By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
January 16, 2019-Jordan Fuentes had an idea. The midfielder/forward for the Uniondale Dragon decided to grow his hair to donate it to Wigs for Kids, a non-profit hair donation group that helps children suffering from hair loss as it can be very challenging for any person to lose their hair but can be particularly traumatic for a child. Wigs for Kids helps children who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, alopecia, trichotillomania, burns and other medical issues.
Jordan grew his hair for two years and, after it reached shoulder-length, he was bullied by both other kids as well as adults and sometimes mistaken for a girl. The bullying became so bad that he had to transfer to another school yet despite all the taunts, Jordan continued to grow his hair.
“We are very proud of Jordan that he accomplished his goal of donating his hair to help other kids and did not give up despite all the adversity,” commented Dragon coach Angel Guzman. “He is a leader and an inspiration to us all!”
The Uniondale Dragon played in the Boys-Under-13 Premier Division of the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) last fall, winning the LIJSL Sportsmanship Award while finishing with a 4-6-0 record.
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 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 Association. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.