A merger between River City Soccer and Demopolis Elite Soccer has been agreed upon, and the final details are being worked out, according to Demopolis Elite coach Paschal Dunne and Demopolis Elite board member Dr. Ronnie Chu.

The proposed merger will link the two leagues into one in which children of all ages can learn soccer fundamentals, and later compete at the club level.

“We plan to do a recreation league for six to eight weeks and see how many want to continue at a competitive level,” Chu said. “We want to make this a year-round thing, so we’ll have a fall and a spring season.”

Dunne said to keep the younger players interested in the game, the practices will be fun while teaching the basics of the game.

SoccerFest will be held Saturday, Aug. 24, and players ages 4-18 can sign up at the SportsPlex from 7:45-8:30 a.m. Games will be played from 9 a.m. to noon. SoccerFest is a free event to help kick off the fall soccer season.

Registration for the fall season is also open, and forms can be found online at www.al-demopolis.affinitysoccer.com, or at Hibbett Sports in Demopolis. The registration deadline for the season is Saturday, Aug. 31, and the cost is $45 per child.

CLARIFICATION: This story has been updated to reflect that SoccerFest is a free event.