The game has changed for high school soccer.

Last year, the U.S. Soccer Development Academy launched the Georgia chapter of a league that develops the country’s top female players.

Known simply as DA for “development academy,” the league recruits the most talented players with the goal of preparing the next generation of U.S. soccer stars.

Requiring a heightened degree of skill and greater time commitment, DA prohibits athletes from playing for their high school teams.

Junior Emma Floum, a defender on the school’s varsity soccer team, said that while the high school season runs from January to April, DA soccer is year round.

“It’s basically the highest level of soccer to be playing in,” said Floum, who does not play for DA.

Because of DA’s restrictions, high school programs all around the state are losing players who have switched to the elite league.  

Sophomore Jamie Hlebec is among the players who have left the school’s team for DA.  

“It gives a better opportunity for those who really are interested in playing soccer in college,” Hlebec said in a text message interview.  

Hlebec also said college scouts typically recruit athletes from club soccer teams, such as DA, rather than from their high school teams.

With such a big turnout of girls coming out for DA, high school teams are losing some of their strongest players, especially upperclassmen.

Cambridge has lost five players to DA from last season to now: two seniors, one junior, and two sophomores.

The team is doing well in their region nevertheless, defeating Etowah with a score of (4-1) and Centennial with a score of (2-1) in their two most recent region games.

Head coach Jesse Greener said she was unconcerned about DA luring players away from the team, adding that high schools all over the state were dealing with the same issue.

“We have a lot of underclassmen on the team this year, which is great for the program,” said Greener. 

Senior Charlotte Teeter, who is committed to playing soccer at Texas Tech, said, “DA just gives soccer players an opportunity to play on the next level that college scouts want to see.”

Hlebec and Teeter have both played for the school’s varsity team, but now are playing DA.

Despite the decrease in players, Greener said she remained optimistic about the team’s future.