EAST YORK SOCCER CLUB

The East York Soccer Club is a community-based, registered non-profit club, that has offered soccer to children in and around the East York area since 1977, and is a well known and recognized Club throughout Ontario.

With over 40 years of involvement, one of the founding fathers, Dragan Zagar, is still the guiding force behind the Club.

When the East York Soccer Club was first founded, 300 children participated. Player registration has grown to the point where there are approximately 2,000 players in the House League program, ranging in age from 4 to 18.

In the current Outdoor season, there will be in excess of 140 House League teams. The Rep/Elite Competitive Program for players aged Under 7 to Under 18 total another 350 players.

The East York Soccer Club is an integral part of the East York and neighbouring communities. These communities contribute to the Club through the Sponsorship Program and, the Club readily acknowledges their contribution and is always open to acquiring additional such financial support.

The East York Soccer Club’s philosophy is to provide the best programs available to all registered players regardless of skill level and, to do so at a minimal financial cost.

The Club’s central purposes are to improve the quality of the soccer program being offered to all its players, and to expand the number of children who can participate in its soccer program. The only criterion for participation is age. Space permitting, anyone who wants to play is accommodated.

The East York Soccer Club provides a safe, well-balanced program that not only develops children’s soccer skills, but also develops children’s sense of pride in their own, and in their team’s play.

Throughout the history of the Club, there have been a large number of championships attained by both All-Star and Competitive level teams. Some highlights include winning of the Ontario Indoor Cup by the U-19 boys in 2003 and winning the Ontario Cup by the U-18 boys in 2006 and by the same team as U-15 in 2003. The 2006 Championship team carried on to a 4th place finish at the National Club Championships. Congratulations are extended to the 2007 Boys who were recently crowned Ontario Cup Champions. A number of teams have attended the USA Cup in Minnesota. In 1999 the then U-15 Boys and then subsequently as U-19 in 2003 were finalists at this world renowned tournament, the largest in the Western Hemisphere with over 1,000 teams participating in the various categories. The 1995 Boys won the first USA Cup for East York in 2012. The biggest highlight of achievement occurred in 1984 when every Division of The Albert Campbell Tournament was won by East York, a feat never matched.

It is not only teams of the Club that have experienced success but also individual players. A number of players, who started their soccer life with East York, have gone on to obtain soccer scholarships in the United States and Canada as well as to play professionally in Europe and South America. The Club’s most famous son, Theo Zagar, went on to play professionally and nationally, and is now acting as the Club’s Technical Director.

To continually improve the quality of the program being offered, the Club has dedicated substantial efforts towards creating a development program for coaches, for players and for referees. These consist of skill and technical knowledge development programs. There is also a summer camp program for players who are keen to improve their individual skills.

The overall success of the Club, as outlined above, is all due to the many countless hours of hard work by commitment by, volunteers who work for the benefit of the children of East York and surrounding Communities. For this, The East York Soccer Club expresses its gratitude and appreciation.

THANK YOU ALL.

Club Founders – Dragan Zagar and Bob Dale