Girls Academy
 | |
| Founded | 2020 |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Confederation | CONCACAF |
| Number of clubs | 120 (2025-26 Season) |
| Current champions | City SC White (U13) City SC White (U14) NEFC Red (U15) Galaxy SC (U16) Tophat Gold (U17) Tophat Gold (U19) |
| Website | girlsacademyleague |
Girls Academy (GA) is a soccer league and development platform for female soccer players in the United States. Formed in 2020, the league features youth academies and youth clubs from various organizations, including National Women's Soccer League.
Competition format
Girls Academy features age groups starting at U-13 through U-19.[1] During the regular season, teams play other members from their respective conferences. The league includes ten conferences (Northwest, Pacific Northwest, Frontier, Mid-America, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Mountain West, Southeast, and Southwest).[2] Top teams from each conference will participate in Playoffs, and National Finals for qualifying teams based on playoff performance. Non-playoff teams will also participate in a season-ending showcase.
Different age groups will also have a varying number of national events throughout the year to provide additional talent showcase opportunities in front of college and professional scouts.
Champions League
Two members of each conference are selected for Champions League, a separate competition for the most competitive clubs in Girls Academy.[3] Participants qualify based on final league standings. For the U14 through U19 age groups, the highest-ranked wildcard teams at the National Playoff from each age group are added to the mix for a total of 20 teams per age group.
GA Aspire
GA Aspire is a second-tier league providing a regional competition platform for the secondary teams of Tier 1 Girls Academy member clubs, while also functioning as a performance-based promotion pathway for external clubs seeking entry into the top division. Competitors advance through localized regional conference play to qualify for national showcases and the annual Aspire National Playoffs.
National events
Girls Academy hosts five national events each season — Winter Showcase, Champions Cup, Spring Showcase, Summer Showcase, and National Playoffs, plus two U13/U14 events: East and West regionals.[4]
History
Citing the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced it was ending the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, leaving top boys and girls clubs to look for a new home.[5] Former Development Academy clubs had a few options, many choosing to move to the Girls Academy,[6][7] founded by a group of leaders from the Development Player League (DPL).[8]
Former University of Washington women's soccer coach Lesle Gallimore served as its founding commissioner of the Girls Academy. She accepted the position in the summer of 2020, after the conclusion of her 26-year tenure as head coach of the women's soccer team at the University of Washington.
In October 2020, Girls Academy announced a strategic relationship with Major League Soccer and a partnership with USYS.[9] According to the press release, Girls Academy will work in coordination with MLS Next, to “deliver a true pyramid for female youth players in the US, with the GA serving as the USYS premier girls platform in conjunction with MLS.” The partnership will focus on establishing academy standards for coaching and player development, improving talent identification partnerships, enhancing coaching education, and creating competitions to showcase players. While GA will maintain full autonomy over its league, they will also benefit from advice from the leaders of MLS and USYS as it aims to become the premier league for elite female soccer players in the United States.
In June 2023, Lesle Gallimore announced her resignation as Girls Academy commissioner to become General Manager of NWSL club OL Reign.[10] Gallimore was succeeded by Patricia Hughes in September 2023.[11]
On February 10, 2024, U.S. Soccer approved Girls Academy as a National Affiliate member.[12][13]
In February 2025,[14] the organization expanded its competitive pyramid by introducing GA Aspire as its official tier-two division, positioned directly between the first-tier Girls Academy and the third-tier Development Player League (DPL). In July 2026,[15] the Girls Academy and the DPL executed a formal alignment agreement. Under this partnership, the DPL assumed day-to-day operational leadership and logistics management for the GA Aspire tier, while the DPL league itself was officially brought under the Girls Academy national sanctioning umbrella, establishing a unified, multi-tiered promotion and relegation pathway.
