The Girls' Development Academy is part of U.S. Soccer's global leadership position in women's soccer and connects with its long-term plan to improve player and coach development. The mission of the program is to provide education, resources and support to directly impact the everyday environment for clubs to develop world-class female players.
The academy has nearly 70 nationally recognized clubs comprised of teams competing in several age groups: U14, U15, U16/U17, U17/U18. Roster sizes will be between 18 and 22 players.
Creating the Girls' Development Academy provides the elite female player with an improved player development model in which players can focus solely on training with the appropriate number and level of games. This model focuses on developing the individual player within the club environment, which allows for additional training per season to enhance player development.
Colorado Rush was one of the first 25 clubs accepted into the 2017/18 Girls' Development Academy and are happy to be only 1 of 2 clubs selected in the state of Colorado to participate in the DA.
At the Club Level
Schedule
The Development Academy Program is a full-time, 10-month program. The season begins in September and concludes with Championships in July. Clubs will break from league play for periods of inactivity due to weather and the end of the season.
Game Structure
Each Academy team plays between 25 and 30 league games per season, including 6-9 games played at Showcases. Teams that advance from the Academy Playoffs could expect to play up to three (3) additional games.
Academy clubs can expect 15-20 away matches in a given season, some of which will require overnight travel. Exact travel distances will vary between clubs depending on their geographic proximity to their conference opponents and Academy events.
Each team's calendar will vary depending on their conference and climate. The Development Academy will provide the framework for the league structure of the program (assigning match-ups on given weekends); however, it is the club's responsibility to secure and communicate game times and field locations with Academy staff.
Outside Activity/Competition
Academy players and teams cannot play in any outside competitions without written permission from the Development Academy staff. This includes any other leagues, high school season, tournaments, State Cup competitions, ODP or All-Star events. There are two potential exceptions to this rule, provided they are approved by Development Academy staff:
- Domestic and international tournaments: Domestic & international tournaments may be permitted if they meet Academy's technical standards of one game per day and elite competition. Examples of permitted events include the Surf Cup, Disney Showcase, and other International events
- Possibility for friendly games: Academy clubs can schedule friendly games to provide players with a heightened development experience. The games must not be part of an organized competition (i.e. tournament, league or camp) as defined in the non-participation regulations, and all competitions must adhere to all Academy standards and guidelines.
"DO YOU THINK YOUR DAUGHTER IS COLLEGE-BOUND? AND IF SHE IS SHE SHOULD PLAY ON A GIRLS DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY TEAM" April Heinrichs, US Soccers Technical Director