2014 US Youth Soccer ENY State Cup Championships
May 31 and June 1, 2014
Stringham Park
U12 Boys SS:
Mahopac’s Fred Valenti Inducted Into the Eastern New York Soccer Hall of Fame
From left to right: Eastern New York State Adult Soccer Association First Vice President Albino Guimaraes, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association First Vice President Ken Gulmi, 2015 Hall of Fame inductee Fred Valenti and Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association President Richard Christiano.
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
December 9, 2015-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) and Eastern New York State Adult Soccer Association are pleased to announce that Fred Valenti has been inducted into the Eastern New York Soccer Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony took place at our 2015 Holiday Party on December 6 at Marina del Rey in the Bronx.
After immigrating to New York from Sicily in the late sixties as a teenager, Fred served in the army during Vietnam and returned home to marry his high school sweetheart, Karen. With the birth of his sons, Fred began a soccer career that led him to become an extraordinary presence as a coach, administrator, committee member and referee.
When his oldest son, Vincent, was five, Fred began his coaching career in 1981 as an intramural coach in the Mahopac Sports Association (MSA) Soccer Club. Seeing a need for trained referees, he also became a certified ref shortly thereafter. Then he became a travel team coach for his son Michael with the Mahopac Hurricanes of the East Hudson Youth Soccer League (EHYSL) and then, after his sons graduated from high school, continued on coaching the Mahopac Knights for a total of 20 years. His teams continued to improve and they reached four Final Four rounds of the State Open Cup as Under-16s and Under-19s and produced numerous Olympic Development Program players. Fred eventually served as an ODP goalkeeper coach for Eastern New York ODP North Boys for three years as well.
Fred volunteered as a member of the Executive Board of Mahopac Soccer Club for over 15 years, primarily as a Head Referee and Assistant Travel Director. He organized travel team tryouts, helped train new coaches and served on numerous committees. In particular, he mentored and trained literally dozens of youth referees, donating untold hours to the success of the club. The Mahopac resident was inducted into the EHYSL Hall of Fame in 2003 and has also served for many years since then on the EHYSL Hall of Fame Committee and has been a member of EHYSL’s Supervisory Committee for the past 10 years. When the EHYSL initiated a “Scout” program to attend assigned matches and mentor both the coaches and referees involved, he was one of six individuals chosen to kick-start the program out of 2,000 coaches and 250 referees! He has also been a member of the Eastern New York Supervisory Committee for the past six years.
Fred is also well-known for his work as a referee. Since 1982, Fred has risen from new referee to USSF State Emeritus, Grade 15. He has officiated thousands of youth and adult matches and, as a member of National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association (NISOA), has also become one of the leading high school and college officials in New York. Indeed, he achieved the remarkable distinction of becoming a National NISOA referee (usually limited to young up-and-coming refs) past his 50th birthday––one of only three NISOA National Referees in the New York City metro area at that time.
Congrats to Fred Valenti, Eastern New York Hall of Famer.
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 11 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.
Little Neck/Douglaston Dragons Win the Boys-Under-12 Challenge Cup
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
June 28, 2023-The Little Neck/Douglaston Dragons received the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) Boys-Under-12 Challenge Cup on June 3 at Stringham Park in LaGrange. They shut out the Eastern FC Generals, 4-0.
“We moved the ball quickly, switched the ball around and opened up their defense,” explained Little Neck/Douglaston coach Ryan Roskonowski.
Matthew DaCosta scored two goals, Dylan Liang and Mickey Thompson added one apiece while keeper Luke D’Agostino had the shutout in net.
Little Neck/Douglaston also received the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award as determined by the game officials. Amoroso, a US Soccer Life Member who died in 2016, started the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) Sportsmanship Program in 1980 and it spread to Eastern New York, nationally and then to China and Ireland.
The Challenge Cup was presented by LifeVac, the choking rescue device that has saved over 900 lives and counting.
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 10 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 onto http://www.enysoccer.com/
Andrew Seabury Becomes LIJSL President
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
December 29, 2020-The New Year brings change to the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL), the largest league in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), as Andrew Seabury is now the LIJSL President following the retirement of his predecessor, Anthony Maresco.
In his message to member club Presidents assembled for a virtual League General Meeting on December 8, Seabury began by commending Maresco, who had served as President since 2015.
