By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
 
September 30, 2011-Remember the name Ernie Constantine as he could be one of the next top soccer officials in the United States in the near future. Ernie is 22 years old and took up the whistle as a teenager. He recently graduated from Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania with a BA in Business and Economics and now works for a Manhattan hedge fund administrator. While in college, he officiated games in Pennsylvania around his studies.

“Ernie is a very nice young man who does a great job on the field!” commented Eastern New York State Referee Administrator Howard Rubinstein.

Ernie, a Bethpage resident, has been a United States Soccer Federation referee since 2003. He’s been invited to several Region 1 Olympic Development Program tournaments and was one of 18 referees invited to the Region 1 ODP Championships in Kirkwood, Delaware last June. He also officiated the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship Series Regionals in Lancaster, Pennsylvania this past summer as well. It was the strength of his performance in Delaware that he will represent the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) by officiating the ODP Finals in Dallas next March.

“I am honored and privileged to have the opportunity to represent Eastern New York and Region 1 at the ODP National Championships,” Ernie commented. “Ever since I became a Grade 8 back in 2003, it has been a goal of mine to climb to the top. And now as a Grade 5 State Referee, I am slowly but surely getting there.”

“Ernie has been officiating ODP tournaments for the past three years,” said State Youth Referee Administrator Ray Wolfe. “He started out refereeing in the Long Island Junior Soccer League. People like him, he did an excellent job at the Regionals and he has been invited to referee the prestigious ODP Finals in Dallas next year.”

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.