By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
October 1, 2014-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is happy to announce that Big Apple Youth Soccer League (BAYSL) President Luis Montoya has been named Trustee of our organization. The Astoria, Queens resident will serve ENYYSA President Richard Christiano in this role just as he once served Christiano’s predecessor, Barry Salter, in the same role as Trustee.
“We are very pleased to welcome back Luis to our Board of Directors,” commented ENYYSA President Christiano. “I’m certain that he will provide our Board with innovative ideas and continue to make certain that all children in Eastern New York are well-represented by our organization.”
Montoya is a native of Peru who emigrated to the United States in 1970. He is the only President that the BAYSL has ever known, serving in this capacity since the league’s founding in 1997. 1,000 Latino boys and girls from New York City are currently registered in the BAYSL and Montoya has spent most of his life making certain that all the children of Eastern New York have the same opportunity to play the world’s most popular sport. He has served as a member of the Diversity Committee for US Soccer under three Presidents––Alan Rothenberg, Dr. Bob Contiguglia and currently under Sunil Gulati.
Montoya has also volunteered as Games Chairperson for the Hellenic-American Soccer League and was on the Board of Directors for that league for seven years as well as serving as Trustee for a few years in the Eastern New York State Adult Soccer Association. Additionally, for nearly two decades, he promoted and coordinated C, D, E and F coaching courses in New York City with Alfonso Mondelo, Arnold Ramirez, John Ramirez, Howard Rubenstein and Nick Zlatar.
When he is not found volunteering on the soccer field, Luis works as a tele-communications technician with Verizon.
With 123,843 youth soccer players––68,587 boys and 55,256 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 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.