By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
June 28, 2016-Coach David Levine of the Merrick Rush credits the team’s “perseverance, determination and playing for each other as teammates“ for the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) team winning the Boys-Under-14 Eastern New York Premier League (ENYPL) Gold Division title this spring.
“We’ve had a lot of injuries and sometimes even had to play a man down for a whole match, but we worked hard regardless. Life is 80% showing up, and that we did,“ Coach Levine explained.
Merrick started the Spring Season as a Manhattan Tournament finalist plus won the LIJSL Division 1 championship two years ago. Proving that nice guys finish first, Merrick has also received the LIJSL Sportsmanship Award twice.
The ENYPL, the Gateway to Regional Play, is organized by the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) and, at 16 years old, is the oldest continuous Premier League in the United States.
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 teenagersbetween 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 turnedaway. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and United States Youth Soccer Association. For more information, please log onto http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.