Eastern New York Hall of Fame to Induct Marty DiCola of Cortlandt Manor

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By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

February 3, 2022-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that Marty DiCola will be inducted into the Eastern New York Soccer Hall of Fame. The current plan is to have the ceremony in November, subject to change because of Covid protocols.

Marty he first became involved in soccer in 1988 when his son Joe tried out for a rec team in the town of Cortlandt. His coach, Roger Arnold, was a friend and teacher in the district. Roger asked Marty to be his assistant coach.

The Cortlandt Soccer Club was founded in 1993 and Marty volunteered as its President from 1995 to last year. As this non-profit organization fielded its final travel team, the Cortlandt Soccer Club is still making a difference by donating to the scholarship programs of its league, the East Hudson Youth Soccer League (EHYSL), and starting a scholarship for the ref org that serves it, the Hudson Valley Soccer Referee Association (HVSRA), as well as the Olympic Development Program of Eastern New York.

Kids in Cortlandt can continue to play for the Town of Cortlandt Soccer Program, organized by the town’s recreation program.

The EHYSL Hall of Famer served as a ref from 1994 to 2007, retiring as a State Referee. But Marty, a Cortlandt Manor resident, is best known as a coach, serving as both a youth coach for the Cortlandt Soccer Club and two tours of duty with Eastern New York’s ODP from 2000 to 2010 and from 2016 to 2019.

“I found myself constantly learning as much as I could about the game. I began playing every Thursday night and Sunday morning as well as becoming a successful referee,” Marty stated. “I have attended US Soccer’s B, C, D, E and F license programs over the many years I have been involved. This journey in soccer has given me a very satisfied feeling that I have given back to the youth soccer community over the years. I still have contact with many of the players who played for me, now many are adults with children of their own.”

In addition to these Hall of Fame honors, Marty was also recently honored as the 2021 Eastern New York Girls Competitive Coach of the Year.

And all this soccer is in addition to owning Peekskill Paint & Hardware in Peekskill for 43 years along with his brother Jerry. Since 2015, Marty has owned Peekskill Power and Repair Services and he repairs all types of gasoline power equipment.

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/