The Chattanooga Red Wolves SC announced the club’s plans for Chattanooga Red Wolves SC Academy on Monday. The Academy, which will be directly affiliated with the professional club, is set to release tryout and additional information immediately.
The goal of the academy is to build a platform encouraging the growth of soccer and foster the “path2pro,” creating a resource allowing players more opportunities to extend their careers collegiately and beyond.
The addition of a professionally affiliated youth soccer academy is a vital piece of the direct path2pro philosophy the Red Wolves are introducing to the Chattanooga and North Georgia region.
“A true path to collegiate and professional play will greatly impact our region and soccer community,” said Chattanooga Red Wolves SC Team Owner Bob Martino.
“Our goal is to create a soccer environment that will advance and amplify trust among players, parents, coaches, families and our community to create a culture in which all participants are given opportunities to thrive.”
The Chattanooga Red Wolves SC Academy announcement comes on the heels of the USL unveiling its new vision for the league’s academy landscape, including the addition of the USL Academy Cup. The new platform will allow academy teams affiliated with USL professional teams to compete against one another and provide local youth with a chance to showcase their talents and be recognized in the newest tier of the USL. Additionally, players will benefit from added exposure among collegiate coaches as they continue their development.
The USL will expand and refine the cup competition into a true pre-professional academy league model that can span across the whole country. By doing so, there will be a clear youth-to-pro path in each of the communities USL clubs reside, while providing more opportunities than ever for young Americans to pursue collegiate and professional soccer.
The addition of Chattanooga Red Wolves SC Academy adds the foundational aspect to the Red Wolves’ roster of programs. The organization offers Chattanooga Lady Red Wolves SC of the WPSL, Dalton Red Wolves SC and Park City Red Wolves SC of USL League Two and Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, a USSF-sanctioned professional team competing in USL League One, under its brand.
According to Tim Hankinson, head coach and technical director of Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, the implementation of an academy opens up more growth avenues for players, families and coaches.
“The addition of Chattanooga Red Wolves SC Academy is an important step for our organization because it allows us to begin laying the groundwork for player development at an early stage,” said Hankinson. “We want to continue to generate as many opportunities as possible for players, families and coaches looking to pursue the sport at the next level.”
Any interested coaches wishing to apply can send resumes to info@chattredwolves.com. Additional information on academy structure, tryouts and programs will be released soon.
For more information on Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, visit www.chattredwolves.com.