From left to right, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association President Richard Christiano, Hall of Fame Chairperson Rocco Amoroso, Steve LaRosa, Hall of Famer Peter Collins, Eastern New York State Adult Soccer Association President Sal Rapaglia
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
December 9, 2014-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) and Eastern New York State Adult Soccer Association are pleased to announce that Steve LaRosa has been inducted into the Eastern New York Soccer Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony took place at our 2014 Holiday Party on December 7 at Marina del Rey in the Bronx.
Steve was a prominent figure in youth soccer who helped grow the sport when it was not nearly as popular as it is today. The Southern New York Youth Soccer Association, the predecessor to ENYYSA, was founded in 1972 by George Donnelly and Enzo Magnozzi. Tony Perez became the first President.
In 1976, Steve LaRosa became the second President of Southern New York, serving until 1978 when he was succeeded by Ivor Foster. There was great expansion at the start of the youth soccer boom during Steve’s one term in office as clubs all over the Empire State, from Long Island to the Canadian border, were admitted. With the state youth soccer association going “from Montauk to Massena,” the term Southern New York was no longer appropriate so the name was changed to Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association in 1982.
By then, Steve resident was very active as a coach for the Long Island women’s team that competed in the Empire State Games and in the old Massapequa Athletic Club of the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL).
Steve is one of only six head coaches that the Adelphi University women have known during the four decades of the program’s existence.
Congratulations to Steve LaRosa of Great River upon his induction into the Eastern New York Soccer Hall of Fame.
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 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.