By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
June 3, 2016-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) continues its unprecedented video series in educating soccer families with interviews with two top longtime coaches who have both received US Soccer’s prestigious “A” License and who are known in soccer circles throughout the United States. Bob Montgomery is the Director of Youth Programs for the New York Red Bulls and Ray Reid is the head coach of the University of Connecticut men’s soccer team.
The video is linked here:
“Having good parents who can lead and guide and support the player and not push them or distract them or put unrealistic expectations on them is so important,” Coach Montgomery explained. “All the successful players I have seen have been self-motivated and have a great support system behind them.“
Montgomery has served for the past eight years as Director of Youth Programs of the Red Bulls. Under his guidance, the Red Bulls have placed more players on US Youth National teams than any other club in the United States. Prior to that, Montgomery was the head men's soccer coach at Adelphi University, where he led the Panthers for 29 seasons. Posting a 258-224-39 record, Montgomery guided a program that had consistently been in the top 25 in the country as he led seven of his teams to the NCAA tournament. In addition to his coaching at Adelphi, Montgomery served as an assistant coach for the US Boys-Under-14 Youth National Team from 2000 to 2011. Montgomery was the 1990 New York State Coach of the Year and is an Adelphi University Athletic Hall of Fame member. He became involved with the US Youth Soccer Association in 1985 and coached top players ranging in age from 12 to 19 in Region 1.
When asked by parents how their kids can make it to the pros, Champions League or World Cup, Bob says that “inborn talent is necessary, time acquiring skill and working with the ball is so vital at young ages. And parents just being supportive, whether it’s going out in the back and kicking around with them or dropping them off at a school and having them kick off the wall or putting up a tetherball in the backyard. Being positive, being encouraging, not worrying about winning, not worrying about playing for the club in the next town because they won more championships or because at age 14, thinking a college coach is scouting them as that’s not happening as it is unrealistic.”
Ray Reid, originally from Brentwood, grew up as a top player in the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) and in Eastern New York. In 29 years as a collegiate head coach, his resume includes four NCAA National Championships––the 2000 NCAA Division 1 national championship at the University of Connecticut and the 1990, 1992 and 1995 NCAA Division 2 national championships at Southern Connecticut State University. Reid coached the Connecticut Boys-Under-15 and Boys-Under-17 Olympic Development Program (ODP) teams as well as the Region 1 Boys-Under-13 ODP. He is a member of the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association coaching staff.
“Parents should not be concerned about scholarships. If the kid is worth a scholarship, he or she will be identified,“ Coach Reid explained. “The parent’s opinion of whether the player is a scholarship player is irrelevant.”
When asked what further advice he would give soccer parents for their kids, Reid said, “Let them play, let them develop, don’t live vicariously through your kids, let your kids make the choices on how much they want to play and let them follow their own path.”
ENYYSA is providing this video series, as a service to its 11 member leagues throughout New York State and its over 100,000 players, in response to the increased pressure on parents and players regarding college scholarships.
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 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 on to http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.