A boys team from a recent Exceptional Senior Games
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
November 1, 2016-The Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) started the Exceptional Senior Games in 1981 so that top high school senior soccer players could be scouted by college coaches all in one venue. This all-star competition spread throughout the United States and continues on Long Island 35 years later, although it’s now organized exclusively by Nassau County Boys Soccer and the Suffolk County Boys Soccer Coaches Association.
One of the most successful Exceptional Senior Games, in addition to the one on Long Island, takes place a short corner kick from Albany every year. The Capital District Youth Soccer League (CDYSL) will be organizing its Exceptional Senior Games on Friday, November 11, continuing its tradition of playing these games on Veterans Day. The CDYSL has been organizing this competition of both public and private schools annually during its two decades of existence with the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) providing financial support.
”We organize everything, including providing jerseys and booklets with profiles on each player. The only thing we don’t do is select the players during the tryouts as that is done by the Section 2 high school coaches,” explained Exceptional Senior Games Director Kathy Marco of the CDYSL.
A girls team from a recent Exceptional Senior Games
Approximately 120 college coaches will once again be scouting and meeting players at DiCaprio Park in Guilderland. The full schedule:
Boys Games
10 am-Central Hudson Valley vs. Adirondack on Field 1
11 am-Western Athletic Conference vs. Wasaren League on Field 2
Noon-Colonial Council vs. Patroon Conference on Field 1
1 pm-Suburban Council Gold vs. Foothills Council on Field 2
2 pm-Suburban Council Blue vs. Suburban Council White on Field 1
Girls Games
10 am-Colonial Council vs. Foothills Council on Field 3
11 am-Wasaren League vs. Patroon Conference on Field 4
Noon-Central Hudson Valley and Adirondack vs. Western Athletic Conference on Field 3
1 pm-Suburban Council White vs. Suburban Council Red on Field 4
Please join us for an exceptional day of soccer! For more info, contact Kathy Marco at kathy.marco@cdysl.org or 518-435-2325.
With over 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 11 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 Association. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.