By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
December 23, 2014-With over 100,000 registered players, the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) could not function without the enthusiastic support of thousands of volunteers. Every lined field, anchored goal, sliced orange and car-pool is the direct result of an act of kindness, not to mention all the players who are coached and referees who are trained. We in Eastern New York give thanks for all our tremendous volunteers but especially for Robert Miller who is being honored as our 2014 Volunteer of the Year.
Rob has been officiating for eight years and he’s become one of the best referees in the Hudson Valley. The 47-year-old Hopewell Junction resident uses his expertise to guide new refs as Referee Coordinator in the East Fishkill Soccer Club. Rebecca and Len Yeager, whose son Jack refs in the club, nominated Rob as Volunteer of the Year. They wrote he “does an amazing job of leading and organizing our club’s youth referee program! We cannot imagine the number of hours he spends during the season in scheduling and rescheduling, e-mails, providing recognition and feedback, etc.”
The Yeagers continue, “Rob goes above and beyond! He has developed a program where the youth referees not only learn the job of being a ref, which is incredibly tough, but he’s also developed a program where the youth referees develop required ‘life-skills’ such as responsibility, accountability, leadership, teamwork, punctuality and so much more. Rob is a mentor, teacher, role model and, as my son described him to a friend, his boss.”
Rob’s work with East Fishkill has become so popular that he now also helps a neighboring club, Wappingers United, and the two clubs hold joint referee clinics.
“Rob is not only an asset to his home club, East Fishkill, but to our entire league as well,” commented East Hudson Youth Soccer League (EHYSL) President Jim Purdy. “He can be seen doing whatever job his club needs him to do, although his greatest impact has been mentoring the new, young referees. The program he instituted in East Fishkill which has spread to Wappingers United has had a significant impact in the development of the youth referees now officiating our league matches. His role now as a Hudson Valley Soccer Referee Association board member as their Treasurer also allows him to be a leader in ensuring the development of all our young referees for years to come.”
Congratulations to Rob Miller, Eastern New York’s Volunteer of the Year.
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.
Rob Miller in the background refereeing a Girls-Under-19 game