FRISCO, Texas (June 9, 2021) — US Youth Soccer is excited to announce the formation of the USYS North Atlantic Conference Academy Division — the latest Club vs. Club Division within the USYS National League Conferences.
The North Atlantic Conference Academy Division will feature competition for girls teams in the 13U, 14U, 15U, 16U, 17U and 19U age groups. The 13U and 14U age groups will begin play in September 2021, while the older age groups will kick off in March 2022. Play dates will enable players to participate in high school soccer and other USYS programs, including USYS ODP and their respective State Cup competitions.
The Academy Division has secured commitments from nine clubs, including: Alleycats SC (NY-E), Cedar Stars Academy Bergen (NJ), Chelsea Piers Shoreline SC (CT), FC Copa Academy (NJ), New York Surf SC (NY-E), NJ Premier FC (NJ), PSA Monmouth (NJ), PSA North (NJ) and STA (NJ).
“We are excited to introduce the North Atlantic Conference Academy Division and provide a platform for some of the top girls clubs in the area to challenge themselves on a regular basis,” said Jen Marcella, League Manager for the North Atlantic Conference. “With the competing teams having a pathway to National League P.R.O. and the USYS Eastern Regional Championships, each game will be challenging and meaningful — providing a unique experience for all of the players that will help strengthen their development.”
Each team in the 13U and 14U age groups will play every other opponent once in the fall season and once in the spring season, while teams in the older age groups will play each opponent one time during the spring season.
The first-place team in each age group of the Academy Division will advance to that season’s USYS Eastern Regional Championships. Additionally, the top finisher in the 13U-17U age groups will qualify to compete in the next seasonal year of National League P.R.O. All Academy Division teams will also have access to compete in the National League Showcase Series.
Clubs who are interested in participating in the North Atlantic Conference Academy Division can visit this webpage to apply.
The North Atlantic Conference is one of 13 Conferences within the USYS National League and serves teams primarily from Connecticut, Eastern New York and New Jersey. Top tier divisions of each conference provide teams with an opportunity to earn their place in National League P.R.O., which provides teams in the 14U-19U Boys and Girls age groups with the chance to play some of the top competition in the country while competing for berths to the USYS National Championships. For each gender, 12 teams per age group will advance to the National Championships from National League P.R.O.
Click here for more information on the USYS National League, including the 13 Conferences, National League P.R.O. and the National League Showcase Series.
What the clubs are saying…
"The Albany Alleycats are excited to be a part of the girls Club vs. Club platform with the USYS National League and EDP for the 2021-22 season. USYS and EDP are organizations entrenched in youth soccer, and we appreciate the opportunity to work with these leagues, as well as the strong collection of clubs, that will be coming together for the upcoming season and beyond. Our goal has always been to improve the soccer-playing opportunities for girls in the Capital Region, and the Club vs. Club platform is another opportunity for the Alleycat girls to continue to earn their place in the regional and national club soccer landscape."
Chris Le - Alleycats SC, Girls Coaching Director
"Cedar Stars Academy Bergen is very excited to be a part of the USYS National League North Atlantic Girls Club vs. Club model. We are always looking for opportunities to compete against top competition, the structure and platform presented looks exciting and challenging. We look forward to the year ahead."
Lee Glover - Cedar Stars Academy Bergen, Girls Academy Director
"Having played in the EDP organization for the past 10 years, what first drew us to the leagues is still consistent today; quality team competition, quality club attraction, quality leadership from the National League and EDP, and most importantly, a quality platform for players to grow into premier, high school and collegiate players."
Danny Simpson - Chelsea Piers Shoreline SC, Technical Director
"We are honored to be part of the USYS National League Club vs. Club initiative and compete with fellow clubs that share common goals, philosophy and interests. We are strong proponents of this platform for the continued development of our players, teams and staff, as it gives us the ability to have our teams play quality matches each week at one site."
Roberto Aguas - FC Copa Academy, Executive Director of Coaching
"We feel that the USYS Club vs. Club model can provide our teams with a balanced, high level platform to compete, and it’s set up will allow our staff to optimally support our teams and players. We are excited to be part of it."
Jordi Meijer - NJ Premier FC, Director of Coaching
“NY Surf is excited to be a part of the USYS National League Club vs. Club divisions. Being able to offer our players the opportunity to compete week in and out with some of the best clubs in the region is going to be a great experience. The exposure offered through the league and accompanying showcases will give our players a platform to showcase their abilities in local, regional and national settings."
Jon Feinstein - NY Surf Technical Director
"We are delighted to participate in the USYS National League Conference Club vs. Club platform for the 2021-22 season with our PSA Monmouth and PSA North programs. The structure enables our coaches, players and families to continue to foster family-orientated culture, while providing the players the most competitive platform to do so."
Ollie Hilliker – PSA, Executive Director
"We are delighted that STA will be part of the USYS National League Girls Club vs. Club league platform for the 2021-22 season. We are big advocates of the Club vs. Club model and the unifying experience it affords our members, and we look forward to competing with and against a number of the region's other top clubs at the National League level."
Tom Shields – STA, Technical Directo