“First and foremost I take this opportunity to thank Anthony for his untiring service to the league. He’s been both a mentor and a friend to me personally,” Seabury added. “Moving forward, the key message that I want to stress is continuity. I hope to be a good steward of the ideas and directions that we as a board put in motion and I’m honored with the faith and trust that the board has placed in me. I look forward to serving you all in this capacity."
Having joined the LIJSL Board in 2011 as a Trustee, Seabury followed a similar path to his predecessor, first ascending to the Treasurer’s position in 2013, then becoming First Vice President in February of this year. The England native, who hails from “the red side of Manchester,” meaning he’s a Manchester United fan, entered the United States 30 years ago with “just a bag of clothes and a box of cassette tapes.”
“This is an exciting opportunity to me, and really a testament to what this country is about,” he remarked. “I am excited to serve and continue as we all work together as partners.”
Professionally, since his arrival on “this side of the pond,” Seabury founded and built a very successful international design and build firm, GTI Designs in Ronkonkoma, which caters to the food service and retail sectors.
“Having the opportunity to work alongside Andrew over the past eight years, I’ve personally seen what a tremendous asset his business acumen, in particular his financial and general management skills, have been to our League,” noted LIJSL Managing Director Steve Padaetz.
In laying out his vision to the club Presidents, Seabury promised that as a Board and league we will collectively be governed by five key goals:
Transparency–We want to be open to everything that we do from policies, programs to operations as well as financially. This really can be done by clear communication.
Communication–We are committed to always let our membership know what is going on. I think Steve Padaetz and the LIJSL team have fundamentally changed how we as a league communicate with our membership and we will continue to make this a priority going forward.
Financial Prudence-As a past treasurer, obviously financial prudence has always been fundamental to us as a board to run the league. I think without some of the changes we put in process financially over these past few years, we probably could not have overcome the financial loss of the complete season that we all incurred in the spring.
Customer Service–We are in the customer service business. I commit that you are our customers and we need to serve your need. That’s what we are looking to continue to do.
Be Proactive-Finally, what we need to do is be the proactive league, not the reactive league. We need to get ahead of the needs of our soccer community and our goal is to lead. As a Board, along with the LIJ team, we have made great progress in changing how we do things. We still have a lot to do, and we rely on your input to make us a better run league.
Seabury, a resident of Hampton Bays, is an active club as well as scholastic coach. He noted that the grass roots involvement of fellow Board members has helped the league evolve over the past few years.
“At both the Board, league level we are involved in the daily game at various levels. Whether coaching, officiating or as parents on the sideline, we’re involved day-to-day. It allows us to adapt and provide some of the solutions and flexibility that you all need,” he noted.
He concluded by stating, “I think we’re fully committed to serve you, our soccer community, and find solutions to your challenges, and programs that you want. In the spring, we experienced an unprecedented cancellation of the season. This past fall, under the most difficult of circumstances, we collectively pulled off the season. A real testament to all of you working together.”
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/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.
The Soccer Complex That Became a Long Island Landmark
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
November 5, 2015-If you build it, they will come. And come they have for the past four decades to the Waverly Avenue Soccer Complex in Holtsville, whose 15 fields of dreams make up the largest soccer complex on Long Island. The fields are east of the Waverly Avenue School and a short corner kick from Exit 62 of the Long Island Expressway.
For decades, Long Islanders have been seeing thousands of kids playing there as they pass on the LIE. Wearing the gold, black and white colors of the non-profit Sachem Youth Soccer League (SYSL), the kids resemble a swarm of bumblebees chasing a soccer ball. Generations of soccer players have called the Waverly Avenue Soccer Complex home and Sachem’s travel teams play in two other non-profit organizations, the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) and Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA).
The Waverly Avenue Soccer Complex was built in 1976, just a few years after the LIE expanded to central and eastern Suffolk County. The Keibel farming family donated their large sod farm to the Sachem School District with the express intent of it being only used by the school district or community. The fields were built by volunteers led by Frank Schmidt, Sachem High School boys varsity coach at the time and a longtime soccer volunteer who was inducted into the LIJSL Hall of Fame earlier this year, and Jesse Stancorone, his trusty sidekick who became the first President of SYSL.
“School janitors hammered the wooden goalposts into the ground when the fields were built,” Schmidt commented, “The fields are so good, especially the drainage, partly because they were sod farms originally.” It costs SYSL $65,000 annually today to maintain these fields of dreams in addition to the $90,000 irrigation system that SYSL installed.
