By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
February 6, 2022-Our players from the East End of Long Island to the Canadian border obviously love soccer but our non-profit organization is so large that many have a name or nickname that makes the upcoming Valentine’s Day special to them:
15 players in Eastern New York have Valentine as a last name.
23 boys in Eastern New York have Valentino as a first name and 13 kids use it as their surname.
78 girls have Valentina as a first name as this name has become much more popular through the years.
Nine players definitely agree that “Love will find a way” as that number has it as their last name.
Two players are named after the Roman goddess of love. One has Venus as a middle name while one has it as a surname.
There are 61 girls in Eastern New York with Rose as either their first or middle name and 33 players with Rose as their last name.
Eight girls have Rosa as their first name and seven players have it as their last name.
Sending Flowers? Then send them to the one player with Flowers as a last name.
Six players have Sweet as their last name but nicknames of our players have included Sweet Loo, Sweet Cheeks, Sweet Pea and Sweet Baby James.
Perhaps one of these hundreds of players with a name associated with Valentine’s Day will become as famous as two other locals with a Valentine’s Day-themed name, Bobby Valentine and Rudolph Valentino. Valentine managed the New York Mets while Valentino was a heartthrob of 1920's movies.
With approximately 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 nine 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. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/