The newly formed Charleston Battery Soccer Club has merged with the Summerville Soccer Club following a vote of approval by the SSC’s Board of Directors and parents Tuesday night. The partnership is subsequent to last week’s announcement of the Charleston Battery’s intentions to start a youth soccer club in partnership with the Charleston Fleet and is effective immediately.

Founded in 1981, Summerville Soccer Club has been home to thousands of youth soccer players in the area for more than 35 years. SSC currently has approximately 1,100 developmental and competitive players in their programs who will now become the first ever players for Charleston Battery Soccer Club.

“We’re really excited to welcome all the players, parents, and coaches from Summerville Soccer Club into the Charleston Battery family,” said Chief Operating Officer Mike Kelleher. “This partnership gets us off and running for 2017 and sets things in motion for the future. The added resources and facilities will help us achieve our goal of growing the sport while continuing to offer soccer programs to all families in our community.”

Charleston Battery Soccer Club’s merger with Summerville Soccer Club includes all SSC facilities and fields. The SSC Complex consists of eight full-sized fields, four of which are lighted. The Championship Field also includes spectator stands and an electronic scoreboard. The Complex will be Charleston Battery Soccer Club’s primary site for training and matches for the fall of 2017.

“Our merger with Charleston Battery Soccer Club plugs Summerville into a larger professional framework of soccer and instruction,” said Summerville Soccer Club President Mary Brown. “We’re now able to provide a ladder for players to reach highest levels of soccer in this country.”

Following Tuesday’s vote, Charleston Battery Soccer Club now has teams competing at every age group beginning with U4 and continuing through U18 for the 2017 fall season. Adopting SSC’s structure, CHS Battery SC currently offers Micro (U4-U8), Junior Academy (U9-U12) and Elite/Select (U13-U18). Future plans include a USSF Development Academy and an expanded recreational program.

Rosters and player pools are set for the current fall season, however, Charleston Battery Soccer Club will be hosting open tryouts for eligible players for additional programs, as permitted. More information will be made available in the near future. For updates regarding Charleston Battery Soccer Club, follow @CHSBatterySC on Twitter.