Charlotte Independence Soccer Club

What Charlotte Independence Soccer Club does

Charlotte Independence Soccer Club (CISC) is a nonprofit youth soccer organization serving the greater Charlotte metropolitan area across North Carolina and South Carolina. Founded in 1983 and reorganized under its current structure following a 2019 merger (previously operating as Discoveries Soccer Club), the club operates from a Cornelius, NC headquarters with a second office in Fort Mill, SC, and a network of 15+ field locations spanning Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Mooresville, Matthews, Mint Hill, Rock Hill, Tega Cay, and Fort Mill. CISC runs a multi-tiered player pathway from Recreation programs (ages 4-19) through Youth Academy (U8-U10), State Programs (U11-U19), Regional Academy (U13-U19), and National Programs including MLS NEXT Homegrown, MLS NEXT Academy, and Girls Academy (U13-U19), with pre-professional extensions via USL League Two (men) and USL W League (women) Carolina Ascent, directly affiliated with the Charlotte Independence USL League One professional team and HB Køge in Denmark.

The operating model is built on a vertically integrated coaching and development infrastructure: 215+ licensed coaches are employed directly by the club (not independent contractors), supported by a full-time back-office staff of 69 covering HR, Athletic Training, Member Services, Field Operations, Marketing, and Registration/League Compliance. Technology is anchored by the PlayMetrics platform, which handles player registration, team management, member communication, scheduling, and transparent access to the proprietary "Independence Way" development methodology. Additional programs include Camps and Training, Futsal, a Player Development Center, Goalkeeping, TOPSoccer inclusive programming for players with disabilities, Adult Leagues, and a portfolio of tournaments (Independence Cup, Fall Classics, College Showcases, City Cup, Race City Classic).

CISC generates revenue through a mix of recurring annual membership dues across program tiers (National, Regional, State, Youth Academy, Recreation), tournament entry fees, camps and supplemental programming, uniform and merchandise sales (via Capelli Sport and Dick's Sporting Goods), and corporate sponsorships (Nucor, Novant Health, BCBS NC, Capelli Sport, Dick's Sporting Goods, Chick-fil-A). Disclosed financials for fiscal year 2022-2023 show Total Income of $10,132,302 with Program Revenue of $6,570,740 and Net Income of $71,276, reflecting thin nonprofit margins typical of community-based youth sports organizations.

Name

Charlotte Independence Soccer Club

Legal name

Charlotte Independence Soccer Club

Website

https://independencesoccer.club

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Charlotte Independence Soccer Club is a nonprofit youth soccer organization serving the greater Charlotte metro (NC/SC) with a Recreation-to-professional pathway across 15+ field locations, anchored by 215+ licensed coaches and affiliations with Charlotte Independence USL League One, Carolina Ascent, and HB Køge.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Soccer Club Services

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sport-Specific Amateur Leagues & Circuits (Non-Professional) (MPAKACAJ), Disability & Adaptive Sports Organizations (Paralympic, Special Olympics) (MPAKACAH), Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ), Club Sports Programs (EDALAIAB)

Keywords

• Youth soccer club
• Soccer player development
• Competitive soccer programs
• Soccer camps and training
• Soccer tournaments and showcases

Headquarters

HQ city

Cornelius

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Revenue: Annual membership dues and program fees from competitive programs including National, Regional, State, and Youth Academy teams. Revenue streams include player registration fees, program dues, and seasonal charges.
2. Tournament and Event Revenue: Revenue from operating tournaments including Independence Cup, Fall Classics, College Showcases, City Cup, and Race City Classic.
3. Uniform and Merchandise Sales: Sale of club uniforms and merchandise through Capelli Sport and Dick's Sporting Goods partnerships.
4. Camps and Training Programs: Revenue from camps, Player Development Center, Futsal programs, and Goalkeeping training.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Charlotte Independence Soccer Club is a nonprofit youth soccer club that delivers year-round soccer programming for players ages 4 through 19, including recreational leagues, youth academy, regional and national competitive teams, pre-professional USL League Two and USL W League squads, camps, futsal, goalkeeping training, TOPSoccer inclusive programming, and hosted tournaments. The club operates offices in Cornelius, NC and Fort Mill, SC, a network of synthetic turf fields across the Charlotte metro, and a unified youth-to-professional pathway affiliated with the Charlotte Independence USL League One, Carolina Ascent, and HB Køge. Membership is managed through the PlayMetrics platform, with annual program dues, tournament entry fees, and corporate sponsorships forming the primary revenue base.

