CARSON, Calif. – Months of hard work will come to fruition this weekend as the LA Galaxy Girls’ Academy plays their first competitive matches.
The Galaxy Girls’ Academy will kick off their inaugural season on Saturday with games for all four age groups (U-14, U-15, U-16/17 and U-18/19) at StubHub Center.
All matches will be held at StubHub Center's Field 7 with the games starting on Saturday at 10 a.m. PT with the Galaxy U-14's facing Pateadores U-14's. At 12 p.m. PT, the Galaxy U-15s will take on Pateadores with the U-16/17s facing Pats two and a half hours later. The slate of games ends at 5 p.m. PT with the Galaxy U-18/19s playing Pateadores U-18/19s.
For Galaxy Girls’ Academy Director Kevin Hartman, creating the first and only program to be fully-funded by a Major League Soccer team has been a labor of love.
“It’s been a situation where we’ve been pretty busy in terms of identifying players and getting them registered and getting through all the logistics. We feel like we’ve put ourselves in a situation where we’ll be successful from day one. Being in the Developmental Academy, it’s a bit more complex and dynamic than it is in other leagues, all the processes are important. I’m happy to say that all our players are clear and we were able to participate in Surf Cup a few weeks ago and we did very well. We’re hoping that we can do well on the field and just enjoy the game a little bit.
A Galaxy legend, Hartman credits the organization for helping him reconnect with the club that he loves.
"I think if I hadn't been comfortable with the support of leadership and the work of Matt Tutton and Zach Wells in terms of putting this launch into a good spot, I would have had a difficult time leaving Florida,” Hartman said. “Upon my arrival, I realized how much I missed being part of this family. Being on the cutting edge and doing something new with the Galaxy is something that I’m very excited about and I have pride in.
“I look forward to having these girls go out and represent the shield in the manner that it has been represented for a long time.”
The complete schedule for the weekend can be found below:
(All times Pacific Standard Time)
| Saturday, Sept. 2 | 10 a.m. | LA Galaxy U-14 vs. Pateadores U-14 | StubHub Center Field 7 |
12 p.m. | LA Galaxy U-15 vs. Pateadores U-15 | StubHub Center Field 7 | |
2:30 p.m. | LA Galaxy U-16/17 vs. Pateadores U-16/17 | StubHub Center Field 7 | |
5 p.m. | LA Galaxy U-18/19 vs. Pateadores U-18/19 | StubHub Center Field 7 |
