From left to right: ENYYSA President Richard Christiano, Boys Competitive Coach of the Year Paul Abbatiello, Of the Year Awards Chairperson Randy Vogt
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
December 10, 2018-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that Town of Poughkeepsie Soccer Club (TOPSC) coach Paul Abbatiello has been honored as our Boys Competitive Coach of the Year.
The Poughkeepsie resident was nominated by the Stock family, who wrote, “Coach Paul has been my son’s travel soccer coach in the East Hudson Youth Soccer League since he started playing as an Under-9 player. Paul sees his team and their parents not only as players and supporters but as a family. Many parents have called Coach Paul and asked him for advice or help with the choices their children were making. He has become almost a surrogate father to one family in particular where the dad is living overseas. The mom works many hours and Paul picks them up and brings them to games and practices, even though Coach Paul has a family of his own and two boys who also play travel team soccer. He believes in respecting the game and following sportsmanlike conduct at all times. Even off the field.“
The award ceremony took place at the ENYYSA Holiday Party on Saturday, December 1 at Marina del Rey in the Bronx.
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 onto http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.