Girls Academy

About the Girls Academy

The Cleveland Football Academy (CFA) Girls Program is proudly led by Samantha Lindsay, President of Girls Programming and one of the only female club leaders in Northeast Ohio. Our academy is committed to providing young women with a professional, empowering, and elite-level soccer environment rooted in European development principles.

CFA is built differently—each training session is designed around a core curriculum that emphasizes technical skill, tactical awareness, and personal growth. Every player receives the benefit of a planned, purposeful training progression that prioritizes long-term success.

Our girls teams compete in the Great Lakes Conference (GLC) under US Youth Soccer and the Great Lakes Alliance (GLA), providing consistent, regional competition and exposure opportunities at the highest levels.

Our coaching staff features an accomplished group of former NCAA Division I players and current college coaches, including alumni from Villanova University, Lafayette College, and the University of Nebraska, as well as coaches currently working at Case Western Reserve University and Oberlin College.

At CFA, we are developing the next generation of female footballers through structure, mentorship, and a commitment to excellence.

Curriculum Overview

A Pathway from Foundation to Performance

At CFA, we don’t just run training sessions — we deliver a complete player development journey.
Every session is professionally designed in collaboration with Chris Berry, UEFA A Licensed Coach, FA Coach Educator, and Academy Coach at Reading FC.

Our curriculum is built on European academy standards and adapted to each player using performance data and individualized plans.

Teams & Age Groups

Our girls program includes teams from U8 through U19, each aligned with a seasonal training plan and age-specific developmental goals. Players are grouped into phases—foundation, youth development, and performance—ensuring appropriate challenge and growth every step of the way.

Age Group	Development Phase	Focus Areas
U8–U10	🟢 Foundation	Fun, creativity, movement, core skills
U11–U14	🔵 Youth Development	Tactical awareness, team play, positional growth
U15–U19	⚫ Performance	Match tempo, physical sharpness, college readiness

The Three Pillars

Technique

Skill mastery through repetition and precision.

Tactics

Smarter play through awareness and decision-making.

Fitness

Physical development aligned with modern demands.

Our Club Attitude Principles

We believe success starts with character. These principles guide how we train, compete, and grow — on and off the field.

Positivity

Bring energy and support others

Hard Work

Consistent effort matters

Intensity

Train at game speed

Discipline

Focused and accountable

Organization

Structure and preparation

Boys Programs Accomplishments

Cleveland Football Academy Boys teams consistently shine across regional leagues, state cups, and national showcases:

2005 Boys

23-24 GLA/NPL season CHAMPS
2024 State Cup Semi-finalists
2023 Ohio State Cup Semi-Finalists (lost in PKs)
2021 National Premier League (NPL) Semi Finalists
2021 Great Lakes Futsal Regional Championship Finalists
2021 National Cup XX Qualifiers July '21
2021 Ohio State Cup Champions
2021 Cincinnati Elite Invitational U16 Champions
2020 Internationals Tournament U15 Champions
2019 Fall CASA league 1st place (Premier)
2019 Grand Park Finalist (Top Div.)
2019 Memorial Day Classic Edinboro - Semifinalists top flight
2019 CASA Indoor Classic Tournament Champions (Div. 1)
2018 CASA Season Finale Tournament Finalists (Div. 1)
2018 Grand Park Champions (2nd Div.)
2018 CASA Cleveland Indoor Classic Finalists (shoot-out) (Premier)
2018 Internationals tournament Finalists (Div. 1)
2016 CASA Fall League Undefeated (Div. 2)
2016 CASA Fall League Second Place (Premier)
2016 CASA Spring League Champions (Premier)
2016 Cleveland Indoor Classic Finalists (Premier)
2015 CASA Fall League Champions (Premier)
2015 Erie Holiday Classic Champions (Premier)
2015 Donato’s Classic Champions (Premier)
2015 Bowling Green Soccer Challenge Champions (Premier)

