Is this a national program or a regional program?

The GA is a national platform of 67 clubs, similar to the US Soccer Development Academy. In fact, 52 clubs from the DA are now part of the GA, including all 8 clubs from our DA conference.

How many games will we play in the season?

We will play 12 home and 12 away league games and showcase games. Over the course of the year, we expect to play 40+ games.

How many weekends will there be league games during the 10 months?

League games will be played in a combination of doubleheaders and single-game weekends. We will never play more than 1 game per day.

When during the 10 months will games be played?

Games will be played August- December and February-June. There is a month break in Dec-Jan and a month break in July. During the winter, we will play home games indoors.

Where will games be played?

League play will be a home-away series, so half will be at home in MN and the other half will be away. Occasionally, we may choose to meet at a neutral site to minimize travel for both clubs.

What are regional and national events?

All teams will have 2 regional events and 2 national events. The 2007-2004s will have one additional national event. Regional events will consist of teams more closely located geographically. National events will include all 67 clubs in the GA across the country. These events will typically be 3 days long, include 1 game per day (3 total), and bring exceptional exposure to college coaches, YNT scouts, and international club scouts.

When and where are the regional and national events?

The league schedule is still being completed so exact dates for the regional and national events are TBD. The following are tentative dates and locations:

Late November - Silver Lakes, CA
Mid-Spring - IMG Academy, Florida
Late June- San Diego, CA
Regional event 1 - TBD
Regional event 2 - TBD

Can I travel with my family or will I travel with the team?

As we finalize the schedule, more information about travel will become available.  We are evaluating opportunities for players to travel as a program with staff and chaperones or to travel with their families.

Where will training be held throughout the year?

Training is typically held in Mendota Heights and West St. Paul.

Travel fees are TBD- what is the range of expenses we can expect?

As schedules and travel options are finalized, we will be able to have a travel budget.  Travel costs vary based on distance and form of travel.  Based on travel from last year, an approximate cost per league game is $265 plus transportation to the game.  This cost includes meals, lodging (3-4 players per room), and ground transportation between fields and hotels.

How many days of school will I miss?

We take academics and school life very seriously. On every trip, we allocate study hall time in our travel itinerary.  In order to minimize time away from school, we typically fly to games that are more than 8 hours away. When we fly, we leave Friday afternoons and return Sunday evenings as often as possible and when flight schedules allow us too. Regional and national events will require an extra day of travel but will be primarily over weekends. 

Last year, showcases were during the week and we only had single-game weekends in the fall.  During that period our players missed approximately eight days of school,  four of which were due to the showcase.  This year showcases are reduced to three-day weekend events and we will have double game weekends which overall should reduce missed school.  

How is GA different from HP?

The GA offers several opportunities above and beyond HP for player development and college recruitment.

How do the costs of GA compare to HP?

The team and club fees for GA and HP are comparable given the additional training day for the GA.

How is the GA different from ECNL?

The GA has evolved from the standards of the Girls Development Academy. 

Differences include but are not limited to the following:

• Every game you play, home, away, and showcases will be recorded.  In our current times, this is a massive difference as colleges are forced to recruit via video
• Our league is led by women and designed for girls.  On the surface, you may not realize the impact of this but the Girls Academy Advisory Program gives girls a voice in the league they play in
• US Soccer will continue to directly scout our league for Youth National Team players. GA clubs have provided over 65% of recent Youth National Team rosters
• Mid-America Conference is a balanced league with more meaningful games week in and week out