By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
June 24, 2019-The Cosmopolitan Soccer League (CSL) and Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL) both have a rich and proud history and they are working together to promote soccer in New York City.
Both groups will be looking to assist each other with field space especially since soccer fields are very overcrowded as is in New York City. Both the CSL and CJSL plan another gala celebration including both organizations like they have done in previous years.
“The CJSL will promote the CSL within our youth clubs to possibly increase participation at the senior level as we have youth soccer clubs without senior teams,” stated CJSL President Ron Restrepo. “Having known Mike (Fitzgerald, the CSL President) for over 20 years makes things easier for the both of us. We are looking forward to lead and work together for improve the quality of competition for both soccer leagues.“
CSL President Mike Fitzgerald added, “As Ron mentioned, we have known one another for a very long time and have a great mutual respect for each other. As Presidents of these two historic leagues, we will work together to make things even better for the future for soccer in New York City.“
The CSL was founded as the German-American Soccer League by five clubs back in 1923. The five, SC New York, Wiener Sport Club, DSC Brooklyn, Hoboken FC and Newark SC were joined by four more, Swiss FC, Elizabeth SC, Eintracht SC and Germania SC a year later. The league was later re-organized into the German-American Football Association (GAFA) in 1927.
The CJSL was founded as the German-American Junior Soccer League in 1933 and is the oldest youth soccer league in the United States. An original purpose of the youth league was for its players to graduate to the adult league.
In the 1970’s, when the Cosmos with Pelé, Beckenbauer, Alberto and Chinaglia were at the height of their popularity and German immigration was overtaken by people from many other countries, the leagues changed their names to the Cosmopolitan Soccer League and Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League. The CSL boasts some of the top amateur teams in the United States. The first Lamar Hunt US Open Cup was won by Brooklyn Field Club in 1914, nearly a decade before the CSL was founded. 26 New York teams, by far the most of any state, have won the US Open Cup and approximately half of those teams represented the CSL.
With over 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 11 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 Association. For more information, please log onto http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.