2006 Boys

23-24 GLA/NPL 05/06 season CHAMPS
2024 05/06 State Cup Semi-finalists
2023 Great Lakes Futsal Regional Championship Finalists
2023 Force All Star Tournament Champions
2022 Ohio State Cup Super Group Champions
2021 Cincinnati Elite Invitational U15 Champions
2020 U15 CASA Fall League Champs
2020 Internationals Tournament U14 Finalists (Div. 1)
2020 CASA Indoor Classic Tournament Champions (Div. 1)
2019 CASA Indoor Classic Tournament Champions (Div. 1)
2018 CASA Season Finale Tournament Champions (Div. 1)
2018 Edinboro Memorial Day Classic Champions (Premier)
2018 Cincinnati Elite invitational Champions
2018 Internationals tournament Finalists (Premier)
2017 CASA Indoor Classic Finalists (Premier)
2016 CASA Season Finale Semifinalists (Div. 1)
2016 CASA Indoor Classic Champions (Premier)
2016 CASA State Cup Semi Finalists (Premier)
2016 Great Lakes Futsal Regional Championship Finalists (Premier)
2015 Donato’s Classic Finalists (Premier)

2007 Boys

2023 U16 Force All Star tournament Champions
2021 Ohio State Cup Finalists
2021 Cincinnati Elite Invitational U14 Champions
2019 Grand Park Cup Tournament Finalists (Premier)
2019 U12 Internationals Tournament Champions (Premier)
2018 CASA Season Finale Tournament Finalists (Div. 1)
2018 CASA Season Finale Tournament Semifinalists (Div. 1)
2018 Edinboro Memorial Day Classic Finalists (Premier)
2018 Cincinnati Elite invitational Finalists
2018 CASA Cleveland Indoor Classic U12 Champions (Div. 1)
2018 CASA Cleveland Indoor Classic U11 Semifinalists (Div. 1)
2018 Internationals tournament Finalists
2017 Grand Park Cup Championship Finalists
2017 Erie Memorial Day Classic Finalists
2016 Club Ohio Fall Classic Champions (Premier II)

2008 Boys

23-24 GLA/NPL season Finalists
2024 State Cup Semi-finalists
2023 GLA NPL Premier Champions
Team established 2021 season

2009 Boys

2023 GLA NPL Finals—Super Group Champions
2023 GLA NPL Undefeated season
2023 Blue Chip Tournament Finalists
2023 U14 Force All Star tournament Champions
2022 Regional Cup XXI Premier Champions
2022 Ohio State Cup Champions
2022 Nike Challenge Cup Finalists
2021 Grand Park Cup Champions
2021 Ohio State Cup U12 Black Semi-finalists
2021 Ohio State Cup U12 Red Finalists
2021 Spring CASA League Premier U13 1st Place
2021 Cincinnati Elite Invitational U12 Red Finalists
2020 U11 Internationals Tournament Finalists (Premier)
2020 U11 CASA Indoor Classic Champions (Premier)
2020 U11 CASA Indoor Classic Champions (Div. 1)
2020 U11 Erie Holiday Classic Champions
2019 U11 CASA Season Finale Finalists (Div. 1) Lost in PKs
2019 Ohio State Cup Champions
2019 Memorial Day Classic at Edinboro Finalists
2019 Internationals Tournament Finalists (Premier)
2019 CASA Indoor Classic Tournament Semi-Finalists (Div. 1)
2019 CASA Indoor Classic Tournament U11 Finalists
2018 Erie Premier Holiday Classic Champions
2018 CASA Season Finale Tournament Semifinalists (Div. 1)
2018 Edinboro Memorial Day Classic Champions (Premier)
2018 Cleveland Indoor Classic Finalists (Premier)
2018 Internationals tournament Champions (Div. 1)
2018 Internationals tournament Finalists (Premier)
2017 Grand Park Cup Undefeated and 1st place
2017 US Club Ohio State Cup Finalists

2010 Boys

2023 Nike Challenge Cup Champions
2022 Nike Challenge Cup Champions
2021 Club Ohio Fall Classic Champions
2021 National Premier League GLA Finalists
2021 Ohio State Cup Semi-finalists
2021 Spring CASA League Premier 1st Place
2020 U11 CASA Fall League Undefeated Champs
2020 U10 Internationals Tournament Champions
2020 U10 CASA Indoor Classic Champions (Premier)
2020 U10 CASA Indoor Classic Finalists (Div. 1)
2019 U10 CASA Season Finale Champions (Premier)
2019 U10 CASA Season Finale Champions (Div. 1)
2019 U10 Grand Park Cup Tournament Champions (Div. 1)
2019 U10 Grand Park Cup Tournament Champions (Premier)
2019 Ohio State Cup Finalists
2019 U9 Internationals Tournament Champions (Premier)
2019 CASA Indoor Classic Tournament Finalists (up U10 Div.)
2019 CASA Indoor Classic Tournament Semi-Finalists (Div. 1)
2018 Grand Park Cup Undefeated and 1st place
2018 Erie Premier Holiday Classic Champions
2018 CASA Season Finale Tournament Champions (Premier)

