By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
August 15, 2018-West Islip resident Liam Farrell is receiving a Livio D’Arpino Scholarship from the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA). The award is based on success in high school as well as community service and Eastern New York wishes Liam the best at Cornell University this fall.
Liam was Class President at West Islip High School and National Honor Society President in Grades 11 and 12. He was also a member of both the National English Honor Society and the World Language Honor Society. He had a weighted GPA above 100%, was part of the Mock Trial Team, plus represented West Islip High School in volleyball as well as track and field.
In the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL), Liam served as team captain for the past four years with the West Islip Heat. In addition to the scholarship from Eastern New York, he also received a LIJSL Scholarship.
Liam wrote in his essay, “The game of soccer has been with me for my entire life, and I truly believe it has shaped who I am today. Refereeing within my club drove me to pursue a higher qualification of the same sort and today, I am a Grade 8 Referee. I truly enjoy enforcing the Laws of the Game and teaching them to kids, who are just beginning travel soccer as I once was. Most importantly, however, my travel team has influenced me beyond comprehension. The injuries I’ve sustained taught me resilience and determination. The countless practices have shown me that it does indeed take hard work to win. Of course, the losses we’ve sustained have shown me that it’s always possible to work harder. However, I think the most important thing soccer has given me are the friendships and memories with my teammates. The sense of camaraderie we have is unmatched, and the guys on my team have shown me what true friends really are.“
The scholarship’s namesake, Livio D’Arpino, was a beloved Eastern New York Vice President who was seemingly involved in every level of local soccer before his untimely passing in 2002.
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 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 Association. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.