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Select Program Overview



Welcome to SSA Soccer!


youth Program OVERVIEW

Program Age General Information Link
 Ages: 13U-19U (Boys)
Click HERE for age groups by birth month/year
The platform, created by MLS in 2020, includes more than 8,000 players throughout the U.S. and Canada, will consist of elite year-round competition, as well as player identification initiatives, coaching education opportunities, and additional programming to create the premier player development environment.

SSA will have one clubwide team in each age group, and the team will practice and play out of our Marietta-area venues.

2023/24 Coaching Staff:
Program Director - Roberto Sibaja

Age Group
2011Roberto Sibaja
2010Roberto Sibaja
2009Gareth Evans
2008Gareth Evans
2007Garreth Barker
2005/06Garreth Barker

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 Ages: 13U-19U (Girls) 
Click HERE for age groups by birth month/year
The Girls Academy (GA) is the leading youth development platform for the best female players in the United States. The GA is the only national youth soccer platform that represents the collective vision of member clubs and actively engages the voice of the players to take real ownership in the GA.

SSA will have one clubwide team in each age group, and the team will practice and play out of our Marietta-area venues.

2023/24 Staff:
Program Director - Jordan Davis

Age Group
2011Jordan Davis
2010Ben Chedgy
2009Jordan Davis
2008Ben Chedgy
2007Brad Mitchum
2005/06Brad Mitchum


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 Ages 13U-19U Boys.
Click HERE for age groups by birth month/year
The National Academy League's Inaugural Fall 2023 / Spring 2024 season will see fifty-four clubs competing in five Conferences: New England, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Florida. Each Conference will feature BU13, BU14, BU15, BU16, BU17 & BU19 programming.

Participating clubs will also have the opportunity to attend the NAL competition as part of the IMG Cup College Showcase in December and compete for a National Academy League National Championship in June 2024.

Age Group
2011Trey Joiner
2010Adam Halliday
2009TBA
2008Laszlo Halmi
2007Laszlo Halmi
2005/06Trey Joiner

 
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  Ages 13U-19U Girls 
Click HERE for age groups by birth month/year
The (Girls') Development Player League is structured to provide a second tier within the Girls Academy League, and offers clubs the opportunity to provide a competitive environment to utilize as a proving ground for the Girls Academy. 

SSA will have one clubwide team in each age group, and the team will play out of our Marietta-area venues, while the practice location will be dependent upon the make-up of the roster and may be at a location other than the Marietta-area venues.

2023-24 Coaching Staff:
Director - Jordan Davis

2011Sterling Nabours
2010Sterling Nabours
2009James Harris
2008Justin Fitzgerald
2007Justin Fitzgerald
2005/06James Harris

More... 
 Ages 13U-19U Boys and Girls
Click HERE for age groups by birth month/year
The National Premier League Program is a regional league, and offers players the opportunity to compete against some of the most competitive clubs in the Southeast. At 13U and above, the League sits above the regional SCCL league in terms of level of competitiveness of the teams. Players are selected through the same tryout process as the other SSA programs.  

SSA will have one clubwide team in each age group, and the team will play out of our Marietta-area venues, while the practice location will be dependent upon the make-up of the roster and may be at a location other than the Marietta-area venues.

Program Director: Kelham O'Hanlon

2023/24 Coaching Staff:


2011Hagan Robinson
2010TBA
2009Anthony Riley
2008Anthony Riley
2007TBA
2005/06TBA


2011No Team
2010TBA
2009TBA
2008Dan Quigley
2007Matt Dale
2005/06TBA





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 Ages 12U-19U 
Click HERE for age groups by birth month/year
The Southeastern Clubs Champions League is a league comprising mostly of teams in the metro Atlanta area. The league, of which SSA is a founding member, was formed in 2018 by clubs searching for a better way to offer youth soccer programming for the serious soccer player.  Each age group and gender offers multiple divisions of play and incorporates a promotion/relegation system at the 13U and older ages between the 'Champions League' (top division), Premier I, Premier II, Premier III, and Premier IV divisions. 

SSA will have multiple location-based teams in the league and the teams will practice and play out of their local venue (Cartersville Soccer Complex for Cartersville teams, Whitlock/Central Park for Coweta teams, etc).

Program Director - Laszlo Halmi
 More...


