Cobi Jones, recently appointed Associate Director of Soccer with the New York Cosmos, hopes to develop the sport he grew up with.
“I believe in what the Cosmos wants to do for soccer in New York, the U.S. and around the world,” Jones said.
Jones thinks overseeing the young players at the club’s academies is a crucial part of the Cosmos’s mission.
“I think it’s very important,” Jones said. “The youth, they’re the future. It’s the way to develop the sport. It also helps them develop as better people.”
Jones has worked with several soccer programs for youth including the U.S. Soccer Foundation, AmericaSCORES and the American Youth Soccer Association (AYSO).
When Jones began playing soccer at age five, he played in AYSO. Jones continued to play soccer throughout his youth and eventually walked on to the UCLA team.
After leaving UCLA, Jones played for the U.S. Men’s National Team, Coventry City of the English Premier League, and Vasco de Gama of Brazil before joining the Los Angeles Galaxy for Major League Soccer’s inaugural season.
Jones played for the Galaxy in 306 regular season games and scored 70 goals, both club records, in 12 seasons. After retiring from playing in 2007, Jones coached the Galaxy for three seasons.
Now he’s eager to build a club from the ground up.
“I’m excited to be a part of something starting out, that’s doing things the right way,” Jones said.
Jones wants to help with the management and the vision of the Cosmos. But he won’t stray too far from the field.
“I will try to be out there and have one on one contact with the kids,” Jones said. “It’s important for them to meet the people they’ve looked up to.”
