By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
 
May 27, 2011-Patricia Grecco, a member of the Eastern New York Soccer and Long Island Junior Soccer League Halls of Fame, is in charge of the LIJSL’s Scholarship Program. The Northport resident has been helping teenagers find the right college and sometimes scholarship money to fund their dreams for the past three decades.

“In 2006, I read an article in The New York Times written by Warren St. John about a group of relocated third world soccer players called the Fugees who were not allowed to play soccer in their town park by order of the mayor of Clarkston, Georgia. Clarkston is a refugee resettlement center, becoming the first American home for scores of families in flight form war zones such as Liberia, Sudan, Iraq and Afghanistan. They were brought here by our government to safety,” Pat explained.

“I immediately became interested in knowing more about these players and contacted Luma Mufleh, their head coach, a Smith College graduate and a native of Jordan. The glue to the entire Fugees program is Coach Luma! I told her that I help high school students find college opportunities through soccer. I explained that this would all be done at my own expense, pro bono.”
 
Soon after Luma phoned Pat and said she might have one player who would be a college-bound prospect. That one player was Shamsoun Dakori, who just recently graduated from North Carolina’s Pfeiffer University in NCAA Division 2.  

“I would like to thank Coach Kenneth Hassler who was instrumental in making it happen for Shamsoun,” Pat commented. “Soon after I did an Athletic-Academic Profile on Shamsoun five years ago, I mailed it with a cover letter to a number of college coaches. Ken and I have been friends since the 90’s when he was head coach at Alfred University and faithfully attended the Long Island Junior Soccer League’s Exceptional Senior Soccer Games.”

“I remember his phone call as I was on vacation at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and he said ‘Pat, Shamsoun is coming to play at Pfeiffer University with a full scholarship!’ “  

“Since my initial success with Shamsoun, I have worked with a number of Fugee players. This year, three, next year I’m told there will be six or more,” Pat added. “Congratulations to Shamsoun Dakori as he’s the first Fugee to graduate from college! He has led the way so that others will follow. You bet America is a great country!”

With 120,000 youth soccer players and more than 25,000 volunteers, the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with 12 leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered––from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Special Children. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and United States Youth Soccer Association. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.