2011 Boys

23-24 GLA/NPL season Semi-finalists
2023 Ohio State Cup Finalists (lost in PKs)
2022 GLA Super Group League 1st place
2022 CASA Season Finale Champions
2021 Grand Park Cup Finalists
2021 USYF OHIO STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS Champions
2021 Ohio State Cup Champions
2021 National Premier League GLA Champions
2021 Spring CASA League Premier 1st Place
2020 U10 CASA Fall League Undefeated Champs
2020 U9 CASA Indoor Classic Champions
2020 U9 Erie Holiday Classic Champions
2019 U9 CASA Season Finale Champions (Premier)

2012 Boys

2023 Nike Challenge Cup Champions
2023 U11 Force All Star tournament Finalists
2021 Ohio State Cup Finalists (lost in PKs)
2020 U9 CASA Fall League Undefeated Champions

2013 Boys

2023 NPL/GLA Finals Finalists (PK shootout)
2023 Nike Challenge Cup (OPFC Black Team) Champions
2023 Nike Challenge Cup (OPFC Red Team) Champions
2023 Cleveland Indoor Classic Finalists (PK shootout)
2022 Ohio State Cup Champions
2022 Nike Challenge Cup Champions

League & Tournament Play

US Youth Great Lake Conference (GLC)

The Great Lakes Conference is an elite league composed of teams from Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, NY West, PA West and West Virginia. Teams participating in Ohio Soccer Association can qualify to participate in this league through our affiliation with US Youth Soccer.

GLA/NPL League

The Great Lakes Alliance (GLA), is a US Club Soccer sanctioned regional league providing highly competition from a wide variety of cities throughout Ohio, Western PA and Western NY. The GLA is one only 20 of the national leagues within the National Premier League (NPL). CFA is proud to have several teams which qualify to play in this league.

Great Lake Futsal League

Over the winter months, in addition to indoor soccer, CFA players get the chance to play futsal with the Great Lake Futsal League to build foot skills and quickness. Great Lakes Futsal is governed by US Youth Futsal, a US Soccer member, which is the largest and fastest-growing futsal organization in the United States, overseeing more than 100 local leagues in 30 states across the country.

Ohio Director League

The EDP Ohio Directors League launched in the Fall of 2023 with founding member clubs Team Challenger FC North, CFA, Soccer Vision Academy, and Team Challenger FC South. The league is event-based, with clubs coming together at a single venue, providing a controlled environment for all players, coaches and referees. The league provides competition for like-minded, high-level clubs, with minimal travel for the member clubs.

Tournaments & Showcases

Blue Chip Juniors Tournament

Ohio Elite Showcase

Umbro Cup

BlueChip College Showcase

PDA Girls College Showcase

Samantha Potoczak

President of Girls Programming

As a Division I player at Lafayette College, Sam was a four-year starter and senior captain. During her collegiate career, she earned numerous academic and athletic honors, including the prestigious James F. Bryant Award, presented to one junior athlete who demonstrates excellence through high academic achievement, varsity athletic success, and community service. She was also one of only three female athletes—and six total across all sports—nominated for the distinguished 1913 Trophy, recognizing those who attain the greatest distinction both as scholars and athletes.

After graduating from Lafayette, she returned to Northeast Ohio and quickly made an impact in the coaching world. She served as an Assistant Coach for the Shaker Heights Boys’ Soccer Team, where she was nominated for Ohio Assistant Coach of the Year in her first season. She then became the Head Coach of the Shaker Heights Girls’ Soccer Program before accepting her current role as Head Coach of Laurel School’s Varsity Girls’ Soccer Team.

