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Rockville Centre Extreme in white and Latin Stars FC Lyons in gray during BU11 action

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

November 12, 2015-The five Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) leagues with clubs in New York City––Big Apple Youth Soccer League, Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League, Long Island Junior Soccer League, Metrokids Interregional Soccer League and Staten Island Youth Soccer League––support the Eastern New York Xpressway League (ENYXL), whose inaugural season kicked off in September and concludes this month.

“Our five Downstate leagues asked to start a league where their teams can diversify the competition they play in but not have to travel a great distance to go to games,” commented Eastern New York President Richard Christiano. “The ENY Xpressway League accomplished this when it kicked off this fall on fields in New York City and on Long Island.”

Six teams are competing in the ENYXL Boys-Under-10 Division, 10 squads are playing in the Boys-Under-11 while the Boys-Under-12 Division has four teams. Because of the diversity of teams from different leagues, there was concern about competition but nearly all games have been very competitive. Plans are afoot to add girls divisions in 2016.

ENYXL, using the slogan of the Roadway to Great Soccer, derives its name from the 17 local expressways that connect our soccer clubs and fields so chances are that families drive on an expressway in traveling to games. From the most well-known expressways such as the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, Cross Bronx Expressway, Long Island Expressway and Staten Island Expressway, to those that are not as well-known like the Bruckner, Clearview, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Gowanus, JFK, Lincoln Tunnel, Major Deegan, Nassau, Sheridan, Throgs Neck, Van Wyck, West Shore and Whitestone. The first “e” of expressway was dropped in the new league’s name to create the unusual acronym of ENYXL.

For more information about ENYXL, please contact Eastern New York’s Diana Knight at diana@enysoccer.com or 516-766-0849.

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.

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
 
December 18, 2017-The outdoor soccer season concluded as the Empire State became a winter wonderland with snow on the ground, just in time for Hanukkah and Christmas. With no soccer games obviously being played except indoors, awards season is now upon us in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA).

One of the largest awards ceremonies is held every December by the Long Island Soccer Referee Association (LISRA). 23 top officials were honored during the LISRA Holiday Party at the James E. Allen Elementary School in Dix Hills on December 14. Mark Kober received the Silver Whistle Award for refereeing excellence.

LISRA President Cathy Caldwell explained, “Mark exudes such professionalism and he makes his assistant referees stronger and better. He’s a wonderful role model for our referees.”

From left to right, LISRA Executive Vice President Terry Nohilly, Silver Whistle recipient Mark Kober
and LISRA President Cathy Caldwell

The Referee of the Year Award, the LISRA award going to the experienced ref who has given the most to the organization, went to Minas Tsourtsoulas while the Rising Star Awards went to Sean Lyons and Tyler McElhinney, who was also recently honored on the Newsday All-Long Island team for his play in goal for Jericho High School.

“Tyler had some year!” commented Dani Braga, his high school coach.

Juan Solorzano was honored with the Emrys Joseph Rookie Referee of the Year Award. Joseph was a very personable LISRA ref and member of the Board of Directors who passed away 27 years ago and this award has been given annually in his honor since.

Of the over 850 LISRA assistant referees, Kevin W. Cruz and Brittany Shaneberger received the Mario Boltri Assistant Referee of the Year Award as the best AR’s on Long Island. Boltri was a former LISRA President who created the chapter’s wildly successful assistant referee program more than a decade ago.

Assistant referees also honored by LISRA that cold night were Victoria Blunnie, Gage Brown-Devirgilio, James Christian, Cameron Dennis, Nicole Devlin, Jenna Healy, Rick Masi, Brianna Pereira, Katie Raptis, Sebastian Sarron, Danielle Shaneberger, Ken Terwilliger and Ian Trendel. The AR awards are based on the ratings of the refs who grade the assistants after every game plus comments from the refs as well as their assignors.

