# Girls Academy strikes strategic partnership with MLS and USYS



## SoccerLocker (Oct 22, 2020)

GA Announcement


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## Giesbock (Nov 9, 2020)

What does this actually mean for players, families, coaches?  Anything?   Or is it an agreement that never trickles out of the boardroom??


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## Soccerfan2 (Nov 9, 2020)

It means the MLS clubs don’t plan to have girls teams in their academies anytime soon. 
Gallimore is certainly well respected and committed to growing the female game and any level of partnership is a positive step, even if small.


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## Soccer43 (Nov 9, 2020)

What a bunch of nothing.  So technical advisors from the men's professional side are going to come over to the girl's league and give advice on developing the league and training girls? How many times do we have to see coaches that coach boys and men try to apply their same concepts to coaching girls?  It isn't the same and becoming a pretty tired approach.


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## SoccerLocker (Nov 10, 2020)

Interview with Leslie Gallimore

Lots of word salad here.  Maybe future pressure for MLS Next clubs to go GA for girls?  Not really sure otherwise...


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## espola (Nov 10, 2020)

Maybe they are trying to find something for "technical advisers" to do now that the boys academy has been scrapped.


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## outside! (Nov 10, 2020)

This looks to be a lame attempt to make a replacement for DA (i.e. another closed league like ECNL). These closed leagues are not good for the future of US soccer development in my opinion since they require too much travel and exclude lower income players due to travel costs. They were only setup to make money for the people at the top. The USYS system of State Cup, National Cup, National League and National Championships were more inclusive and a better long term model, but US Soccer is spineless and has now been infiltrated by ECNL.


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## watfly (Nov 10, 2020)

Seems to be a strategic move to bring a girls component to complement the MLS Next program for boys, since ECNL has both boys and girls.  Makes sense given the current soccer landscape, but likely is more form over substance...like most, so-called "elite" leagues.

I've actually been pleasantly surprised by the initial efforts and organization of the MLS Next program, although there is a long way to go.  We shall see once we're actually able to play games.


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