Pros
Most managers will work around your school schedule. Laid back working environment. Academy is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Paid vacation hours increase with employment longevity. Academy promotes from within frequently until they hire for management positions.
Cons
Academy is not competitive in pay; every position within the store and most within the corporate office are severely underpaid. It is difficult to be promoted from within once you reach management level; Academy would much rather hire someone from outside the company with previous management experience. They also expect you to sacrifice your quality of life to prove your allegiance to the company in pursuit of any leadership role. In my experience with two different stores, coaching and discipline is avoided due to fear of Human Resources involvement, therefore associates just about get away with murder, providing for a poorly ran store. Academy is based out of Texas and those stores are tended to, whereas stores in Eastern U.S. are neglected.