As six teams from the Southeast Division opened up U.S. Soccer’s Development Academy season this weekend, you had to wonder if clubs with similar schedules won’t be at a slight disadvantage when things are all said and done.

Getting a head start on teams whose regions encounter an earlier high school soccer season, and will instead begin Academy play later, might seem like a welcome head start but it comes with strings attached.

For Weston FC, Concorde Fire, Atlanta Fire, Birmingham United, Miami FC Kendall and AFC Lightning, all having jump-started the year really means is they’ll later encounter the inevitable break that falls in the latter half of the season - from January until May.

Take a team like Chicago Fire, on the other hand, which starts in February and is able to complete an uninterrupted campaign.

Two separate paths to the same destination, but you have to wonder which is more beneficial.

“To be honest, I think other teams (who start later) have somewhat of an advantage,” said Atlanta Fire U17/U18 coach Ryan Austin. “Last year we really struggled at the Spring Showcase (in May) after having not been able to prepare for three months because of the high school season. We basically showed up there with a bunch of guys who haven’t played together in three months, and it showed.”

Austin is trying to combat this with some scheduling of his own this season. He’s added a couple May matches this season that precede the showcase in hope of getting his team into better form before the spring event along with the postseason rolls around.

Still, Austin’s squad and the rest of the Academy must work around high school - not the other way around. It might not be perfect, but it’s realistic.