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;

Bergen County

New York City Metropolitan Area

New Milford

New Jersey

Award-Winning Educator and Coach Ray Cottiers...

NEW MILFORD, NJ — June 2, 2026 — Ray Cottiers, named 2025 New Milford District Teacher of the Year and 2025 Bergen County Wrestling Coach of the...

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

River Dell

Paramus

Teaneck

Englewood-Englewood Cliffs

Westwood-Hillsdale

Fair Lawn-Saddle Brook

Hasbrouck Heights

Caren Lissner

Ridgewood-Glen Rock

Fort Lee

New York City

New York County

Miranda Levingston

Washington Heights-Inwood

New York

Grand Avenue

Join us again for a massive office furniture warehouse liquidation sale on Saturday June 6th&nbsp; 9:30am-3:45pm.
This massive liquidation event will take place at 2300 Route 1 North, North&nbsp;Brunswick NJ The Warehouses Dock 5-Behind Panera in the white &amp; blue low warehouses.... next to&nbsp;Blue Star Glass
Don't miss this opportunity to find incredible deals on quality office furniture. We just took in a ton of beautiful commercial grade furniture like new from the several&nbsp;large Fortune 100 corporations selling 80% off new.
<a href="https://null/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"></a>All of our furniture is liquidated from the largest Fortune 100 corporations in the country that have downsized or relocated...Thousands of high-end ergonomic office chair starting @ $75 &amp; up, couches, soft seating, club chairs, cubicles, benching, stacking chairs, reception &amp; conference room furniture and so much more like new 80% off. All furniture cleaned, inspected, sanitized and in stock ready to go....
Delivery Available...We can help with your layout &amp; design.
We are loaded floor to ceiling with high-end furniture Herman&nbsp;Miller, Steelcase,&nbsp;Knoll, Haworth, Humansale, Geiger, Andreu World etc.. 80% off new, like new with a 3 year warrantyMention this post take $20 off!

Architects, Designers, Furniture Dealers, Brokers, Stagers all welcome to save your clients money.

Local Event: Tremendous Furniture Liquidation Sale

Middlesex County

North Brunswick

Tremendous Furniture Liquidation Sale

Join us again for a massive office furniture warehouse liquidation sale on Saturday June 6th  9:30am-3:45pm.
This massive...

☀️🍔 SUMMER STARTS HERE, PARAMUS! 🍔☀️
Get ready for the ultimate Sunday Funday as the Paramus Summer Food Truck Festival rolls into Paramus Park Mall on Sunday, June 7!
Gather your friends, bring the family, grab the dog, and come hungry because we're serving up an incredible day packed with food, drinks, music, family fun, and summer vibes from start to finish! 🎉🎶🍹
🚚 Paramus Summer Food Truck Festival 📅 Sunday, June 7 ⏰ 11AM–7PM 📍 Paramus Park Mall (Old Navy &amp; LL Bean Entrance)
🍴 20 Gourmet Food Trucks 🍺 Beer Garden • Margaritas • Sangria • Vodka Lemonade 🎧 Music All Day with DJ Ray Colon
🔥 FEATURED FOOD TRUCKS: • Angry Archie’s • The Brownie Bar • Chick Wings &amp; Things • Clyde’s Italian Ice • Cubita Truck • D’Agostino’s Desserts • El Lechon De Negron • Empanada Mania • Hold My Knots • It’s All Love • Johnny Zeppoli • Kielbasa N More • Kimchi Smoke BBQ • Mac Truck • Master Asador • Rolling Pita • Sandwich Freak • Señor Tacos • Uncle Sal’s Gourmet Egg Rolls
🎡 HUGE KIDS FUN ZONE: Rock Wall • Bungee Trampoline • Dixie Twister • 65' Ninja Warrior Obstacle Course • Pony Rides • Petting Zoo • Face Painting • Mini Golf • Spin Art • Sand Art • Knockerball • Bounce House • Slide • Hatchet Throwing
🐶 Bring the pups 🪑 Bring your chairs &amp; blankets 😋 Bring a BIG appetite
❤️ HELP SUPPORT THE PARAMUS FOOD PANTRY We're asking all attendees to bring a canned or boxed non-perishable item to help local families in need.
🎟 Admission: $5 👶 Kids Under 5 FREE 🚫 No Outside Food, Drinks or Coolers
🌐 JustJerseyFest.com
☀️ Great Food. Cold Drinks. Family Fun. Summer Vibes.

Local Event: Paramus Summer Food Truck Festival

Paramus Summer Food Truck Festival

☀️🍔 SUMMER STARTS HERE, PARAMUS! 🍔☀️
Get ready for the ultimate Sunday Funday as the Paramus Summer Food Truck Festival rolls...

Enjoy a day of ART for everyone at the Oradell Arts Fest on June 14, 2026, from 11am to 4pm. Live performances, music, dance, theater, art gallery, shop local visual and craft artists, food vendors, hands on arts &amp; crafts activity area for children and more! All activities are free and open to the public.

Local Event: Oradell Arts Fest

Oradell Arts Fest

Enjoy a day of ART for everyone at the Oradell Arts Fest on June 14, 2026, from 11am to 4pm. Live performances, music, dance,...