25-Year Longevity Awards went to two LISRA Board Members, Al Giorgianni and John Sengelaub. The two took a 1992 certification course together at Grace Episcopal Church in Massapequa, which was the start of lengthy officiating careers for both of them. Tony Annunziata received Lifetime Membership, soccer’s version of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

LISRA became an independent organization in 1971, at the start of the youth soccer boom, and it has been faithfully serving the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) ever since. Every year, LISRA covers an incredible 20,000 travel team soccer games played on Long Island, including over 98% of LIJSL games this past Fall Season.

“It’s amazing how many games our refs officiate every weekend,” stated President Caldwell.

Demonstrating that referees can be very nice too, an impromptu collection was taken up and the LISRA refs donated $300 to Ronald McDonald House in New Hyde Park.

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 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.

By Tim Bradbury, Director of Coaching, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

There was a time when only travel teams ages 12 and up would employ a trainer. Those days are long gone and now clubs and teams use trainers from the age of five and up. (I refused to write three as by doing so I somehow legitimize the idea.)

There are thousands of “professional” trainers available in New York  today. They come from different backgrounds in the game and with different qualifications available to reinforce their professional status and therefore, the salary they demand.

Before we move on, there is a need to define the term “professional trainer” many pretend to be yet few are. I believe to have the title of “professional trainer” the following must be true:

Wantagh/Seaford Thunderbolts

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

August 22, 2018-The Wantagh/Seaford Thunderbolts of the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) made some new friends, played against a strong team and received a geography lesson to boot. All in all, it was a good weekend for the Girls-Under-19 team.

On Friday night, August 10 at Cedar Creek Park in Seaford, Wantagh/Seaford played Lions Gibraltar FC, which has players who have already aged out of youth soccer as well as players on the country’s youth national teams. The Long Island girls learned that Gibraltar is a British territory of over 30,000 people strategically positioned on the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula.

The friendly presented a good learning experience for the LIJSL team coached by Wantagh/Seaford PAL’s Director of Coaching Tim Nolan. 

“I think we held our own and played very well,” Nolan said.

The experience was also much more than about the action on the field. The teams got a chance to hang out and talk after the final whistle.

“Afterwards, we sat around, had some pizza and pasta, talked, exchanged numbers and had a lot of laughs,” Nolan said. 

Lions Gibraltar FC

In addition to the friendly on Friday night, the two teams met on Saturday, August 11 in New York City and visited the World Trade Center Memorial. 

Wantagh/Seaford finished the Spring Season with a 2-6-1 record in Girls-Under-19, Division 1 and advanced to the Long Island Cup quarterfinals.

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.

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

June 9, 2014-After being tied 1-1 after regulation, the Girls-Under-18 State Open Cup final on June 1 at Stringham Park in LaGrange went into overtime. Quickstrike Xtreme ‘96s of the East Hudson Youth Soccer League (EHYSL) defeated the HBC Silent Thunder of the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL), 3-2, for the championship in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA).

Monica DiDonato scored two goals and Meaghan Doyle scored on a penalty kick to give Quickstrike the win.

“The true difference in the game was the psychological impact was greater for us in the second half than in the first half,” said Quickstrike coach Chris Lyn.

Coach Lyn was the 2013 Eastern New York Girls Competitive Coach of the Year. He was the captain of the University of North Carolina men’s team when a slightly better-known player, Mia Hamm, was captain of the women’s team.

Quickstrike received a $2,000 check from Eastern New York, to defer the costs of playing in the Regionals from June 26 to July 1 in Kingston, Rhode Island, as well as the Howard Rubenstein Sportsmanship Award as selected by the match officials.

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 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.

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
 
June 7, 2018-From 2009 to 2014, the Alleycats of the Capital District Youth Soccer League (CDYSL) won six consecutive Girls-Under-12 State Open Cup Small-Sided championships. Perhaps they have just started another streak on June 2, 2018 at Stringham Park in LaGrange. Alleycats Academy Red topped SDA East of the Mid-State New York Soccer League, 4-2, in the Girls-Under-12 final. Leonni Griffin scored two goals while Casey Holstein and Grace Renaud added one goal apiece.

