NEW MILFORD, NJ &mdash; June 2, 2026 &mdash; Ray Cottiers, named 2025 New Milford District Teacher of the Year and 2025 Bergen County Wrestling Coach of the Year, announced today that he is leaving public education to lead Varsity Prep USA full-time, the youth enrichment organization he founded in 2018.&nbsp;
The decision marks the end of a decade-plus career in education and coaching and the beginning of a new chapter focused on expanding Varsity Prep USA across northern New Jersey.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Teaching and coaching shaped everything I know about working with kids. Walking away from both wasn&rsquo;t easy. But every summer I&rsquo;d see a kid show up to camp on day one barely talking to anyone, and by Friday they were leading their group. After eight summers of that, I knew I wanted to do this work year-round,&rdquo; said Cottiers.&nbsp;
A Program Built by Educators&nbsp;
Operating in partnership with New Milford Public Schools, Varsity Prep USA serves children from pre-K through middle school through summer camps, enrichment programs, sports clinics, leadership opportunities, and experiential travel programming.&nbsp;
Since launching in 2018, the organization has grown from a single summer program into a year-round platform serving hundreds of Bergen County families annually.&nbsp;
Varsity Prep combines traditional camp experiences with original programming developed in-house, including sports curriculum, STEM activities, arts programming, leadership development, and hands-on enrichment designed around the same instructional principles Cottiers used in the classroom.&nbsp;
The organization&rsquo;s staffing model is built around local teachers, coaches, college students, and high school student leaders &mdash; creating a program deeply connected to the communities it serves.&nbsp;
Reinvesting in the Community&nbsp;
In 2026 alone, Varsity Prep USA will reinvest more than $160,000 into the New Milford community &mdash; through wages paid to local teachers, coaches, college students, and high school staff, and through a new formal partnership with New Milford Public Schools that directly supports district programs and facilities.&nbsp;
Expansion Across Bergen County&nbsp;
With Cottiers now leading the organization full-time, Varsity Prep USA is preparing to expand beyond its flagship New Milford location. Conversations are currently underway with multiple Bergen County school districts regarding partnerships for Summer 2027.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The model works because it&rsquo;s built by educators, run by educators, and rooted in the school communities it serves,&rdquo; said Cottiers. &ldquo;Districts receive a turn-key summer and enrichment program, employment opportunities for their teachers, coaches and students, and meaningful financial support for their facilities and programs. Families receive programming they can trust. It&rsquo;s a win-win across the board. That&rsquo;s the formula we&rsquo;re bringing to new communities.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Gratitude to New Milford&nbsp;
Cottiers, NMHS Alumni (Class of 2004), emphasized the role New Milford played in shaping both his career and the foundation of Varsity Prep USA.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Everything I know about working with kids, I learned from the teachers, administrators, coaches, and families of New Milford,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll always be a New Milford guy.. The fact that this community has been Varsity Prep&rsquo;s home and launchpad for the last eight summers means everything to me.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Summer 2026 enrollment is currently open at Varsity Prep USA, with programming running June 22 through August 28.&nbsp;
About Varsity Prep USA&nbsp;
Founded in 2018 by educator and coach Ray Cottiers, Varsity Prep USA is a North Jersey-based youth enrichment organization operating in partnership with local school districts. Varsity Prep provides summer camps, sports clinics, after-school enrichment programs, experiential learning opportunities, and leadership development programming for children and teens through educator-led experiences designed to build confidence, creativity, and community.&nbsp;

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Award-Winning Educator and Coach Ray Cottiers Leaves Classroom to Lead Varsity Prep USA Full-Time 

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