CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (October 21, 2026) — Chattanooga Football Club (CFC) today announced a partnership between the club's MLS NEXT (U13-U16) teams and The True Athlete Project (TAP).
CFC officially announced that it would join MLS NEXT, the top youth soccer development league in North America, in April 2024. The club's first season in MLS NEXT took place in the 2025/2026 season, debuting with three teams: U13 (2013 birth year), U14 (2012 birth year) and U15 (2011 birth year). Beginning with the fall 2026 season, the club runs and operates U13 (2014 birth year), U14 (2013 birth year), U15 (2012 birth year) and U16 (2011 birth year) teams.
MLS NEXT provides the best player development experience in North America. Founded on a collaborative approach to governance and a commitment to innovation, MLS NEXT players have access to the highest levels of competition and to training to prepare them for their futures, both in soccer and in life.
TAP will become an important component for the latter. TAP leadership will visit the athletes over a span of 24 weeks with the goal of providing resources to further holistically develop the athletes. There will also be a coaches workshop focused on holistic development and mental performance. Informational newsletters with resources will be sent to the families to fully support the athletes at home.
Miguel Rodrigues, Chattanooga FC MLS NEXT Director and U16 Head Coach, said: "We are excited to partner with The True Athlete Project for this season. After several conversations, it became clear that we are aligned in our vision of developing athletes holistically. We have the privilege of developing these athletes through soccer into great young men. We believe that only by developing the person can we develop the player."
Neil Place, Head of U.S. Programming for The True Athlete Project, said: "We’ve watched CFC be intentional about the culture it builds, and we’re excited to build on that with its MLS NEXT program. TAP has deep roots in Chattanooga and in its sporting community, and our mission is to help create sporting environments that support the whole person. We’re here to make holistic development tangible by teaching and weaving in practices like mindfulness, confidence, managing emotions, identity and values, and connection, so players and coaches can navigate an elite pathway in a way that supports everyone’s wellbeing."
About Chattanooga Football Club
Chattanooga Football Club was founded in 2009. The CFC Men's team competes in MLS NEXT Pro, while the CFC Women's team competes in the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL). Chattanooga Football Club became the first soccer club to offer true ownership to the fans in 2019 with 3,200+ investors from Chattanooga, all 50 states, and 31 countries. CFC plays all home games at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga. CFC also runs and operates four MLS NEXT teams from U13-U16, an elite development pathway for young athletes.
Chattanooga FC Youth serves children from U2-U18, partnering with Soccer Shots (U2-U6) and running its own programming for kindergarten through 12th grade. It is the region's most successful youth soccer club, giving players a pathway from recreational soccer to competitive soccer to college soccer to pro soccer for players with that goal.
About The True Athlete Project
The True Athlete Project (TAP) is a UK and US nonprofit that believes sport, done right, is one of the most powerful development tools available to young people. In a culture that often puts winning above all else, TAP works with athletes, coaches, and schools to close the gap between what sport promises and what it too often delivers. It helps young people build resilience, empathy, self-awareness, and leadership alongside their athletic development.
Made up of athletes, coaches, psychologists, and meditation teachers, TAP has become an influential force in sport over the past ten years. Through its three M’s (mentoring, mindfulness, and movement), TAP gives young people the foundations to discover their strengths and flourish. Its holistic, mindfulness-based programming helps them feel truly seen, so they can experience sport at its fullest: as a space to grow, connect, and be inspired.
