NJCAA Insider - November 2017

First NJCAA Men's Soccer Championship | November 1961

The 1960s was a unique period in the history of the United States - and also the NJCAA. After rebounding from a near-shutdown due to World War II, the NJCAA experienced tremendous growth and interest in the 1950s. By 1959 the association officially sponsored just a handful of sports (all men's): baseball, basketball, cross country, football and track & field. By the end of the decade, the NJCAA would adopt several new sports: bowling, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis and wrestling. 

Although not under the umbrella of the NJCAA, many member colleges across the country were fielding highly competitive soccer programs in the 1950s. After much persuasion and discussion with the National Soccer Coaches Association, the NJCAA hosted a national invitational soccer tournament in mid-November 1961 on the campus of Orange County Community College in Middletown, NY. Chris Chachis, head men's soccer coach at Orange County, was instrumental in getting the event off the ground and sanctioned under the rules and regulations of the NJCAA. 

Teams for the four-team invitational were selected by NJCAA regional leadership to ensure the top team from each area of the NJCAA membership (where soccer was actively being played) were given the chance to compete for a national championship. The four-team bracket featured host Orange County, Dean (MA), Broome Tech (NY) and Long Island Ag-Tech (NY). 

After defeating Broome Tech in their first contest, Dean defeated Orange County 4-2 to win the title.