St. Louis Development Academy (STLDA)

Overview

St. Louis Development Academy is an elite youth soccer club in Maryland Heights, Missouri, describing itself as “the premier destination for elite youth soccer in St. Louis.” The club holds Girls Academy and Boys NAL (National Academy League) affiliations, plus recently joined MLS Next new tier for boys.

Legal entity: United STL Academy Inc (EIN 84-2145670), 501(c)(3) since August 2019. Operates from Sportport International.

Financials

YearRevenueExpensesNet Assets
2024$315,369$355,280$58,993
2023$310,407$296,532$98,904
2022$295,243$258,913$85,029

Source: ProPublica 990 filings (HIGH)

  • Fernando Hernandez (President): $86,000 compensation
  • Small operation — $315K revenue is modest for GA/NAL affiliations
  • Running a net loss in FY2024 (-$40K)

League Affiliations

  • girls-academy — franchise holder
  • Girls Academy Aspire
  • boys-nal (National Academy League)
  • mls-next new tier (boys)
  • MADL (Midwest Alliance Development League)
  • SLYSA

Facilities

  • Sportport International (Maryland Heights, MO) — indoor facility

Investment Thesis

STLDA holds the Girls Academy franchise for St. Louis. Small but potentially useful as a bolt-on for its league affiliations. The $315K revenue and net losses suggest financial fragility.