By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
August 20, 2015-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that Tyler Fotenos of Hicksville is receiving a Livio D’Arpino Scholarship. D’Arpino was an Eastern New York Vice President who was involved in seemingly every level of local soccer before his untimely passing in 2002.
Tyler was on the Principal’s List all four years at Hicksville High School. He was a member of the National Junior Honor Society during his freshman and sophomore years and a member of the National Honor Society during the past two years. Additionally, he was in the National English Honor Society, the National French Honor Society and the National Science Honor Society.
Tyler began playing soccer at the age of four and has played in the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) since 2001, first as a member of the Hicksville Americans Soccer Club, playing for the Hicksville Warriors and since 2009, as a player with the neighboring Plainview/Old Bethpage Cosmos.
In addition to playing soccer at Hicksville High School, where he won the Coaches Association Scholar/Athlete Award, he ran track during the fall, winter and spring of his freshman year before concentrating on soccer. Additionally, Tyler volunteers with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Garden of Dreams Foundation, a non-profit organization that works with Madison Square Garden to positively impact the lives of children facing obstacles.
He wrote in his essay that “soccer has played a role in the development of my character. Respect, courage, strength, determination, humility, sportsmanship, confidence, teamwork, compassion and empathy are some of the building blocks that have emerged from time playing soccer. I used these building blocks as I began the canvas of my life at Hicksville High School.”
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 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.