-Chattanooga head coach Sean McDaniel is seen on the right in this file photo.

The Chattanooga Football Club announced Tuesday that it is merging its Chattanooga FC Academy with the Redoubt and North River Soccer associations "for the advancement of youth soccer in the Chattanooga area."

The release said the merger "will create a full spectrum of soccer offerings, from the purely recreational to 'rec-plus' all the way to full 'select' travel soccer, and it will do so with a geographical footprint that serves the entire Chattanooga area, from East Brainerd to Hixson and all points in between."

Representatives from the three organizations will establish a new board for the merged program. According to the CFC's Sean McDaniel, "The move was logical. Redoubt and North River have the fields, lots of registered players and volunteer parents, and we have the expertise in running and managing youth soccer at the highest level." All three entities already are members of the Tennessee State Soccer Association. Further information will be available at a meeting April 6 at 5:30 p.m. at Finley Stadium.