As the newly formed professional soccer pyramid continues to expand and evolve in the United States, academies play a huge part in producing the next generation of talent in the country. For the Red Wolves, academies play a significant role in providing access to a vast and untapped pool of homegrown talent. These academies work to not only help kids become stronger soccer players, but also to provide opportunities where they might have previously been unavailable.
Derek Greene, the Executive Vice President of the Chattanooga Red Wolves Academy, discussed how the academies continue to open doors for children participating in academy soccer, “One of our missions is to influence the game as much as we can and to do it in as affordable a way as possible for players and families. By growing the organization geographically, it allows us to increase player pools, connect with other coaches to grow the game, and provide a pathway for more young players on their journey from the youth ranks all the way to the professional ranks. Very few organizations in the country will provide what the Red Wolves can provide for both male and female players.”
The Chattanooga Red Wolves Academy have not only prioritized providing opportunity for homegrown talent but have also expanded its reach far beyond the city of Chattanooga. The club has recently announced partnerships with both Knoxville Reds FC, and with California organization BOCA Orange County
The academy’s reach both locally and beyond will not only build and improve the Chattanooga Red Wolves Academy but will also continue to grow the pathway to pro in the United States. Derrick Long, Executive Director of the Knoxville Reds a perennial regional force, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership between the two organizations, “We are excited to be part of the Chattanooga Red Wolves Soccer Club organization. Our goals together are to create a regional player base so that as kids age up there are varying options and pathways players can achieve. The ability for all of our coaches to share ideas across multiple organizations will ensure that our players are on the proper pathway for their development.”
BOCA Orange County, one of the most successful soccer organizations in the country, will look to achieve in the same vein as Knoxville Reds FC , by partnering with the Red Wolves to get more kids playing soccer at a high level in the United States. Having been ranked in the top 100 clubs nationally in the United States the last three years, BOCA OC is no stranger to success on and off the pitch. Not only winning several different leagues and tournaments, but also getting young soccer players into collegiate and professional soccer. In addition, the club has also connected young players with their country, working with the US national teams and ODP National (Olympic Development Program) teams. Andy Medlin, President of BOCA Orange County, described the partnership between the club and the Red Wolves, “This was an easy decision from us after getting to know the Red Wolves soccer family. They are clearly an organization always aiming to improve and not compromise. BOCA OC has long tried to follow the same mantra of excelling in quality and doing it right. Joining the Red Wolves Academy will now give us real access to the professional ranks and allows us to showcase our talented boys and girls at the highest levels.” On how the two clubs will make each other stronger, Medlin added, “Partnering with the Red Wolves Academy allows for our players to elevate their talents into the highest levels of competition. BOCA OC has successfully transitioned from the grassroots levels and onto the highest regional club circuits. The Red Wolves academy will now just take that path another big step forward. Players will now be able to compete on a national stage with the very best talent in the country.”
These academy partnerships will not only help to grow the game in Chattanooga, but in Knoxville, Orange County and across the United States. The Red Wolves’ academies provide kids all over the country to play soccer at the highest level, and those opportunities continue to increase and become more affordable for families everywhere as USL provides the framework for an established pathway to pro soccer.
