Beacon is the Eastern New York Club of the Month for October

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

October 13, 2021-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that the Beacon Soccer Club is being honored as our Club of the Month for October. Ironically, the club colors of blue and yellow are the same colors of Eastern New York but the club logo featuring Mount Beacon is in green, noting that yellow and blue form that color.

According to the 2020 census, Beacon is the 60th largest city in the Empire State with a population of 14,370. 458 players—273 boys and 185 girls––are registered in the Beacon Soccer Club, many of them marching down Main Street in the Spirit of Beacon Parade held every September.

The club was founded in 1978 by Patrick Kerr as well as Robert and Christine Galloway two years after the East Hudson Youth Soccer League (EHYSL) kicked off play (under its original name of West-Put Youth Soccer League) with four member clubs. So Beacon is one of the oldest clubs in the league. Keeping the philosophy of the club’s founders over four decades later, all Beacon coaches are volunteers and many of them inspire their players at Kerr Field.

The club’s three founders, as well as Club President Rheyan Cader and former Club President Jim Eve, are EHYSL Hall of Famers, a sign of how well the club is respected in their league.

The Galloways’ daughter, Jacqueline Arroyo, is a Beacon Soccer Club lifer, as a player and now coach and Director of the Mini-Division, the division for the club’s youngest players, 4- and 5-year-olds.

From left to right: Coach and Director of Mini-Kids Jacqueline Arroyo, club founder Pat Kerr, current player Brayden Arroyo, coach Robert Arroyo (Jacqueline’s son) and Robert Galloway

Jacqueline stated, “Rheyan has done an amazing job of continuing the club founders’ vision for youth soccer. He is a great coach and mentor for our youth.”

Rheyan, Club President for the past 16 years, stated, “What makes the Beacon Soccer Club unique is our intergenerational participation. On any given weekend, you can see our club’s founders sitting side-by-side with club newcomers. Parents who grew up playing in the club are now coaches or Board members. Our club is synonymous with the local community and we have examples of grandparents, their children and grandchildren playing in the club. The Beacon Soccer Club is definitely a special community where all are welcome and all are considered family!”

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 nine 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/