By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
August 2, 2016-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is pleased to announce that Samuel Statham will be receiving a Livio D’Arpino Scholarship, which is based on academic and athletic success as well as community service. The scholarship’s namesake was a beloved Eastern New York Vice President who was seemingly involved in every level of local soccer before his untimely passing in 2002.
In the Capital District Youth Soccer League (CDYSL), Sam played for the Bethlehem Soccer Club, New York Elite FC and the Alleycats Crush in addition to being a captain for Eastern New York’s Olympic Development Program (ODP).
At Greenville High School, Sam was a member of the National Honor Society while carrying a 3.7 GPA. He also played in the high school band plus volunteered for the Red Cross and a local food pantry, in addition to being a four-year starter for Greenville High School’s varsity soccer team and becoming the Spartans’ all-time leading scorer.
In his essay, Sam wrote that during last year’s Class C sectional championship game, “the defining moment of that game did not come from winning or scoring important goals. It came when I was able to look into the crowd and see how a community had come together because of soccer. Seeing almost an entire town in the stands, parents, grandparents, business owners, to past graduates of the school, showed me how my efforts were not only allowing me to play the sport I love but also help a community gain hope and appreciation for such a wonderful game.“
Sam will be taking his many talents to the College of Saint Rose, where he will be playing for the Golden Knights soccer program.
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.