams. As a club, we recognize and value the social impact of representing your school on the soccer field.

How often will GA teams train?

Players should expect to have 4-5 contacts per week on average with their teams which includes training, games and athletic performance training.

How many travel weekends are expected?

For the 2022-2023 season, our teams had 6-8 travel weekends which included both conference games and national showcase events. 

What is the commitment level required to play on a GA team?

Given the performance level required to compete at this level, we will be requiring an even higher commitment level from players and coaches. Players will need to be able to attend training regularly and be available to attend all games/events.

How much will it cost to play on a GA team?

For the 2022-2023 season, the player registration fee was $3,700 which includes everything except coach travel and player travel.