                                                              
FAQs:

1. Who manages the MLS-Next, GA, NAL, DPL, NPL, and SCCL leagues?


The MLS-Next league is managed by Major League Soccer in coordination with United States Youth Soccer, a member of the U.S. Soccer Federation. The Girls Academy League and DPL are managed by their own league administration in conjunction with United States Specialty Sports Association, a member of the US Soccer Federation. NAL, NPL and SCCL Leagues are managed by US Club Soccer, a member of the U.S. Soccer Federation.

2. My child is on the Recreational Program. How does the Select Program compare with the Recreational program?

Aside the from the cost, the Recreational and Select Programs differ in the following ways:
A. Select teams are coached by licensed and experienced staff coaches, while the typical Recreational team is often parent-coached.
B. The seasons are typically longer, starting with pre-season practices in early August and finishing in late November/early December with post-season tournaments, then starting up again for 13U and 14U teams in early February before finishing in late May. Regular-season start and finish dates vary by program though, and will be communicated after tryouts directly to the parents of the players selected for the various teams.
C. Players have to attend a tryout to join a team and the commitment it a year-long one for those joining during the May/June tryouts.
D. Select teams will typically attend additional pre- and post-season tournaments (at an additional cost), while Recreational teams may only play a regular-season schedule unless the coach decides otherwise.

3. How are players assigned to teams during tryouts?

Details are usually announced in late April/early May regarding the dates, specific locations, and times for the Select team tryouts. SSA players, as well as players from other clubs, are welcome to attend these open tryouts if they are interested in playing on a Select team for their age group during the upcoming seasonal year. Through the course of the tryouts, players are assessed and assigned to teams commensurate with their ability level.

4. What are my options if we're out-of-town for tryouts?

If your child will be out of town and unable to attend tryouts, please go ahead and register him/her, then reach out to the program director directly using the information HERE to see if a separate tryout could be scheduled.

5. Which location will my child's team practice and play out of, and what will the practice schedule be?


The practice location for each team is generally based on the make-up of the roster in that the team will practice at the venue most local to the majority of the players on the roster.

Home games for the SSA teams assigned to the MLS-Next, GA, NAL, DPL, and NPL are expected to be played at the SSA Marietta location (Mud Creek/Marathon/Tramore).

Home games for teams in the SCCL divisions will be played as 'team vs team' fixtures at the same venue where each team practices.

Practice days and times are determined by the coach, and are based on factors such as field availabilty and the schedule for other teams that the coach may also cover. SCCL, NPL, NAL, and DPL teams will practice twice per week (75-90 mins per session), while MLS-Next and GAL teams will practice 3-4 times per week.

6. My child is on a high school team in the Spring. Is there a full spring season in Select Club soccer? 

Yes for the MLS-Next program, but not for the 16U and older age groups in the other Select programs since the great majority of Select soccer players at the U16 and older age groups play for their high school in the Spring. For the 15U age group though, players will typically play a Spring 'friendly' season to allow for the birth-year split between middle-school 8th grade and 9th grade high-school players in the age group. For the 16U and older Select age groups, a short practice season is typically scheduled once high school soccer is finished in preparation for May tournament participation. Please contact the program director for details.

7. How much travel is required?


Given that MLS-Next, GA, NAL, DPL, and NPL are regional leagues involving teams in neighboring states, an occasional overnight hotel stay may be required when playing out-of-state teams. SCCL divisions are made up of teams primarily from the metro Atlanta area, though some travel is required for away games against teams from outside of the metro Atlanta area.

8. How do the MLS-Next, GA, NAL DPL, NPL and SCCL leagues compare in competiveness?

The MLS-Next (boys') league and GA (girls') league are the highest level of league play for SSA teams, while the NAL league for boys' teams and the DPL league for girls' teams sit just below MLS-Next and GAL and just above NPL and the SCCL in terms of competitive level.

9. What is the program cost?

For a summary of the fees for all our programs, please click HERE. 

Registration fees cover all the following: Field rental for City and County-owned complexes, US Soccer registration and insurance fees, referee fees, coach salaries and education, administration costs, and selected extra optional training sessions offered during the regular season (varies by location and program).

They do not cover: Tournament or special event (such as regional league showcase) expenses (both registration and coach expenses), coach travel expenses for regional league games in excess of 100 miles from the team's home venue, uniform costs, discretionary indoor field rental.


If you have more questions, please click on 'Contacts' and select 'Program Director' to bring up email and telephone contact information for the appropriate program director.



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