Alleycats coach Chris Le stated, “Once the girls settled in and got their composure, we won the 50-50 balls."
 
Alleycats is also taking the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award, as determined by the game officials, back to Albany. Amoroso, a US Soccer Life Member who died in 2016, started the Sportsmanship Program of the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) in 1980 and it spread to Eastern New York, nationally and then to China and Ireland, and in the process, made soccer games kinder and gentler.

Alleycats will represent the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) at the Regionals from June 29 to July 3 in Spotsylvania, Virginia as part of the National Championship Series.
 
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 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/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.

By Tim Bradbury, Director of Coaching Instruction, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

There is much discussion from coaching educators at all levels on all courses about the importance and place of technical correction. We seem to have moved in the last 20 years in many coaching education programs from a place where great technical detail was required to a place now where  phrases like “keep it on the ground” are somehow considered to be technical feedback.

Perhaps it is because of my playing history, or perhaps it is because I meet hundreds of youth players who love the game and want to play at a high level, who cannot perform the fundamental techniques of the game under no pressure that I fully recognize how vital correct technical feedback is. If you cannot perform the techniques of the game at speed under considerable pressure you have little chance of playing at a competitive level.

I grew up in England and learned the skills (technique applied at the right time in a game based on the tactical situation presented) in the streets and fields of Stoke. For the most part, my formative years were all street soccer. No coach or parent involved at all, we simply attempted the things that our Premier League heroes did on TV. Playing numbers were haphazard with 2v2, 3v3, 3v2, 4v3 the most common games we played. Sunday was often the big game when we scraped enough kids together to manage a 7v7 big game. This street soccer environment with small numbers helped me gain a tremendous understanding of the tactical nuances of the game. I frequently could see the solution to the problem presented on the field and even knew which tool (technique) was needed to fix the problem. The ultimate frustration was my inability to perform the technique in the correct manner. Not really a great surprise when the feedback loop involved watching the professionals do it once a week and comparing their attempts to mine.

I went on to play at a high level in youth soccer in the UK and eventually, aged 17, playing for my county at the Skegness Festival of Football, I was lucky enough to be coached by Sir Bobby Robson, who politely told me that the manner in which I was striking the ball was incorrect. Thankfully he went on to tell me how to fix it and my ability to play a lofted pass improved tremendously in the hour he spent working with my team. I look back now and wonder what dreams I may have chased if this vital technical correction had been given at the key ages of 7-9.

This brings me to the key point: All kids want to know how perform the key techniques of the game. They all take great joy in mastering a new skill and being able to apply it at game speed. These moments provide great joy and pride and as such must be valued by coaches.

Technical correction and feedback is needed and phrases like “keep it on the ground," "don’t pass it in the air” and "unlucky" are not technical correction. Technical correction is precise and it is hopefully concise and surgical. For all those getting upset about the word correction, calm down when they get it right, provide positive concise feedback that reinforces what they got right. For example “great pre-control vision, you disguised your first touch, locked your ankle and played through the center of the ball.”

To help guide the coaches reading this on the specificity of feedback that is required the following nine points are ones that you might consider when teaching the techniques of the game.

1. How should they approach the ball?
2. Position and angle of the non-kicking foot
3. Support leg, position and locked or bent.
4. Surface that makes the connection with the ball.
5. Specific part of the ball connected with.
6. How is ankle locked?
7. What is the power plant – rotation of hip, whip of knee?
8. Position of body and head at the moment of contact with the ball.
9. Follow through of body and body part.

It is impossible to write a piece on the importance of teaching technique and not discuss the best environments for techniques to be learned within. This brief piece was taken from a previous article, No Drills, No Way Ever, Jan. 2017, I believe offers the best advice.