When the first games ever kicked off at the Waverly Avenue Soccer Complex, the kids played under the banner of the Sachem Athletic Club for one year before the SYSL was created in 1977. With the largest soccer complex on Long Island in its backyard, registration took off, increasing exponentially from 200 in the mid-1970s to 1,800 a decade later, which is the same number of Sachem’s registered players in 2015.
In addition to travel team and intramural players, the SYSL’s TOPSoccer Special Children have also called the Waverly Avenue Soccer Complex home for decades. The fields have also hosted tournaments as well as teams who travelled from overseas and were happy to play on some of the best fields on Long Island.
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 11 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.
Remembering Former ENYYSA President Peter Masotto
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer 
Association
March 1, 2022-Former Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) President Peter Masotto passed away at 78 years old on February 27.
”I am very sad to learn of the passing of my friend, Peter, who always put the players first in everything he did,” commented ENYYSA President Richard Christiano.
Masotto served as ENYYSA President for an amazing 23 years from 1984 to 2006 and was an Eastern New York Board Member for 27 years. Until his death, he was still volunteering with ENYYSA in selecting the four girls recipients annually for the Patricia Louis Masotto/Brenda Driscoll Scholarship and the Jack Bauman Scholarship.
As a coach, Masotto is best known for guiding the Massapequa Falcons to the 1986 Girls Under-19 national championship and to the 1987 final. The Falcons won eight State Open Cup crowns and three East Region titles. Masotto coached several Girls-Under-19 teams to 16 state titles in 17 years, a feat unmatched in the history of our sport in any age group, girls or boys. He also directed the Northport/Cow Harbor Elite into the 1994 national final. All his teams competed in the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL).
Masotto was honored as US Youth Soccer Girls Coach of the Year in both 1984 and 1996. He is the only person ever to receive this award more than once, which is a testament to how great a coach he was.
He was held in such high esteem that he was named Ambassador and General Manager of the US Women's National Team during their tour of Australia a generation ago and was drafted by many other states to run for US Soccer Vice President.
The Babylon resident was inducted into four Soccer Halls of Fame: Eastern New York (1998), LIJSL (1999), East Hudson Youth Soccer League (2004) and East Region (2013). He also was named a Life Member of Eastern New York and US Soccer.
Eastern New York’s Girls-Under-16 State Open Cup champions receive the Peter Masotto Cup every June. The Girls-Under-16 national championship was once named after his daughter, Patricia Louise Masotto, who was tragically killed by a drunken driver along with teammate Brenda Driscoll in 1985.
The wake will be at the Noce Funeral Home, 189 Route 109, West Babylon, NY 11704 from 4-8 pm on Thursday with a Funeral Mass on Friday at 9:30 am at St. Joseph’s Church, 39 North Carll Avenue, Babylon, NY 11702.
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/
Operations Director Laura Francis Being Honored as Personality of the Month
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
February 12, 2019-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that our Operations Director, Laura Francis, has been selected as our Personality of the Month for February. Laura, nicknamed Laurie, started working at the ENYYSA office in Rockville Centre exactly four years ago in February 2015.
“We are very pleased to honor Laurie, who leads a very professional and competent staff of office employees. Our office is truly the backbone of everything that gets done for Eastern New York,” commented ENYYSA President Richard Christiano. “Laurie is a bit embarrassed to be honored as Personality of the Month for doing her job so well but she can take some solace in the fact that February is the shortest month.”
Her hiring four years ago was not her introduction to soccer, however, as that came back in 1987 when she registered her oldest son, Danny, to play youth soccer in the Mineola Athletic Association. Danny’s siblings, Jimmy and Megan, played soccer for Mineola as well.
Danny and Jimmy played soccer for the Mineola Athletic Association for a decade, where their club teams were both coached by their father Jim in playing in the travel team Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL). The boys also played for Mineola High School. Megan played as well but soon found her calling in music and drama instead.
“Our family was very active with the Mineola Athletic Association and still talk about those wonderful days today,” Laurie stated. “We volunteered at the concession stand and at Mineola club soccer events, such as the summer barbeque and holiday party. We never missed a game!”
Laurie has succeeded in her goal for Eastern New York of creating an enjoyable, functional environment for the employees, since ”a happy staff is a productive one,” she stated.
