Bristol Sportsplex Partners with FC Alliance

The Bristol Sportsplex Soccer Academy is thrilled to announce its partnership with FC Alliance as it expands its footprint into the Tri-Cities, introducing FC Alliance North. The Sportsplex will expand their age groups and provide training and teams in the U7-U12 age groups in Bristol while FC Alliance North will offer U9-U14 in Johnson City. This is a fantastic chance for young soccer families to join a competitive team and kickstart their soccer journey.

FC Alliance North Director of Operations Chad Stocton will oversee this new venture. He will work with area soccer leader Matt Lavinder, who has spent the last year developing the Bristol Sportsplex Academy. The venture will look to build on the rich history of players who have gone on to high levels of success in college and professional soccer and began their journey in the Tri-Cities area.

Joining FC Alliance North opens doors to a structured pathway to leagues like ECNL and ECNL-RL. The ECNL track record speaks for itself as approximately 90% of ECNL girls players advance to college soccer, with 70% making it to NCAA Division 1. While the boy's program is newer, early results are promising, with many players progressing to the next level with the support of the league's recruiting platform.

Lavinder states, “We are excited about the partnership with FC Alliance and what it can bring to our region. They believe in what we’re doing and will base their new Tri-Cities efforts out of the Sportsplex. We believe this partnership will add tremendous value to our Bristol players as FC Alliance is one of the top clubs in the Southeast. As a part of this partnership already, Alliance has been able to leverage their size to provide games for us in the TRI, something no one else has been able to do in the over 20 years I have been involved in youth soccer. I am convinced their brand will attract the top coaches and players in the area and help us continue growing the culture and community we have been building in Bristol.”

FC Alliance traditionally sends around 40 players to college soccer every year. Although their teams are strong, there is always room for growth. Adding multiple zip codes into their player pool will make FC Alliance teams more robust and competitive nationally.

Try-out dates are as follows:

• May 13–18: U9-U12 at Bristol Sportsplex

• May 13–14: u9-u12 at Winged Deer Park

• May 30–31: u13-u14 at Winged Deer Park

To register for Tryouts: https://www.bristolsportsplex.com/soccer

If you have an interest in coaching, please reach out to Chad Stocton at fcanorthinfo@gmail.com or 865-659-6071.

For more information, please go to FAQ. ■