Michigan Futbol Academy
Tax status: for-profit (operated under Michigan Sports Academies / DeVos family ownership). No standalone 501(c)(3) located on ProPublica for the youth-club entity. Affiliated foundation Michigan Sports Academies Foundation (EIN 82-2569262) appears separately and may handle scholarship/charity activity.
Overview
Founded 2017. Based in Grand Rapids, with operations in Holland and Muskegon. Director (boys MLS NEXT program): George Moni. Largest youth soccer club in West Michigan by total player count.
MFA is owned and operated by Michigan Sports Academies (MSA), the multi-facility, multi-sport platform anchored by the DeVos family. The youth-club entity itself is a for-profit operating arm rather than an independent 501(c)(3) — distinguishing it sharply from peers like Midwest United FC (501(c)(3)) and Michigan Jaguars (501(c)(3)).
Teams & Players
~2,300 athletes (2023), 117 teams. Also runs select-level and recreational programs. ~100 additional athletes expected on MLS NEXT teams starting 2025-26.
League Affiliations
- MLS NEXT — All 6 boys age groups (U13-U19), new for 2025-26
- Select-level and recreational tiers
- Official academy affiliate of AC Grand Rapids (West Michigan’s MLS NEXT Pro franchise, debuting 2027)
Facilities
Operates through Michigan Sports Academies (MSA) facilities — a 6-facility network owned by the DeVos family:
- MSA Fieldhouse (Grand Rapids): 5+ acres outdoor turf, 7 fields
- MSA Woodland (Grand Rapids): 2 indoor turf fields
- MSA Sports Spot (Grand Rapids): 3 boarded turf fields, 4 futsal courts
- MSA Lakeshore (Holland area)
- MSA Shoreline, MSA SportHouse
Financials
No public financial data available. MFA does not file an IRS Form 990 — ProPublica returned no match for “Michigan Futbol Academy” (the only adjacent hit, Michigan Power Futbol Academy, EIN 83-1500926, is a different organization in Wyoming, MI). The affiliated Michigan Sports Academies Foundation (EIN 82-2569262) is a separate 501(c)(3) likely handling scholarship/charitable activity, not core youth-club operations.
Implied scale (LOW — modeled): with ~2,300 athletes spanning rec through MLS NEXT, blended fees of $300–$2,500 per player, MFA-specific revenue likely sits in the $3–6M range, but is consolidated inside the broader MSA P&L. The DeVos-backed MSA platform — facility network plus club operations plus pro-team minority stake — is the relevant economic unit, not MFA standalone.
Confidence: (LOW) for any specific dollar figure; (HIGH) on the structural fact that MFA is for-profit / non-990-filing.
Leadership
- George Moni — Director, MLS NEXT program. 30+ years coaching experience; played professionally in Albania (1984-1994) and represented the Albanian national team at U18/U21. Oversees the new MLS NEXT teams starting 2025-26.
- Reporting line ultimately runs to Michigan Sports Academies ownership (DeVos family), with MSA executive leadership above the youth-club operation.
- Specific MSA executive titles (CEO, COO of the MSA platform, MFA general manager) are not consistently disclosed on the public site as of May 2026.
(MEDIUM) — Moni’s role is documented; broader MSA executive structure is opaque.
Competitive Position
The MLS pathway play in West Michigan. The MFA → AC Grand Rapids pipeline creates a youth-to-pro development pathway that most Michigan clubs cannot match. The DeVos family owns both the MSA facility network AND holds a minority stake in AC Grand Rapids, creating a vertically integrated ownership structure (facilities + pro team + academy pathway).
Investment Thesis
Extremely difficult to compete against directly given the DeVos/Van Andel capital + MLS NEXT Pro franchise + MSA facilities moat. However, the ECNL Girls pathway (held by Midwest United FC) and the broader MSPSP ecosystem remain outside MFA’s control. Not realistically acquirable — owners are not sellers and the asset is part of a long-horizon family-office strategy.
Open Questions
- Exact legal entity for MFA youth-club operations (LLC under MSA? Subsidiary?)
- Standalone MFA P&L vs consolidated MSA reporting
- Exact relationship between MFA and MSA/DeVos family (ownership vs operating agreement)
- How will AC Grand Rapids (2027) affect MFA’s academy structure?
- Role of Michigan Sports Academies Foundation (EIN 82-2569262) — scholarships, community programming, or other?