Photos courtesy of CPD Photography

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

January 19, 2023-The East Hudson Youth Soccer League (EHYSL) hosted the 41st Annual Jim Slater Memorial Tournament on January 14 and 15 at the Hudson Valley Sportsdome in Milton. Under the leadership of tournament director Dan Kelly, 60 boys and 44 girls teams from Under-9 to Under-18 competed on four turf fields.

The Jim Slater Memorial Tournament is one of the oldest indoor tourneys in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) as well as the entire United States. The tournament was named for EHYSL Hall of Famer Jim Slater after his death in January 1991.

Jim, the Hyde Park Youth Soccer President, wrote a weekly column about the great things happening on local youth soccer fields for the now-defunct Hyde Park Townsman. Just days before his passing, his friend Bob Kampf penned a tribute to Jim in that same newspaper, writing:

We often spoke of sports, especially Hyde Park Youth Soccer. The youngsters in the program were his favorite sports! He really cares about the Strikers, Bushwackers, Gladiators and other local teams. He never let a soccer week go by without putting together the weekly statistics. His dedication was resolute.

His statistics didn’t just record the major goal scorers, the offensive leaders. There was always a line about someone’s defensive effort, midfield play, passing and goalkeeping. Over the course of a season, I venture to guess that every player on every team was mentioned at least once for some contribution. Nothing was minor to Jim Slater!

It didn't matter to Jim who the champs were as he wanted everyone connected to the sport to share somehow in its successes and its failures. He wanted people to be honest, sincere and caring. He was all of this, and lots more.

I admire him for more than his integrity and weekly attention to reporting details as I knew he was a pilgrim in search of a better world for young people. I thought he found it in youth soccer. He certainly surrounded himself with many fine people and he always seemed to enjoy all of the action and family fun connected with Hyde Park’s program.

When I last wrote regularly for the Townsman, I truly expected to return a year or so from now to find Jim Slater’s weekly soccer report, with his usual comments, ready for me to decipher and print. But I don’t think it will be there. I think Jim Slater will be watching me from a greater vantage point.

Can’t get enough of indoor soccer? EHYSL will be back at the Hudson Valley Sportsdome hosting the Presidents Day Cup on February 18 and 19. For more info and to register, log on to https://ehysl.org/presidents-day-cup/ or contact Dan Kelly at dkelly@ehysl.org

With approximately 100,000 youth soccer players––both boys and girls––and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with 10 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 Children With Special Needs. 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. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/