From left to right: John Cipoletti, Bill Smith, Ben Pistilli
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
January 24, 2014-The Staten Island Youth Soccer League (SIYSL), with 395 teams in New York City’s most southern borough, has much to celebrate in the past year as it actually had a season in 2013 after the widespread destruction of Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. At its Annual Awards Dinner on January 9 at Li Greci’s Staaten Restaurant, the league inducted three longtime volunteers into its Hall of Fame:
John Cipoletti started coaching his daughter Michelle’s soccer team at St. Patrick’s School in 1984 and co-founded the Richmondtown Soccer Club in 1989. Richmondtown was one of the first soccer clubs on Staten Island to exist without the support of a school or Catholic parish. He served as Director of Richmondtown until 1994 plus he served on SIYSL’s Executive Board for over two decades. John supervised games every weekend and he very much enjoyed watching all the children playing soccer. He served as a friend and mentor to a countless number of players, coaches and other volunteers. As John passed away a few years ago, his family accepted the award in his honor.
Bill Smith began his coaching career 21 years ago, serving as an assistant coach for the Girls-Under-6 Wildcats in the Richmondtown Soccer Club. In 1994, he began as head coach of the Girls-Under-6 Rockets and planned Richmondtown’s first annual picnic. In 1995, Bill was elected 4th Vice President of the SIYSL and one year later, he became Director of Richmondtown Soccer, growing the club to nearly 400 players in a very short time. Bill became SIYSL President in 2004, a role he continues to this day. As President, Bill has initiated a TOPSoccer Special Children’s Program, a Select Program, indoor recreation soccer tourneys and started a Senior Day to recognize the league’s graduating 8th graders. After Staten Island was devastated by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the league ended its Fall Season early and organized a Season of Giving, making sure that affected players received holiday gifts of soccer and electronic equipment. He has been working countless hours getting the fields reopened for soccer games during the past 15 months. If all this volunteering was not enough, Bill has served as a Vice President for the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) for the past four years.
Ben Pistilli coached intramural, travel and Select teams from 1981 to 2005. His Girls-Under-14 Staten Island United Fever won Eastern New York’s Challenge Cup, now named the Arch Capital Group Cup, in 2001. Ben served as the Director of the Our Lady of the Sea Soccer Club from 1994 to 2001. During his tenure, the club became one of the largest on Staten Island, growing to 700 players. Ben also volunteered for the Staten Island United Soccer Club, served on the SIYSL Executive Board for six years and served as the league’s Registrar in addition to his other responsibilities of scheduling games and planning tournaments.
Congratulations to these three worthy inductees!
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.