By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
March 11, 2021-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that Kosmos FC, celebrating its 25th anniversary, are our Club of the Month for March.
“Kosmos FC are a long-standing member club of the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League, who through the guidance and leadership of Andreas and Joanne Touros, have kept the core value of player and family first all these years and that’s a testament to their dedication,” commented CJSL Director Dimitrie Draguca.
Kosmos FC was created in 1996 with one goal in mind, to build a safe place for children of all ages and to keep them away from negative influences by offering them an excellent athletic program. Where ethics are the norm and not an exception. Kosmos is Greek and its meaning is the universe, the order, the world, something beautiful (ornament), honor and mankind. The club colors of blue and white come from the Greek flag.
The non-profit club was founded by Andreas Touros, who played soccer and graduated from LIU Brooklyn majoring in Physical Education and he earned a Master’s Degree in Administration and Supervision. He is a former international player who competed and coached at all levels. Like the previous Club of the Month, South Bronx United, Kosmos focuses on the importance of education and encourages young athletes to study and do well at school.
Kosmos Under-7 players in yellow at a pee-wee soccer game before the pandemic
Throughout its 25-year history, Kosmos FC has helped hundreds of players obtain a college education through soccer with many of them receiving college scholarships to Division 1 and 2 programs. Many Kosmos players have earned roster spots in the Regional Olympic Development Program plus won many CJSL Division as well as State Cup titles. Additionally, Kosmos has had seven players on both the male and female side selected for the US National Youth pool and team!
Andreas Touros explained, “One of our biggest recent accomplishments as a club came in the summer of 2019 when two of our teams qualified for the Barcelona Summer Cup International Tournament in Spain. We left victorious with our Kosmos FC TST Boys 2005 not only taking first place, but doing so undefeated, and our Kosmos FC Boys 2008/09 taking second place. ‘Best player of the Tournament’ and ‘Golden Glove’ were also awarded to Kosmos FC TST players.”
Kosmos TST Boys 2005 celebrating their undefeated international tournament win in Barcelona in the summer of 2019
At the recent East Meadow World Cup Indoor Tournament held over Martin Luther King Day Weekend, Kosmos added to their impressive trophy case as they had three champion teams plus its players received 10 individual awards.
Kosmos Rhea coached by Peter Touros after winning the Girls-Under-9 Platinum Division of the East Meadow World Cup Indoor Tournament in January
The club of 400 registered players, orginally in Flushing, has developed soccer in the Rockaways and last year, a third location was established on Long Island under the name of Kosmos FC East. The club has organized a tournament on Father's Day Weekend in June at Kissena Park in Queens for over the past two decades, featuring close to 100 intramural and travel teams.
Kosmos FC prides itself in giving back to their communities with scholarship programs, free clinics, food and clothing drives for local churches plus holiday meals are donated to families in need.
Kosmos FC Flushing utilizes Kissena Park as a home field, TST Kosmos in the Rockaways has Fort Tilden as a home field and all those teams use Greek gods as team names while Kosmos FC East plays out of Glen Cove and Hicksville. Congratulations to Kosmos FC, Eastern New York’s Club of the Month.
With approximately 100,000 youth soccer players––both boys and girls––and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with nine leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered––from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Children With Special Needs. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and United States Youth Soccer. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/