The National Women's Soccer League announced yesterday that six of their professional clubs will join the initial list of twenty-five clubs which will integrate with the U.S. Soccer Girls' Development Academy.
The program will focus on positively affecting everyday club environments to maximize on female youth player development. The Girls’ Development Academy will be structured similarly to the U.S. Soccer Development Academy for boys and will begin to play in the fall of 2017.
Six NWSL clubs join
This news had been circulating for some time now but the official announcement and which teams exactly would be joining the program were not released until June 30, 2016. The six NWSL clubs with initial admittance are Boston Breakers, Orlando Pride, Portland Thorns FC, Seattle Reign FC, Sky Blue FC and Washington Spirit.
Speaking to the NWSL official site, NWSL Commissioner Jeff Plush seemed excited at the prospect of having NWSL clubs involved in the program to impact girls' soccer in the US. He felt that "it is important for us to be supportive of our clubs throughout this ongoing process of establishing a setting for the development of world-class female players.”
The door is not closed on the remaining four teams currently in the NWSL and they will also have an opportunity to apply for admittance as well.
Full list of clubs that joined
Beach SC (Calif.)
Boston Breakers (Mass.)
CASL (N.C.)
Cincinnati Development Academy (Kings Hammer/CUP) (Ohio)
Colorado Rush (Colo.)
Concorde Fire (Ga.)
Crossfire (Wash.)
De Anza Force (Calif.)
FC Dallas (Texas)
LAFC Slammers (Calif.)
Lamorinda (Calif.)
Michigan Hawks (Mich.)
Mustang (Calif.)
Tophat NTH (Ga.)
Orlando Pride (Fla.)
Penn Fusion SA (Penn.)
Portland Thorns (Ore.)
Real Colorado (Colo.)
San Diego Surf (Calif.)
Seattle Reign (Wash.)
Sky Blue - PDA (N.J.)
So Cal Blues (Calif.)
Sockers FC (Ill.)
Solar Chelsea SC (Texas)
Washington Spirit Academy (Md.)