Michigan Soccer Training
Team Sheet
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A national club-vs-club platform for academy-style clubs, below the very top tiers.
The National Academy League is a club-based national platform for academy clubs at U13–U19, built around club-vs-club fixtures rather than one-off tournaments, with a national playoff and college-exposure events. It sits below ECNL, GA and MLS NEXT but above statewide play. Michigan matters here: the league runs a Michigan division, so most league weekends are in-state, and a good number of the state's established clubs field NAL teams. Age groups play a long season — roughly 18 league games at U13–U14 and 10 at U15–U19 — which means real, repeated competition rather than a handful of showcase weekends. The Michigan division also includes Fort Wayne United FC from Indiana.
Generally scheduled around school seasons, but confirm the specific calendar with the club.
The parent takeaway
A legitimate national option that gets less attention than ECNL or MLS NEXT, and one where a lot of Michigan's established clubs quietly field teams. Worth asking about if you want national club-vs-club competition without the top-tier travel bill. Placement is decided team by team, not club by club — so ask which of a club's teams actually play NAL, and at which age groups. If your club runs NAL teams and isn't listed here, tell us and we'll add it.
Tier 1
MLS NEXT Homegrown
The top of the boys pyramid — where MLS academies and youth national teams scout.
Tier 2
MLS NEXT Academy
Same platform, second tier — and the one where high school soccer is allowed.
Tier 1
ECNL
The gold standard on the girls side — and a top boys league whose Michigan lane looks different.