Rangers first-team and is divided into four areas. Between under-11 and under-12 level, the teams play in a seven-a-side football competition, although the latter side transitions to 11-a-side after Christmas. Thereafter, the under-12s and under-13s play on a modified pitch which is slightly smaller with reduced sized goals than regulation play but from under-14 level onward all Academy teams play on normal pitches. All players from under-8 to under-15 are schoolboys, however, from Senior level many sign contracts to become professional youth players. The U11 to U17 age groups play in the SFA Club Academy Scotland programme at ‘Elite’ level. In 2017, the Rangers academy was one of eight across the country designated 'elite' status on the introduction of Project Brave, an SFA initiative to concentrate the development of the best young players at a smaller number of clubs with high quality facilities and coaching than was previously the case. Academy partnerships Rangers operate a North American Academy, which began in 2014, and have thirteen partner clubs across the United States and Canada. The academy has a partnership with Coerver Coaching who deliver Coerver method skills coaching to the Children's section on a weekly basis. On 18 December 2015, Rangers announced a coaching and development partnership with Scottish Lowland League club Gala Fairydean Rovers which effectively saw the Galashiels side act as a feeder to Rangers. In June 2016, Rangers announced a partnership with East Dunbartonshire council which saw 24 of the club's youth players aged 11 to 15 attend Boclair Academy (located a short distance from the Auchenhowie complex) allowing them to combine their academic and football studies. Competition record Rangers were members of the Scottish Premier Reserve League from its foundation in the 1998–99 season until 2012. As the Scottish Premier League was considering disbanding its Scottish Premier Reserve League for the 2009–10 season, Rangers announced it was withdrawing its reserve team in order to play friendly games instead. After Rangers demotion to the Scottish Third Division in 2012, the club entered a reserve team into the Scottish Football League Reserve League and the side went on to win the competition. The league ended after the formation of the SPFL, with a development league for under-20's teams taking its place and the club's reserve side was disbanded. A youth league was founded for under-18s in 1998 as an alternative to the Scottish Premier Reserve League which originally was