”I find soccer to be an exciting industry. Working with volunteers, from our Executive Board Members to coaches, league and club representatives to parents, has proven to me that this industry is a combination of knowledgeable people who are passionate about the game and who are always ready and willing to set aside personal time for the love of the sport,” Laurie explained. ”Their commitment to encouraging healthy play, teamwork and good sportsmanship to today’s youth is what makes my job so meaningful.”
Prior to working for ENYYSA, the Mineola resident worked for another non-profit organization as she was the Executive Director of the Viscardi Center, National Business & Disability Council (NBDC) in Albertson. NBDC is a department comprised of experts in the field of “disability” and works closely with Fortune 1000 corporations to provide disability awareness training and information on the importance of including people with disabilities in society and the workplace.
It’s a very full life as Laurie is engaged to Artie, and in addition to her three children, has one granddaughter with another one due next month. Congrats to Laurie Francis, the Eastern New York February Personality of the Month.
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.
Defending National Champion Manhattan Paris Saint-Germain Wins Regionals Over Longtime Rival Smithtown Arsenal
Back row, left to right: Fitness Coach Andrew Fitzgerald, Daniel O'Grady, Jeremy Barovick, Rodolfo Postigo, Sean Fitzgerald, Mamud Keita, Amara Sessay, Moctar Niang
Middle row, left to right: Sam Farman, Gabriel Armstrong, Alexis Santa, Michael Stiers, Miguel Yuste, Jack Harrison, Gerard Amigon, Ousmane Diah, Admir Nezaj, Steven Millan, Head Coach Wilson Egidio
Front row, left to right: Dylan Hennessy in red, Martin Dadaj holding the plaque
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
July 8, 2015-For the top teams in American youth soccer of boys born in 1996 and 1997, the honor list begins with New York, New York. In 2013, Smithtown Arsenal of the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) won the Boys-Under-16 national championship. Last year, Manhattan Paris Saint-Germain of the Westchester Youth Soccer District (WYSD) won Nationals in the Boys-Under-17 age group. They have played three finals against one another in the past two months with Manhattan winning two games, including the Regional championship match, to qualify for Nationals.
On May 10, Smithtown prevailed over Manhattan in the shootout after tying, 1-1, after overtime in the Region 1 Champions League final, which qualified the LIJSL team for Regionals.
Three weeks later on May 31, these wonderful teams met in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) Boys-Under-18 State Open Cup final. Manhattan’s Jack Harrison scored in the fifth minute, then Daniel O’Grady scored on a penalty kick plus Amara Sessay and Sam Farman added insurance goals as Manhattan easily won, 4-0, sending the diverse team of boys from New York City to Regionals.
During Regionals from June 26 to 30 in Barboursville, West Virginia, both teams went 3-0-0 for first place in their groups. In the semifinals, Manhattan won, 3-2, over Massachusetts’ FC Blazers 96/97 with keeper Gerard Amigon saving the day by stopping a penalty kick with 10 seconds left in the game. Smithtown shut out Virginia’s ABGC Annandale United FC 96, 1-0, to set up another final between the past two national champions.
In the Regional final, Manhattan prevailed in overtime, 1-0, on a Martin Dadaj goal assisted by Jack Harrison, to win the rubber match between these two spectacular sides.
“Martin is a very versatile player, a big heart and talented. I have played him mostly as a right defender but he loves to play up front,” commented Manhattan coach Wilson Egidio. “Before Regionals, we were having trouble scoring and he told me, ‘Wilson, put me up there and I will be the top scorer of the tournament.’ He ended up with three important goals.”
Coach Egidio praised his entire team, particularly his keeper, Gerard Amigon. “His save on the penalty kick in the semifinal was huge, then he made two big saves in the final vs. Smithtown. Gerard came up big for us!”
Egidio also spoke about the team’s diversity. “People look at that as a handicap. I don’t think of it that way. We’re all in here for the same goal. It’s a beautiful combination. We’ve got the Upper West Side guys who get driven to work with a driver and other guys who need $2.75 to get on the subway. We all come together in the name of soccer—beautiful soccer.”
They will be defending their national championship from July 21 to 26 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Manhattan received another $2,000 donation from Eastern New York for Nationals, in addition to their $2,000 check for Regionals, to defray their costs during the National Championship Series.