Professionally, Sam also brings years of experience in the sports industry. She worked as a Data Analyst for Major League Soccer (MLS), tracking and analyzing match footage for the Columbus Crew, New England Revolution, and Houston Dynamo. Building on that role, she transitioned to ESPN FC’s production team, where she analyzed global match footage and produced video content. Throughout her career, she has worked closely with professional athletes across several sports in roles ranging from public relations to event production.

Sam holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Media Studies from Lafayette College.

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TAYLOR HOUCK

Coach & Head of College Recruiting

Taylor Houck is the head women's soccer coach at Oberlin College. Houck was previously the head coach at Caltech and Knox college.

A former standout player at Villanova University, Houck earned All-BIG EAST honors in 2012 and 2013. She was a four-year starter, two-time team MVP, and two-year captain while earning BIG EAST All-Academic honors in each of her four years in Philadelphia.

Upon graduation, Houck played professional soccer in Finland for Pallokissat for one season and holds a USSF "E" National License, and an NSCAA Goalkeeper Levels 1, 2, and 3 diploma.

She earned a bachelor of arts degree in Sociology at Villanova in 2013, and in 2019 a master's of education in Positive Coaching & Athletic Leadership from the University of Missouri.

Emma Daniel

Coach

Coach Daniel grew up playing soccer in Ohio and Montana, earning First Team All-State honors in high school. She began her coaching career in college, where she coached club soccer in Cincinnati for three years before moving to Cleveland. In Fall 2023, she started coaching Varsity at Laurel School and began coaching for OPFC in Spring 2024.

Daniel attended the University of Cincinnati and is now a kindergarten teacher in Cleveland, Ohio. She is an avid supporter of Cincinnati FC. Her favorite quote is, "Failure happens all the time. What makes you better is how you react to it." - Mia Hamm.

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Dennis Weyn

Director of Youth Academy, Coach Boys & Girls

Dennis Weyn has been Ohio Premier’s director of coaching since its inception in 1988. He was a member of the U16-18 Dutch National Team and played professionally in the Netherlands. As the Hathaway Brown varsity girls head soccer coach, Dennis led the Blazers to five Final Four appearances, one State Runner up finish, and three State of Ohio Championships. He was awarded the 2004 National Federation of High Schools State Coach of the Year and the Plain Dealer Coach of the Year. Weyn is the former director of Cleveland Force soccer camps and former assistant coach at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.

Lily Regele

Head of Goalkeeping

Coach Lily has been immersed in the game for over 12 years, developing both as a player and as a specialized goalkeeper. A standout at Orange High School, she was a four-year varsity letter winner and team captain, leading by example on and off the field.

Lily’s club background includes years of competitive soccer alongside extensive goalkeeper training with Kronis and Excel Soccer Skills. She has had the opportunity to learn from and train under several highly regarded goalkeeper coaches, including Coach Anton Trovinos, Coach Brent Konieczynski, and Coach Conor Robinson.

A recent graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Lily continued her playing career on the first team of UMass Club Soccer. In 2025, she and her teammates earned a berth at NIRSA Regionals in Long Island and advanced to the NIRSA National Finals in Texas, competing against some of the top programs in the country.

On the coaching side, Lily has already built an impressive résumé. For the past five years, she has coached with Excel Soccer Skills, leading specialized goalkeeper training and working with high school programs across Greater Cleveland.

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Elite Facilities Built for Development

Cleveland Football Academy trains year-round across some of Northeast Ohio’s top-rated soccer facilities. From elite natural grass fields to full-sized indoor complexes, our environments are intentionally chosen to support high-quality technical and tactical training—no matter the season.

Three full-sized 11v11 natural grass fields
Considered among the best in the Midwest
Previously hosted training for the U.S. Women’s National Team
Ideal for advanced technical and tactical sessions

Laurel School

Premier Natural Grass Training Complex

Consistent surface for year-round outdoor play
Supports fast-paced training and small-sided games
Great for team-based tactics and match simulation

Beaumont School

High-Performance Turf Field

Full-field indoor 11v11 space in Willoughby, OH
Climate-controlled environment
Ensures continuity of training in colder months
Used for winter programming, futsal prep, and tactical focus

Lost Nation Sports Park

Indoor Winter Training Complex

Contact & Registration

Ready to take the next step?
Reach out to admin@clevleandfa.com for registration details, tryout inquiries, or questions about the CFA Boys Program.