By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
January 25, 2013-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased that Becky Kaplan has been selected in the inaugural National Women’s Soccer League Draft on January 18 at the Indiana Convention Center. She was drafted by Sky Blue FC in the fourth round. As Sky Blue plays its home games at Yurcak Field in Piscataway, New Jersey, it’s the closest NWSL franchise to Becky’s home in Oyster Bay, Long Island.
Becky enjoyed a breakout 2012 senior season at the University of Maryland, posting career highs in goals (12), assists (6), points (30) and shots (53). She had a knack for scoring at key moments for the Terrapins and had a team-best six game-winning goals this past season. For her efforts, she was a second team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection and a third team NSCAA All-Southeast Regional honoree.
In youth soccer, Becky was a fixture with the ENYYSA Olympic Development Program, playing ODP for five years. She began playing for the Oyster Bay/East Norwich Soccer Club of the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) as a young girl.
"I personally started to train Becky at eight years old when she started in the Oyster Bay/East Norwich Soccer Club," commented Long Island Rough Riders President Peter Zaratin. "Her father, Robert, wanted her to be a goalkeeper but I convinced him that she would eventually be an exceptional field player if she developed a passion for the sport."
She was then given permission by the Northport/Cow Harbor Soccer Club Board of Directors to play with a LIJSL boys team, the Northport/Cow Harbor Bruins, which helped her development as well. Becky then competed for the LIJSL’s East Meadow Shooting Stars, leading East Meadow to the State Open Cup and Region 1 Premier League titles, and finished her youth soccer career with the LIJSL’s Massapequa Rascals.
Becky is the all-time leading scorer at Oyster Bay High School, having scored an amazing 149 goals for the Baymen.
She spent the past few summers playing with the Long Island Rough Riders of the W-League, a level below the new NWSL.
"I am glad that Becky is now playing at the highest level of women’s professional soccer in the United States," commented Coach Zaratin. "We look forward to seeing her progress as we still think that she hasn’t reached her full potential. Hopefully, the next opportunity will be with the Women’s National Team!"
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 12 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.