age groups, U-14/15, U-16/17 and U-18/19. The mission of the program is to provide education, resources and support to directly impact the everyday environment for clubs to develop world-class female players. Closure On April 15, 2020, U.S. Soccer made the determination to end the operation of the Development Academy due to the financial situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The boys clubs transition to MLS Next, and girls clubs transitioned to Girls Academy (GA) or Elite Clubs National League (ECNL). Academy structure The schedule of the Development Academy consists of a ten-month season which begins in September and finishes with championships in July. Clubs take a break in league play during the winter due to weather conditions, but most continue to train. During the season each academy team expects to play between 25 and 30 games. These games are typically within the clubs' respective divisions, with the exception of showcase and playoff games. The U-15/16 and U-17/18 teams participate in Summer and Winter Showcases. The Summer Showcase also acts as the group stage of Academy Playoffs. The teams that advance from the Academy playoffs can expect to play up to an additional three games. The Development Academy designs the structure of the schedule for all clubs, and it is the clubs' responsibility to organize a time and location for each game. Each age group has its own distinctive structure. The U-12 program has players practice more often, but play in fewer games. The U-13 and U-14 program attend showcases throughout the year and play in games. These showcases include the Fall Regional Showcase, Winter Futsal Showcase, and Summer National Showcase. The U-12 program, U-13 and U-14 programs do not participate in the playoffs. The U-15/16 and U-17/18 age groups compete in two national showcases and regular season games. As mentioned above, the Summer and Winter Showcases are the premier events for these age groups. Additionally, 32 teams qualify for the playoffs and the top 8 go on to compete in the academy championships. Age groups The Academy had 149 total clubs, in five age groups: U-12, U-13, U-14, U-15/16, and U-17/18. These 149 clubs were all located within seventeen geographically-based divisions at the U-12 age group, ten geographically-based divisions at the U-13 and U-14 age group, and seven geographically-based divisions at both the U-15/16 and U-17/18 levels. The U-12 league was divided into seventeen divisions across three conferences: U-12 team