Nogometni Klub Polet was founded in 1925 in the small Croatian village of Zablace. Zablace is located approximately 9 km south of Sibenik on the Adriatic Coast. For over 60 years, the team competed in the local Dalmatian soccer leagues. In the early 1990’s, N.K. Polet stopped competing in full size competitions and created an indoor league team, which to this day still competes in the local Dalmatian indoor soccer league.

In the mid 1960’s to the early 1970’s many people immigrated from Zablace to the United States settling in the New York City area. In 1974, these immigrants formed the Jackson Heights Flyers (American version of Polet) Social Soccer Club and used it as a Sunday ritual to gather at games then afterwards at the clubhouse. The club experienced great success in the first division of the N.Y. Long Island Soccer League from its inception until the early 1990’s, when assimilation and other issues forced the club to close its doors.

After a hiatus of several years, in 1998, a group of players from the original team reestablished the club and rejoined the Long Island Soccer Football League (LISFL) as New York Polet Soccer Club. Within four seasons, Polet was able to establish itself as one of the premier Croatian soccer clubs in New York, winning the LISFL 3rd Division title in 2003. The club now competes in the LISFL 2nd Division and has established an Over-30 team, which competes in the LISFL Over-30 First Division. With predominantly Croatian players with backgrounds from all over Croatia, the club has done well in representing the Croatian community in New York and looks forward to many good years to come.

September 4, 1977
Polet Jrs 1st Team Photo
Metropolitan Oval, Ridgewood, NY

Back Row (L-R): Standing: Coach Anatoli, Mike Leone, Jadran Aleksa, Davor Aleksa, Jack Badzim, Radislav Matura, Neven Blace, Tony Matura, GM Bepo Grgas
Middle Row (L-R): Rino Grgas, Josko Matura, Vlado Grgas, Josko Belcic, Steve Dadic
Front Row (L-R): Mio Lezaja, Slavko Dadic, Davor Rosini, Damir Pelajic, Zoran Belcic, Bare Antolos
Missing from photo: Mike Matura (injured)

In the spring of 1977, the Polet Junior team was founded to provide an opportunity for the many 12-16 year old boys from Zablace to play soccer. In the beginning, practices were held on Saturdays at Bryant High School in Astoria and focused on basic skills and game play. On September 4, 1977, the boys played their first game, a scrimmage game against the German-Hungarians at Metropolitan Oval park. Although the game was a loss, the boys came away proud of playing in their first game and continued playing for four years, dominating play in the Long Island Junior Soccer league. Many of the players went onto play for various high school teams and then onto play for the Polet 1st and 2nd teams.