“We knew that if we were going back to Nationals to defend our title, we needed to win Regionals and that was our goal,” Coach Egidio added. “We are coming back this week with three practices plus a few scrimmages. Andrew Fitzgerald, our fitness guru, will work alongside me on getting them ready for the hot temps in Tulsa.”
The team receives its name and uniforms from the French Ligue 1 team that announced an alliance in 2010 with the Manhattan Soccer Club. The youth academy of Paris Saint-Germain has sent its coaches to New York City to conduct training sessions and Manhattan coaches such as Egidio have gone to Paris to share training methods as well.
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 11 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.
Congrats to All the Boys Teams Who Won the State Open Cup
Congratulations to all the boys teams who won the State Open Cup on June 5 and 6 at Stringham Park in LaGrange. Click on the link for a team photo and brief profile of the team:
Good luck in Regionals!
Player Development: Reaching Your Potential
By Tim Bradbury, Director of Coaching Instruction, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
For a youth player to fulfill his/her potential within the game, they must follow a developmental model. At the core of this model, in order of importance is:
1. The quality of the coach.
2. A well thought out developmentally sound curriculum for players to follow.
3. Playing and training facilities.
4. Quality players to train and play with and against.
Parents and players searching for a good developmental situation which may lead to individuals maximizing their potential and chasing their dreams may find the checklist presented below as a good roadmap.
Parent Checklist for Ensuring Player Development
The following checklist, broken down into the four key areas can be used to help parents identify what may be good development situations for their child.
1. The quality of the coach
US Youth National Youth License
USSF A License, B, C
NSCAA Master Coach, Premier, National Advanced
Teaching Degree and background, Master’s degree, Honors degree
High level Playing experience, professional, semi-professional, university career
Experience, years training, developmental record, player and team stats
Efforts to stay up-to-date, National staff, Educational staff, Associations and journals
2. Developmental curriculum to follow
Qualifications of author
Encompassing all ages from 5-18, understanding it’s a journey.
Appropriate ball player ratios, 2,237,000 touches by 18
Appropriate game formats from 3v3, 4v4, 6v6 to 11v11
Understanding and utilization of key concepts, economical training, periodization,
Use of key concepts from governing bodies, USSF, US Youth and NSCAA.
Understanding of competition v development debate.
3. Training and game facilities
Access to appropriate space, floodlit for year round training (minimum half field).
Access to extra equipment, shooting goals, free kick walls, different size & weight balls.
Access to indoor training space throughout winter months.
Soccer tennis and soccer volleyball playing areas
Scaffolding and video equipment
4. Quality players to compete and train with, against
Highest possible league play (ENYYSA Premier, NERP, Region 1)
Highly committed teammates (attendance at practice, personal ball work)
Number in squad with external recognition (ENYYSAODP, Regional Team, National Team)
Players with long term desire to achieve and loyalty to team who are soccer fans (watch)
Notable quotes on player development
Coaching development is a life-long process that is fundamentally tied to player development. Simply, the better the coaching, the faster players will improve. To become a good coach requires study. Coaches must understand players, teaching methods, learning styles, psychology and even parental involvement in youth sport. Ultimately, each coach is responsible for their own skills and insights and for the environment created.
"The coach is on the front line of development in a youth player’s career, and the coach’s continuing education is vitally important to that development."
"There is no magic formula or short cut to successful development. Coaching at youth levels is all about working with players to improve performance, not about recruiting players to build teams to win championships. Soccer is a player’s game and players should be considered first when political, administrative and coaching decisions are made."
–– Bobby Howe, U.S. Soccer, former director of coaching, professional and National Team
"We need our younger players to be comfortable with the ball. We need our older players to be able to do it in a phone booth, with two or three defenders around them. They should be able to receive that ball and put it anywhere they want."
–– John Hackworth, U.S. Men’s National Team, assistant coach
"Soccer is an art not a science and the game should be played attractively as well as effectively. Soccer is a game of skill, imagination, creativity and decision-making. Coaching should not stifle, but enhance those elements."
–– Bobby Howe, U.S. Soccer, former director of coaching, professional and National Team coach
"…we must develop a culture and a way of thinking whereby highly skilled and qualified coaches are assigned to coach the younger players."
–– Jeff Tipping, former NSCAA, director of coaching
"The drive, the hunger, the passion must be inside you, because players need to recognize that you care."
–– Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United Football Club, manager