League Champions
| Team | U-13 | U-14 | U-15 | U-16 | U-17 | U-19 | No. of Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tophat Gold | 2023
2024 |
2023
2025 |
2026 | 2026 | 6 | ||
| Nationals † | 2022
2024 |
2021 | 3 | ||||
| Bay Area Surf † | 2021
2022 |
2 | |||||
| Chicago FC United | 2025 | 2024 | 2 | ||||
| Cincinnati United | 2021 | 2021 | 2 | ||||
| City SC | 2026 | 2026 | 2 | ||||
| Galaxy SC | 2026 | 2025 | 2 | ||||
| Lou Fusz Athletic | 2023
2024 |
2 | |||||
| TSJ FC Virginia | 2022 | 2023 | 2 | ||||
| Albion SC | 2022 | 1 | |||||
| Colorado Rush † | 2022 | 1 | |||||
| Indy Premier | 2025 | 1 | |||||
| Lonestar † | 2024 | 1 | |||||
| NEFC | 2021
2026 |
1 | |||||
| Oakwood SC | 2022 | 1 | |||||
| Oklahoma Energy FC † | 2021 | 1 | |||||
| SC del Sol | 2024 | 1 | |||||
| Sockers FC Chicago | 2023 | 1 | |||||
| South Shore Select † | 2023 | 1 | |||||
| Syracuse DA | 2025 | 1 | |||||
| Wasatch SC | 2025 | 1 | |||||
| † Former member club | |||||||
Champions Cup
| U-13 | U-14 | U-15 | U-16 | U-17 | U-19 | Club | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | South Shore Select | Nationals Blue | Cincinnati United | Colorado Rush | Florida United | Bay Area Surf | Nationals |
| 2023 | Tophat Gold | Cincinnati United | Nationals Blue | Cincinnati United | Albion SC San Diego | Florida United | Tophat |
| 2024 | City SC | Nationals Blue | City SC | Nationals Blue | Cincinnati United | South Shore Select | Nationals |
| 2025 | Cincinnati United | Lou Fusz | Tophat Gold | Tophat Gold | STA | HTX | City SC |
| 2026 | Michigan Jaguars | Lamorinda SC | Lou Fusz Athletic | City SC White | TopHat Gold | TopHat Gold | Indy Premier |
College athletics
For the 2022-23 season, nearly 600 Girls Academy committed to play college soccer. 62.8% committed to Division I, 19.6% Division II, 13.4% Division III, and 2.6% NAIA.[16] This was an increase over the 2021-22 season, which had 551 commitments.[17]
Notable professional players
As of April 2024
| Player | GA Club | Pro Club | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chloe Ricketts | Michigan Jaguars | Washington Spirit | On March 2, 2023, Ricketts signed a three-year deal (with an option for a fourth year) with the team at the age of 15 years and 283 days. The contract made her the youngest ever NWSL signee at the time, breaking the record set by Olivia Moultrie in 2021 (15 years and 286 days).[18] |
| Kimmi Ascanio | Florida United | San Diego Wave | In March 2024, San Diego Wave FC signed midfielder Kimmi Ascanio to a three-year contract through the 2026 season. |
References
- ↑ "Events | Girls Academy League". girlsacademyleague.com. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- ↑ Clark, Travis (May 8, 2020). "DPL announces new Girls Academy League". Top Drawer Soccer. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- ↑ "GA announces Champions League details". TopDrawerSoccer.com. January 18, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
- ↑ Langone, Matt (April 19, 2023). "Girls Academy Spring Showcase: Which teams shined brightest in North Carolina?". New England Soccer Journal. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
- ↑ Carlise, Jeff (April 16, 2020). "USSF ends academy; MLS announces youth league". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
- ↑ Straus, Brian (April 16, 2020). "The Development Academy's Demise and What it Means for U.S. Soccer's Youth". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
- ↑ Nilsson, Ryan (April 25, 2020). "U.S. Soccer shutters Development Academy, but elite athletes have plenty of options". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
- ↑ Wharton, Chuck (April 26, 2020). "U.S. Soccer Development Academy: Girls league launches counter". Fansided. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- ↑ "MLS to collaborate with the Girls Academy, largest all-girls youth soccer organization in USA". Major League Soccer. October 22, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- ↑ Evans, Jayda (June 6, 2023). "UW legend Lesle Gallimore takes over as OL Reign's GM". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
- ↑ "Patricia Hughes Named Girls Academy Commissioner". Girls Academy. September 5, 2023.
- ↑ "Girls' Academy has also been approved to become a U.S. Soccer member!". X. February 10, 2024.
- ↑ 2024 U.S. Soccer Annual General Meeting: National Council Meeting, retrieved February 11, 2024
- ↑ Academy, Girls. "Girls Academy Launches ASPIRE: A New Competitive Platform to Elevate Player Development and Club Progression". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
- ↑ "The Girls Academy and Development Player League (DPL) Announce Formal Alignment | Girls Academy League". girlsacademyleague.com. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
- ↑ "Girls Academy Class of 2023". Instagram. May 17, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
- ↑ "Class of 2022 | Girls Academy League". girlsacademyleague.com. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
- ↑ Jackson, Wilton (March 3, 2023). "NWSL's Spirit Sign Youngest Player in League History". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 9, 2023.