Our Journey. Our Voice.
The Advisory Panel is a player-led board that affords us, the players, the opportunity to represent the collective voice within the Girls Academy. We have the privilege of engaging in strategic initiatives throughout the year that support the long-term growth of the league while developing leadership skills applicable long after our playing days.
What does the Advisory Panel represent? It’s about connection, opportunity, and ownership. Early on in the Girls Academy’s structuring, we made it known that connection between players within the league is of the utmost importance. Yes, we compete on the field, but off the field, it’s imperative we work together to increase opportunities for female leadership from the classroom to the workplace to our local communities.
From charity drives and fundraising to event plus-ups and league branding, the Advisory Panel is actively working to make the Girls Academy the best platform for on and off-field development. No matter what we take on in the future, reps in leadership roles help us use sport as a vehicle for the change we want to see.
Traditionally, youth sports are designed and operated by adults who aren’t actively playing in the leagues they oversee. While there’s nothing wrong with this, more often than not, players have no say in rules, decisions, and regulations that affect them. Not in the Girls Academy.
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!
Ambassador to
the League
– Olivia Nardone | Mid-Atlantic Conference | Baltimore Celtic
Ambassador to
the League
– Tirryn Sutherland | Mountain West Conference | New Mexico Soccer Academy
Ambassador to
the League
– Saadiya Bain | Southwest Conference | SC del Sol