The Cougar Soccer Club (S.C.) was founded in 1965 by legendary Maplewood soccer coach Gene Chyzowych. He coached Columbia High School boys soccer for 50 seasons, winning 757 games, which ranks second in New Jersey and third nationally on the all-time high school win list. Coach Chyzowych captured four New Jersey state championships, 24 conference titles, 16 state sectional crowns, and was inducted into the United Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame in 2009.
The Cougar S.C. has provided the Maplewood and South Orange community with a travel youth soccer program for over 50 years. As a self-funded, not-for-profit organization of parent volunteers, the club promotes youth soccer for players who want to learn, train and play at the very highest levels of competition. Since the beginning, well over 10,000 children have played with the Cougar S.C. Hundreds of parents have volunteered during this same period. Our priority is to provide a healthy atmosphere for each child’s physical and social development.
Today we have over 300 players on 28 travel teams and over 400 kids in the Cubs, Mini Kickers, Kickers and Academy programs. The club continues to grow as more kids join the program to support their social and physical development. With the enormous growth of soccer in our state, we hope to continue to maintain our goal of providing an environment in which talented and committed soccer players can achieve their full potential and compete at the highest levels.