Varsity Prep USA

Varsity Prep USA is a North Jersey youth enrichment organization that runs summer camps, sports clinics, after-school enrichment, experiential travel and leadership programming in partnership with local school districts. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in New Milford, Varsity Prep is built and staffed by local teachers, coaches, and student leaders, serving children from pre-K through high school. Programs are designed around the same instructional principles used in the classroom to build confidence, creativity, and community.

Varsity Prep USA is a North Jersey youth enrichment organization that runs summer camps, sports clinics, after-school enrichment, experiential...

Insurcomm Restoration

After everything goes wrong, you deserve the confidence and comfort of everything going right. 	 Insurcomm Restoration is your trusted local partner for full-service property damage restoration — from emergency response and mitigation through complete reconstruction, all under one roof. For over 30 years, we've helped homeowners, businesses, municipalities, and insurance carriers recover from water damage, fire and smoke, mold, biohazard incidents, and catastrophic events.	 Our Services: • Water Damage Cleanup &amp; Mitigation • Fire &amp; Smoke Damage Restoration • Mold Remediation • Biohazard &amp; Environmental Cleanup • Contents Cleaning &amp; Restoration • Full Reconstruction &amp; Rebuild • 24/7 Catastrophe Response	 	 Why Insurcomm: • 24/7 Emergency Help Line — fast response when minutes matter • IICRC-Certified Professionals delivering precision craftsmanship • Dedicated project management with a single point of contact • Clear, transparent communication from first notice of loss to final walkthrough • Trusted by national and regional insurers for day-to-day claims and complex losses		 Insurcomm is a Fortify Company, a national property protection platform with 100+ markets nationwide. Locally rooted, nationally backed.		 Call our 24-hour response line: (844) 424-9283

Burlington County

Burlington

Southampton

After everything goes wrong, you deserve the confidence and comfort of everything going right. Insurcomm Restoration is your trusted local partner...

Alliance Homecare

Alliance Homecare’s mission is to deliver home health care services with the highest standards of excellence through compassion, respect and education. Our home care services include a wide variety of supportive care provided in the home or residence. Alliance Homecare provides medical and non-medical services to ensure that you or your loved one stays at home in a comfortable and caring environment. Our core services include: Private Duty Nursing, Home Health Aides and Care Management We provide services from Pediatrics to Elder Care. We support a wide variety of additional care, which range from assisting with daily living to more medically intensive care, such as plastic surgery recovery, wound care, hospice care and more.

Alliance Homecare’s mission is to deliver home health care services with the highest standards of excellence through compassion, respect and...

PSE&G

Public Service Electric &amp; Gas Co. is New Jersey’s oldest and largest gas and electric delivery public utility, as well as one of the nation’s largest utilities. PSE&amp;G has won the ReliabilityOne® Award for superior electric system reliability in the Mid-Atlantic region for 24 consecutive years. In 2025, for the fourth consecutive year, J.D. Power named PSE&amp;G number one in customer satisfaction for residential electric service in the East among large utilities.  PSE&amp;G is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Inc., (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a predominantly regulated infrastructure company named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for North America for 17 consecutive years (www.pseg.com).

Somerset County

Alexis Tarrazi

Bridgewater

Public Service Electric & Gas Co. is New Jersey’s oldest and largest gas and electric delivery public utility, as well as one of the nation’s...

Theta Grove Luxury Apartments

Theta Grove – Luxury 55+ Living in Vernon, New Jersey Welcome to Theta Grove, a beautifully designed 55+ rental community offering modern comfort, elegant living spaces, and a relaxed lifestyle in the scenic township of Vernon, New Jersey. Thoughtfully created for active adults seeking maintenance-free living, Theta Grove combines contemporary architecture with upscale finishes and peaceful surroundings. Each residence features spacious, open-concept layouts, modern kitchens, large windows that fill the apartments with natural light, and private balconies where residents can relax and enjoy the surrounding views. Every detail has been carefully considered to provide comfort, convenience, and a refined living experience. THETA GROVE Hello Neighbor, Designed for those ready to enjoy the next chapter of “No more outdoor maintenance." No more surprises. Just modern, spacious 55+ living with everything taken care of. ”We wanted to personally invite you to stop by for your personal Apartment Tours at Theta Grove. 🏡 What You’ll Experience • Guided tours of model residences • Full access to community amenities • Meet the Theta Grove team ✨ Designed for Modern Living • Spacious 1-bedroom &amp; 1-bedroom + den apartments • Quartz countertops &amp; stainless-steel appliances • In-unit washer &amp; dryer • Private balconies (select units) • Elevator-served building with upscale finishes 🌿 Community Amenities • Fitness center • Resident lounge &amp; game room • Outdoor BBQ &amp; gathering areas • Bocce court • Garage &amp; surface parking 🎯 Now Leasing • Starting at $2,350/month • Immediate move-ins available • Prime Vernon Town Center location 🎁 Special Leasing Offer ONE MONTH FREE on a 13-month lease Lease must start on or before 01/30/26

Sussex County

Sussex

Vernon

Theta Grove – Luxury 55+ Living in Vernon, New Jersey Welcome to Theta Grove, a beautifully designed 55+ rental community offering modern comfort,...

Nearby Communities

State Edition

National Edition

More Classifieds

New Milford, NJ|Local Classified|Announcement|10h