Pedja Maksimovic

Coach Liaison

My name is Predrag (Pedja) Maksimovic. I was born in Novi Sad, Serbia (at that time the country was called Yugoslavia). Growing up, I adored football (soccer) and when I was 7 years old I joined FC Novi Sad (2nd division club), which was always one of the top youth programs in the country. During my time there, Through the high level of expectation I realized quickly I would have to work hard, no shortcuts, which taught me the value of doing things the right way.

I passed all of the levels in the youth program at FC Novi Sad and every year I was a part of the regional team  and when I was 17 years old I joined the 1st team and signed my first professional contract. I was part of the 1st team for the next 6 years and then made one appearance for the National U-21 team of Yugoslavia. It was a dream come true and I was on the right path in my career.

Unfortunately during that time I developed minor back problems. As the years passed by, the pain was increasing, which held me down significantly. After numerous visits to the physicians throughout the years, it came down to the choice of "either you stop playing now or you risk being in a wheelchair". Tough news to hear, but I was determined to get better. I started working privately with a physical therapist and found a way to be really fit with a strict workout regime that kept my back pain in line and I played for two more years. 

In 2003 my wife and I received the opportunity to come to Chicago so she could start her PhD studies. In Chicago, I played 2 seasons in the Metropolitan League, but after each game my back pain was getting worse and I was forced to decide to stop playing soccer for good. I was 27 at the time.

For the next 6-7 years, it bothered me a lot that I couldn't play. I deeply missed the game and I was still hoping that I will get better and play at a high level again. It took me a while to realize that opportunity was gone and to finally accept it. I didn't want to commit to coaching for a long time, because at that stage of my life it would be very hard to be on the bench and not be able to help the team on the field.

I started coaching my daughter's preschool class, just for kids to learn the game and have fun. I told other parents that we will start as a get together after school and if someone would like to join and play soccer that they would be welcome. After a couple of sessions I realized that I was really enjoying coaching the kids. To see the major progress after just a few weeks was really satisfying. That's where I found my spark with soccer again, but this time, I was okay with being on the sideline :). I wanted to do more so I started getting coaching education and licensing.

I started coaching at Chicago Premier SC where I spent two seasons. In 2016, the club announced that it will shut down by the end of the season. Then everything started going really fast. I was approached by multiple clubs during the Memorial Day tournament. Later that week, I met Nick through coach Slavo. After the interview with Chicago City SC I knew where I should continue to coach. I respected all other clubs but I felt that CITY was a right fit for me. I found like-minded people who cared about player development and I knew that the club has a huge potential and that it will grow. I found my new soccer home where everyone is like a family and has the same beliefs that I have. 

Throughout my playing/coaching journey, three things never changed: hard work, having fun, and doing things the right way are always part of my passion for soccer.