Boston Bolts Join National Academy League For 2023/24 Season

BOSTON; April 14, 2023 – The Boston Bolts will join the National Academy League (NAL) for the 2023/24 season. The NAL is affiliated with U.S. Youth Soccer, the largest youth sport organization in the country. In collaboration with the nation’s top academy clubs, the move enables the Bolts to support their developmental pathways and offer high-level competition for players focused on achieving excellence, on and off the field.

“We’re excited to be a founding member of the National Academy League. We’ve had the pleasure of working closely alongside the best clubs in the country in the MLS Next and together, we’re excited to continue building an exceptional player pathway for elite players in the United States,” Boston Bolts CEO, Brian Ainscough said. “This competition is going to be fantastic and it’ll give our Bolts players a wonderful platform to develop to their full potential.”

The National Academy League’s inaugural 2023/24 season will see fifty-four (54) clubs competing across five conferences: New England, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast and Florida. Each conference will feature Boys U13-U19 programming. Participating clubs will also have the opportunity to attend the National Academy League Competition as part of the IMG Cup College Showcase in December and compete for a National Academy League National Championship in June 2024.

“The Boston Bolts are honored to be an inaugural member of the National Academy League,” Boston Bolts Sporting Director, Marco Koolman said. “We’ve been impressed with the vision laid out by the NAL team and are excited to continue providing our Bolts players with opportunities to compete against prominent and well-respected clubs. The National Academy League allows us to further align our club with the structure and standards of MLS Next to best ensure Bolts players are prepared to compete at the highest levels.”

For more information about the National Academy League, visit www.nationalacademyleague.com/. 

For more information about the Boston Bolts, visit www.bostonbolts.com and follow @BostonBolts on Instagram and Twitter and @GreaterBostonBolts on Facebook.