So instead of drills, design activities, exercises and games that

• Look like a little slice of the game.
• Allow players to think, make mistakes and solve problems.
• Are highly competitive, challenging and fun.
• You can structure in a way that allows certain skills to be performed frequently under graduated pressure.
• Allow all players to be engaged at all times.
• Involve multitasking, thinking about and solving numerous problems at the same time.

I promise that if you move away from drills and into activities and exercises in the way prescribed above, your players will develop new energy and passion at your practices.

I implore all youth coaches to spend time leaning about the fundamental techniques of the game so that you can provide much-needed technical feedback at the right time and in the correct manner

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

April 8, 2014-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association's (ENYYSA) Facebook page went live in February 2013. In the past 14 months, nearly 17,000 have liked us on Facebook and they are receiving daily updates on our Olympic Development Program, Premier League, State Cup and special events plus Eastern New York programs such as TOPSoccer, scholarships, coaching education, referee courses and many other important items.

You can log on to the Facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/enysoccer

By comparison, the Facebook page of our parent organization, the United States Youth Soccer Association, has 10,000 more likes than we do but they are a national body and we are a state organization. And we have nearly 7,000 more likes than the Facebook page of another national youth soccer organization, US Club Soccer.

We hope that you “like” our Facebook page, which was designed by Fuse Marketing, a youth marketing firm with offices in Manhattan and Burlington, Vermont. Eastern New York has contracted Fuse to develop our social media and mass media presence to insure that we have in place a professional channel of information distribution to all our members.

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 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.

Liz Morano photo of the April 4 ceremony

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

April 18, 2019-The Staten Island Youth Soccer League (SIYSL), the southernmost league in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), has made a very generous donation to New World Prep. During a ceremony at the Port Richmond charter school on April 4, the SIYSL provided 70 New World Prep students who compete on the school’s soccer teams in the SIYSL with a pair of gifts––a brand-new backpack and soccer ball.

New World Prep President Eugene Foley, Principal Amanda Ainley and Athletic Director Mike Cortese welcomed SIYSL Vice President Richard Nellis and City Councilwoman Debi Rose to speak to their students before handing out the gifts. The backpacks and balls were funded through the SIYSL’s “Pitch Perfect“ Program as the goal is to ensure every child who wants to play soccer on Staten Island comes to the soccer pitch prepared to play. The funds were secured through a grant from Target, as well as money provided by the SIYSL.

“We are extremely thankful to the Staten Island Youth Soccer League for this generous gift to our scholar-athletes. Soccer is an important part of our scholar’s lives and we’ve seen an increase in their performance in the classroom and on the soccer field (since joining the SIYSL three years ago),“ said Cortese. “Being a part of the league has helped build school spirit within our entire community and I want to personally thank Rich Nellis for his guidance during our transition into the league and for his continued support to our coaches and players each season.'“

Cortese also praised SIYSL Development Coordinator Liz Morano, who was instrumental in helping get the gift presentation to New World Prep’s students off the ground.

“A big thank-you to Liz Morano for going above and beyond to provide these wonderful bags and balls to our kids,“ Cortese stated. 

“Sports is an important component of youth development, teaching students important lessons of teamwork, persistence, dedication and more,“ said Councilwoman Rose.“I want to thank the Staten Island Youth Soccer League and Target for this gift, which will make soccer and all of its benefits, accessible to these 70 scholar-athletes.”

“We couldn’t be happier for the New World Prep players and coaches whose program has grown twice the size since coming into the league three years ago,“ added Nellis. “They have been a model program for growing the game of soccer on Staten Island and especially on the North Shore.”

New World Prep is currently in its ninth year of operation. This year, the school has expanded to 5th Grade and next year, it will have a Kindergarten and 1st Grade enrollment on Moore Catholic’s Campus. The school is planning to be a complete K-8th Grade School in the next two years. 

“As the school expands, we’re planning for the number of teams enrolled in the Staten Island Youth Soccer League to grow as well,“ added Cortese.

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 onto http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.