By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
October 1, 2015-With 10,000 registered players, the Capital District Youth Soccer League (CDYSL) is one of the largest leagues in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA). Last month, Tim Owens was elected President, succeeding Pat Ramundo, who had been in charge of the CDYSL since August 2003.
“We in Eastern New York thank Pat Ramundo for his lengthy leadership of the CDYSL and look forward to working with and helping Tim Owens in his new role as President,” commented ENYYSA President Richard Christiano.
The new CDYSL President was born and raised in Albany. His “real job” is Assistant Project Manager/Assistant Team Leader of Collins Engineers, Inc., which performs bridge structural inspections, both above water and underwater, as well as inspections of overhead (highway) sign structures throughout New York and Massachusetts. Tim and his wife Monica have two children, Caleb and Cydney.
“We became involved in soccer when our son Caleb started kicking a soccer ball at the age of three in 2000. I became a parent/assistant coach when he joined the Albany Soccer Club at Under-8 and then head coach at his Under-10 level,” President Owens stated. “I’ve continued to coach with the Albany Soccer Club for these past 12 years and still coach and train with our Under-10 through Under-17 age groups. I also volunteer as a varsity boys assistant coach at The Albany Academy, my high school alma mater, where our son captained the team to a Colonial Council league title in 2014.”
Caleb is now a freshman at Princeton University, where he plays club soccer, while sister Cydney is a high school freshman who plays on the girls varsity team at The Albany Academy for Girls. Their father became club representative of the Albany Soccer Club six years ago, was elected to the CDYSL Board of Directors in 2011, then stepped up to serve as CDYSL Rules Committee Chairperson when asked by Ramundo two years ago. Owens has set forth an inclusive agenda for the CDYSL.
“My goals are fundamental: to provide the best soccer experience for all of our members from youth to adulthood, from grade school through high school and into the college ranks, from the more densely populated areas to the most remote communities that our league serves,” President Owens stated. “My vision is to serve and lead our nearly 50 active clubs––small and large, recreational, travel and premier––into a period of further development, realized growth and sustainability. It has become increasingly challenging for some of our smaller clubs to remain viable and relevant. My vision also includes parental and coaching education, investing in expanding our TOPSoccer Special Children’s Program, increasing awareness and involvement in the Olympic Development Program and supporting our players into and through the college level.”
Owens continued, “The CDYSL has a dedicated Board of Directors who bring a wealth of experience to our league, on and off the pitch. We have a remarkable office staff who manage our Fall Season, our new Futsal Winter League and our Spring Season. They organize and administer our Exceptional Senior Games, our college showcase for select high school seniors in November in concert with NYSPHSAA Section 2, plus organize and host our annual Empire Cup tournament in June, and we look forward to seeing many more teams from the various Eastern New York leagues visit Upstate New York and participate.”
President Owens thanked all those who have contributed to the CDYSL’s success since its founding in 1978 and looks forward to serving and leading in his new role as President.
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 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.