By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
August 19, 2014-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that James Volpe has become the Olympic Development Program (ODP) Administrator. The Baldwin, Long Island resident grew up in neighboring Oceanside and has been involved in soccer his entire life.
“I’m very excited about becoming ODP Administrator and working with all the great volunteers of Eastern New York,” Jim stated.
ODP is considered the highest level of youth soccer in the state and Eastern New York is particularly proud of the success of our program. Crystal Dunn, Cari Roccaro and Oceanside’s Nicholas Gaitan are all former Eastern New York ODP graduates who have represented the United States recently in international competition.
Jim’s soccer career kicked off when he began playing for the Oceanside Dynamo in the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL) even before the Oceanside United Soccer Club was founded by Joe Goldberg and Ian McDougall in 1962. Jim then played at Oceanside High School and on the men’s team of Oceanside United in those days when soccer was not as popular on the sports landscape as it is today.
He became a coach in Oceanside United’s intramural program in 1977. He coached a half-dozen Oceanside United travel teams over the years, starting with the Oceanside Aztecs, a squad of boys born in 1970. For decades, if there was a soccer game being played in Oceanside, Jim could be spotted at the field, including at the Rudy Lamonica Indoor Tournament, the oldest indoor youth tourney in the United States, and at the Bob Schrager Memorial Long Island Cup. He attained his National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) National Diploma and has been coaching Eastern New York’s ODP for the last 12 years.
Jim’s “real job” is serving as the Manager of Summit Security Services, which provides security guards for companies in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Jim volunteered as President of Oceanside United for 1989 to 2000 and his dozen years leading Oceanside United is one of the longest reigns for a club president in Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) history.
Jim’s children, Chelsea (named after the London soccer club) and Shaun, played for the Manhattan Jaspers a decade ago and still play soccer today. Older daughter Chelsea plays co-ed soccer in Manhattan and is the varsity coach of the Fieldston School in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, near her alma mater. Shaun plays for the Oceanside United women’s 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.