By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
July 30, 2014-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) congratulates Lauren Kogelmann, who has received a Jack Bauman Scholarship. The scholarship’s namesake, Jack Bauman, is considered the father of women’s soccer on Long Island. He was devoted to the Massapequa Soccer Club, Eastern New York and making sure that girls had as many opportunities to play soccer as boys did in an era when girls playing sports was not as accepted as it is today.
In the Capital District Youth Soccer League (CDYSL), Lauren played midfield for the Alleycats Lynx, who won the State Open Cup in 2012 and 2013 plus were crowned as champions of the Northeast Regional Premier League (NERP) in 2011 and the Eastern New York Premier League (ENYPL) in 2010.
At Guilderland High School, Lauren was their center midfielder for the past three years, leading the Flying Dutchmen to the Southern Division title of the Suburban Council all three years plus being honored on The Times-Union Team. She also received High Honors from the 6th through the 12th Grade.
Lauren wrote in her essay, “I have been sacrificing for soccer since the second grade. Even if it only meant missing a birthday party back then, the time and effort that I have devoted to soccer since then has been enormous. I do it because I love soccer and because I’m never satisfied with being ‘just good enough.’ I’m not one to say, ‘Maybe next time’ or ‘I’ll work on that tomorrow’ because that means I’ve stopped improving. I focus on what I want and go for it; no bumps or pit stops can keep me from traveling along the road to success.”
Good luck to Lauren as she studies and plays soccer this fall at NCAA Division 3 champion William Smith College in Seneca Lake.
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.