By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
February 12, 2019-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that our Operations Director, Laura Francis, has been selected as our Personality of the Month for February. Laura, nicknamed Laurie, started working at the ENYYSA office in Rockville Centre exactly four years ago in February 2015.
“We are very pleased to honor Laurie, who leads a very professional and competent staff of office employees. Our office is truly the backbone of everything that gets done for Eastern New York,” commented ENYYSA President Richard Christiano. “Laurie is a bit embarrassed to be honored as Personality of the Month for doing her job so well but she can take some solace in the fact that February is the shortest month.”
Her hiring four years ago was not her introduction to soccer, however, as that came back in 1987 when she registered her oldest son, Danny, to play youth soccer in the Mineola Athletic Association. Danny’s siblings, Jimmy and Megan, played soccer for Mineola as well.
Danny and Jimmy played soccer for the Mineola Athletic Association for a decade, where their club teams were both coached by their father Jim in playing in the travel team Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL). The boys also played for Mineola High School. Megan played as well but soon found her calling in music and drama instead.
“Our family was very active with the Mineola Athletic Association and still talk about those wonderful days today,” Laurie stated. “We volunteered at the concession stand and at Mineola club soccer events, such as the summer barbeque and holiday party. We never missed a game!”
Laurie has succeeded in her goal for Eastern New York of creating an enjoyable, functional environment for the employees, since ”a happy staff is a productive one,” she stated.
”I find soccer to be an exciting industry. Working with volunteers, from our Executive Board Members to coaches, league and club representatives to parents, has proven to me that this industry is a combination of knowledgeable people who are passionate about the game and who are always ready and willing to set aside personal time for the love of the sport,” Laurie explained. ”Their commitment to encouraging healthy play, teamwork and good sportsmanship to today’s youth is what makes my job so meaningful.”
Prior to working for ENYYSA, the Mineola resident worked for another non-profit organization as she was the Executive Director of the Viscardi Center, National Business & Disability Council (NBDC) in Albertson. NBDC is a department comprised of experts in the field of “disability” and works closely with Fortune 1000 corporations to provide disability awareness training and information on the importance of including people with disabilities in society and the workplace.
It’s a very full life as Laurie is engaged to Artie, and in addition to her three children, has one granddaughter with another one due next month. Congrats to Laurie Francis, the Eastern New York February Personality of the Month.
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.