Product overview

Charlotte Independence Soccer Club operates a multi-tiered soccer organization offering a unified youth-to-professional pathway. The club provides Recreation programs for ages 4-19 as entry points, progressing through Youth Academy (U8-U10), State Programs (U11-U19), Regional Academy (U13-U19), and National Programs including MLS NEXT Homegrown, MLS NEXT Academy, and Girls Academy (U13-U19). Pre-professional opportunities exist through USL League Two (men) and USL W League (women), with connection to USL League One professional team. Additional offerings include Futsal, Camps, Player Development Center, Goalkeeping programs, TOPSoccer inclusive programming, Adult Leagues, and Tournament events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 4 National Championships in 7 years
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Novant HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial healthcare provider for Charlotte Independence Youth Club. Provides Club Medical Director Dr. Joseph Garcia, Club Athletic Trainer Jonathan Sanchez, sports performance training, and sport psychology services for select teams and individuals.
• NucormajorOthersMajor sponsor of Charlotte Independence Soccer Club. Nucor branding appears on club materials and website.
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of North CarolinamajorOthersPresenting sponsor for Independence Excellence in Leadership Awards. Major health insurance sponsor for the club.
• Capelli SportcoreOthersOfficial uniform supplier for Charlotte Independence Soccer Club. Families purchase uniforms through Capelli Sport team website.
• Dick's Sporting GoodsmajorOthersOfficial retail sponsor offering exclusive discounts and shop days for club families. Provides 20% off store discounts during designated weekends.
• Chick-fil-AminorOthersCorporate sponsor appearing on club website sponsors page.
• PlayMetricscoreTechnology or IntegrationClub management platform used for player registration, program management, team communications, member services, and scheduling. All club communications delivered through PlayMetrics.
• Charlotte Independence (USL League One)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional parent club. Charlotte Independence Soccer Club is the youth affiliate of the USL League One team. Provides direct pathway from youth to professional soccer.
• Carolina Ascent (USL W League)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPre-professional women's team in USL W League. Club-affiliated program providing pathway for girls and women to play, watch, and work in soccer.
• HB KøgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational affiliation with Danish soccer club HB Køge. Part of the club's youth-to-professional pathway ecosystem.
• SoccerStarsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner organization for soccer programming in the Lake Norman/Concord area.
• Municipal Partners (Tega Cay, Fort Mill, Cornelius, Davidson, Mooresville, Huntersville, Rock Hill)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term facility agreements with municipality partners including Tega Cay, Fort Mill, Cornelius, Davidson, Mooresville, Huntersville, and Rock Hill to ensure field availability and access to synthetic turf facilities.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Charlotte FC Academy: The MLS-affiliated youth academy in the same Charlotte metro. Directly competes for elite U13-U19 boys talent via MLS NEXT and benefits from a parent MLS club's brand, making it the most direct competitor to CISC's MLS NEXT and Girls Academy offerings.
• Concorde Fire: Large Atlanta-area youth soccer club operating ECNL and pre-professional teams. Comparable scale and pathway structure to CISC, competing for the Southeast's top talent.
• Carolina Core FC Academy: High Point, NC-based MLS NEXT expansion club launching a youth academy pathway. Competes with CISC for elite youth talent in the broader Carolinas region.
• Richmond United: Richmond, VA-based MLS NEXT and ECNL club. Comparable multi-tier youth soccer organization with similar competitive programming; one of CISC's recently hired coaches came from this peer.
• Charlotte Soccer Academy: Local Charlotte-area competitive youth soccer club with overlapping program tiers (recreation, competitive, academy). One of several established Charlotte clubs splitting the regional player market with CISC.
• Skyline Elite Soccer Club: Virginia-based Girls Academy club whose former director was recently hired by CISC. Operates a similar Girls Academy pathway and competes for elite female players in the mid-Atlantic/Southeast region.
• NCFC Youth: North Carolina FC's youth club (Raleigh area) operating across recreation through MLS NEXT. Comparable multi-tier youth soccer organization in NC, competing for the same elite player pool and tournament placements.
• NC Fusion: NC-based competitive youth soccer club with ECNL/GA programming. Comparable in scale and program breadth, and one of CISC's Mint Hill technical staff was recruited from this club.

Broad incumbents

• IMG Academy: Nationally recognized sports academy with a soccer boarding school and academy teams. Competes for elite national-level talent and has been a feeder for some CISC goalkeeping staff; provides a benchmark for full-time residential player development models.
• Charlotte Independence (USL League One): The professional parent club that CISC is the youth affiliate of. While not a direct competitor (it is a partner/feeder), it shares the brand and provides the USL League Two and W League pre-professional pathway for CISC graduates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLiMVrqpmsb2-Px7NzFZOxDOetv1LJ6ubv
• Facebookfacebook.com/cltindependencesoccerclub
• Instagraminstagram.com/cltindependencesoccerclub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/charlotteindependencesoccerclub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Charlotte Independence Soccer Club