Who are we?
The NASA Tophat Academy Girls soccer program develops 6-12 year old players through professional coaching in a fun, but structured training environment.
Our mission is to build a strong foundation for the soccer stars of tomorrow, while providing a fun and healthy soccer environment.
We created the Academy program in 2001 for U9 and U10 girls. We’ve expanded the program over the years to include older girls (the U11 and U12 Academy programs) and younger girls (the U8/U7 Junior Academy program).
The Academy programs are a bridge between the NASA Tophat U6 / U8 / U10 / U12 recreational soccer programs and the U13 select (also called “Athena”) program.
NASA Tophat Academy Age Groups:
We have five age-based Academy programs:
| Academy Program | Eligible Birth Year(s) (2023-2024 soccer year) | Eligible Birth Year(s) (2022-2023 soccer year) |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Academy (U7 / U8) web site link | 2016, 2017 | 2015, 2016 |
| U9 Academy Girls | 2015 | 2014 |
| U10 Academy Girls | 2014 | 2013 |
| U11 Academy Girls | 2013 | 2012 |
| U12 Academy Girls | 2012 | 2011 |
Locations:
NASA Tophat serves the Atlanta area and suburbs including Cobb, Cherokee, Fulton and Dekalb counties. We have locations in Buckhead, Kennesaw, Marietta, Milton, Smyrna and Woodstock. Link: NTH locations
Other links:
- Academy goals
- Frequently asked questions
- Academy contact info
- Information for Academy prospects
- Academy tryouts
How does my daughter join?
Players who want to join the NASA Tophat Academy Girls are evaluated during tryouts or other events. Check our Academy prospects page for more details.
Congratulations G12 Elite II!
We congratulate NASA’s first-ever National Champions, the G12 Elite II team (left). The girls won the U19 national title for the 2012-2013 soccer year.
The majority of girls on this team came through the NASA Academy program; see U10 Academy photo on the right. (NASA and Tophat were separate clubs until merging in 2016.)
We have our own special Academy connections — coach Hannah is a member of this team, as is coach Stuart’s sister Alyse. Congratulations to the team!
Eagle eyes may pick out Emily Sonnet (top center), who was later selected to play for the US Women’s National team and was on the squad that won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019 in France.