In 1988, the teachers and youth from the Learning Center Montessori School began participating with the North Georgia soccer program. Interest in the program increased, and in 1991 the parents of these soccer players started the local program with help from NCYSA (North Carolina Youth Soccer Association).  NCYSA representatives visited Murphy and organized a board of directors and the organization became the Cherokee County Soccer League. 

The second season saw the interest in soccer grow, and CCSL signed up 150 players. By 1994 there were over 250 players from Cherokee, Clay, and western Macon County (Nantahala). Cherokee County had their first Challenger Soccer camp coached by professional players from England. The camp was a success and is now an annual event held each July.

In 1995, the League had its largest registration with over 300 players signing up. Five parents attended referee classes in 1995 and became the first certified soccer referees in Cherokee County.

In 1996 Clay County started their league, and in 1998 the Nantahala Community started a league as well.  Both leagues continued to play scheduled games with the CCSL program. By 2000, CCSL averaged 175 to 225 players in the fall season.  Games were played on recreation department fields and the league competed with the football, baseball, and softball programs for space.

The Fall of 2001 was a turning point for CCSL. The Board reached an agreement with Coats American to utilize a field behind their plant on Palmer Lane in Marble for a year-round soccer complex. The Spring of 2002 saw the first ever Spring soccer program in Cherokee County. In an effort to allow our players to build stronger bonds with more people and to reduce the duplication of administrative services, Spring 2002 was also the inaugural season for mixing the youth of the individual communities teams into co-ed teams made up from players from all parts of Cherokee, Macon, and Graham Counties.  In addition, the move allowed us to round out team rosters and enable teams to compete with equal number of players. There were 135 youths playing soccer in the Spring of 2002 and 175 youths played in the Fall program of 2002. The Clay County program joined CCSL once again in Fall 2002 until they could re-establish their membership with NCYSA. 

The 2003 season saw many of our recreation players move into the high school soccer program.  This event was be a milestone for those parents that started the program in 1988.