By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
December 19, 2013-The Long Island Soccer Referees Association (LISRA) has been faithfully serving the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) and Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) for over four decades. LISRA became an independent organization in 1971, as youth soccer was starting its exponential growth, and it has been assigning referees for all LIJSL games plus ENYYSA games played on Long Island ever since. Every year, LISRA covers an amazing 20,000 travel team soccer games played on Long Island.
At the LISRA Holiday Party at the James E. Allen Elementary School in Dix Hills on December 12, LISRA honored some of its top referees while making its annual donation to Toys for Tots.
"We all do what we can to help one another," stated LISRA President Cathy Caldwell. "Our lives are definitely richer by working with one another."
Caldwell is pictured above behind a sampling of the Toys for Tots donations. LISRA Board members Mike Roamer is on the left and Scott Abel is on the right.
Gary Brown of West Babylon was honored as the LISRA Referee of the Year.
"My membership in LISRA, and my career as a US Soccer referee, have been among the best experiences of my life. Not only because of the enjoyment I found in officiating, but because of the lifelong friendships that have been forged with many of you," Gary explained.
Central Islip’s Marcelo Imbert received the Silver Whistle Award, the honor for a top referee who has done very well and has a bright future ahead of him. Marcelo is pictured in the photo above with Cathy Caldwell on the left and LISRA Executive Vice President John Sengelaub on the right.
"He gets to the field early and does a terrific job. I am grateful for all that Marcelo does for refereeing," commented LISRA President Caldwell.
Of the more than 600 LISRA assistant referees, Kaitlyn Asam of Glen Cove and Zachary Salazar of Coram received the Mario Boltri Assistant Referee of the Year Award as the best AR’s on Long Island. Boltri was a former LISRA President who created the chapter’s teenage assistant referee program a decade ago.
Claire Drotman of Commack and Benjamin Schnell of Northport were honored with the Emrys Joseph Rookie Referee of the Year Award. Joseph was a very personable LISRA ref and member of the Board of Directors who passed away nearly 25 years ago and this award has been given annually in his honor since. The recipients are pictured above with LISRA Executive Vice President Sengelaub.
East Setauket’s Brian Koehn, who started refereeing at the time of Joseph’s passing, received LISRA’s 25-Year Award.
Congratulations to these top officials!
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.