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Our Journey. Our Voice.
What is the advisory panel?
The Girls Academy Advisory Panel is a unique player-led group made up of representatives from every team across all clubs in the league. It serves as an important pathway for players to share their voices and directly contribute to creating positive change within the GA. By gathering data and insights from player feedback, the panel actively participates in strategic initiatives designed to enhance the player experience and address the evolving needs of our athletes.
The Advisory Panel stands out as one of the defining features of the Girls Academy, setting it apart from other leagues. This player-centered approach empowers young athletes, fostering a culture of collaboration and leadership. This unique structure ensures that the GA truly reflects and responds to the voices of its players, making it a powerful differentiator and “superpower” within the landscape of youth soccer.
What is the purpose?
The Girls Academy Advisory Panel is dedicated to fostering female leadership by empowering players to become impactful leaders within their communities both now and in the future. Through meaningful involvement, the panel inspires players to make a positive difference, build connections, and serve as role models who drive change within and beyond the soccer field.
The panel emphasizes leadership, education and service. Members benefit from opportunities that support their personal growth as individuals and team leaders, providing a foundation for success on and off the field. Through service initiatives the Advisory Panel encourages players to contribute positively to the communities around them.
The Girls Academy Advisory Panel ensures that the league remains player-driven, keeping athletes at the heart of decision-making and evolution of the GA.
Forming connections
Some of the most beautiful moments of the Advisory Panel come when members are finally able to meet each other in person after working together on various projects over video chats. The connection is very much alive and well as a result of the Advisory Panel.
Seizing opportunity
We realize this is not only about using our voice to initiate change. The Advisory Panel provides us the platform and resources to brainstorm and act upon our ideas.
Taking Ownership
This is a unique opportunity and we don’t take for granted our ability to help reshape the youth sports landscape narrative and what youth leadership can bring to fruition.
Meet the Advisory Panel
So, how does the Advisory Panel work? With 115 clubs in Girls Academy across six different age groups, there are a lot of players who make up the collective voice. This makes it all the more important there’s a structure in place to effectively caption the opinions of everyone.
The Advisory Panel consists of just under 1,000 total players. Each club has six (6) Team Representatives, one for each age group, who report to two (2) Club Representatives. From there, the two Club Representatives report to the Conference Representatives. There are two (2) Conference Representatives for each conference. This brings the total number of Conference Representatives to 22. To carry the voice of the players to the Girls Academy Commissioner, three National Ambassadors report directly to the League – Director of League Competitions.
Meet the Ambassadors to the League, as well as the Conference Reps below!
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Ambassador to
the League
– Olivia Nardone | Mid-Atlantic Conference | Baltimore Celtic
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Ambassador to
the League
– Tirryn Sutherland | Mountain West Conference | New Mexico Soccer Academy
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Ambassador to
the League
– Saadiya Bain | Southwest Conference | SC del Sol
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Lily Selvy
FRONTIER
Lou Fusz Athletic
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CHELSEA CROSS
FRONTIER
RISE Socer Club
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Samantha Chapman
MID-AMERICA
Cincinatti United Premier Gold
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Jordan Williams
MID-AMERICA
Lexington Sporting
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Hailey Crabb
MID-WEST
Kansas Rush Soccer Club
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Lauren Nidey
MIDWEST
VSA Rush
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Mack Hobik
MID-ATLANTIC
Baltimore Celtic
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Rebecca Witter
MID-ATLANTIC
Keystone FC
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Anna Neff
MOUNTAIN WEST
Utah Celtic
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Brooke Langlois
NORTHEAST
Seacoast United
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Sydney Kassel
NORTHEAST
New York Soccer Club
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Talia Becker
NORTHWEST
San Francisco Elite Academy
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Naomi Cole
NORTHWEST
Sacrometo United
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Chloe Homfeldt
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Washington East Surf SC
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Ashley Payne
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Seattle Reign Academy
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Layla Kassira
SOUTH CENTRAL
One Knoxville SC
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Emma O'Rourke
SOUTHEAST
Wake FC
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Liz Brady
SOUTHEAST
South Carolina Surf SC
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Emma Neal
SOUTHWEST
FC Tuscon
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Kaitlyn Metz
SOUTHWEST
LA Surf SC