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

We can all start to get excited that winter is hopefully coming to a close and the start of the Spring Season is just around the next sunny morning. Hopefully, like myself and all of you, coaches, players and parents are excited for the season to begin.

Each season brings with it a new beginning, a chance for all coaches and parents to remember that learning is a process, that skill development and fun must be the foundation of the formative years (consider ages 7-15) and while players and teams will always compete, they may not always win.

I ask all the adults reading this to reflect upon any skill set you have mastered or course you have taken. You did not turn up on day 1, take the final test after four hours and learn the skills or facts in a day. NO! It was a process, you studied, tried to learn, worked on applying what you had learned, probably made some mistakes along the way UNTIL AT THE END OF THE JOURNEY, you had mastered the craft.

When you learned to drive it was the same process. None of you were tested on day 1 with a car full of passengers screaming at you to look in the mirror, apply the brake, switch on the indicator and STOP NOW! Imagine if you can, that you were forced to take the test day 1 and pressured in the way described. Do you think that you would have passed the test or enjoyed the learning process?

I get it, America is the land of fast food and we want it now! People keep telling me this when they want to somehow dismiss the learning process and defend the win at all costs and win every game, from five years and up, attitude that is destroying youth sports today.

I am optimistic as you have to have this attitude at the start of a season and a new beginning. In my experience, if coaches spend time reminding parents that learning takes time and that it needs the right environment in which fun must come first, they get it.

As we head towards the first league games I ask every parent and coach to try to do the following this season:

• Remember learning takes time and is best achieved in a stress free environment.

• Praise skills performed and ideas tried.

• Do not stress about winning, the tougher the games the more they will learn.

• Enjoy watching your child as they grow through the developmental process and become a little more “skilled” as the season progresses.

• View mistakes as learning moments and things that will be fixed over time.

We must spend time teaching our youngsters to play before we fixate on the issue of winning. Learning to play is a vital step in learning to win.

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

December 1, 2021-Although US Men’s National Team keeper Matt Turner grew up in Park Ridge, New Jersey, he crossed the state line to play club soccer in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA). Matt excelled in other sports, especially baseball, and only started playing soccer in his mid-teens.

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/

From left to right: Sal Amorello, Fritz Casimir, LIJSL President Addie Mattei-Iaia, LIJSL Hall of Fame Chairperson Peter Collins, Arlene Cirella and Gregg Knight

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

March 11, 2014-Soccermania was in full force as approximately 10,000 soccer players, coaches, referees and fans flocked to the Huntington Hilton this past weekend for the 32nd Annual Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) Convention. One of the highlights of this big event was the induction of four selfless volunteers into the LIJSL Hall of Fame during the Annual Awards Dinner on Friday night, March 7. Sal Amorello of Brentwood, Fritz Casimir of Laurelton, Melville’s Arlene Cirella and Gregg Knight of Merrick were honored:

Sal Amorello began his soccer career in 1979 as both a volunteer coach and referee in the Brentwood Soccer Club. He ran the club’s concession stand for many years. Sal was one of the founders of the Father’s Day Citibank Intramural Tournament and volunteered as tournament director for 15 years. With the LIJSL, Sal helped establish Liberty Cup USA at Mitchel Athletic Complex in 1990 and served as tournament director for four years. He helped organize sister tournaments, Liberty Cup Ireland and Liberty Cup Moscow, and was an eyewitness to history in August 1991 when Liberty Cup Moscow truly earned its name during the unsuccessful coup attempt to unseat Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev that occurred while the games were being played. Also during the 1990’s, he was part of the crew for the LIJSL’s “Soccer Zone” TV show and assisted in the development of a LIJSL skills tournament sponsored by Chiquita Bananas. He volunteered on the staff of the Chase Cup and then, after it received a new sponsor, the Waldbaum’s Challenge. Sal also volunteered on the LIJSL Convention Committee for 25 years, served as Co-Director for five years and volunteered as the LIJSL’s representative to the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA).

Fritz Casimir has served as Director of Kickers Youth Sports Association of Southeast Queens and the Cambria Heights/Laurelton Soccer Club. Since these organization’s inception in 1980 and under Fritz’s guidance, they have successfully provided recreational, educational and mentoring needs of thousands of kids living a short corner kick from Kennedy Airport. They have served as a conduit to college education and been the recipient of New York City Council Resolutions in 1986, 2000 and 2005. Outside of soccer, the Laurelton resident is co-organizer and charter member of American Legion Post 1946, an active member of the 369th Veterans Association, former President of the Laurelton Lions Club and Chairperson of the Laurelton Memorial Day Parade, one of the largest events in southeast Queens. Plus Fritz somehow finds the time to also volunteer for Community Planning Board 13, Haitian-American United for Progress, the Federation of Laurelton Blocks Association, 225th Street Blocks Association and Southeast Queens Junior Olympics.

Arlene Cirella began her soccer journey in the early 1970’s, at the start of the youth soccer boom, when she became an intramural coach for the Huntington Boys Club (HBC). She later moved on to become a HBC travel team coach. In 1979, Arlene served on the committee that established the LIJSL Special Children’s Program as the LIJSL became the first organized soccer league in the world to start a program during a time when Special Children playing sports is not as accepted as it is today. Arlene then became the Chairperson of the LIJSL Scholarship Committee and graciously donated the use of her Melville restaurant, Cirella’s, for the LIJSL Scholarship Lunch. Arlene also volunteered on the LIJSL Convention Committee, Liberty Cup USA Committee plus served as Chase Cup coordinator and LIJSL Select Program girls’ administrator. She travelled to the LIJSL Convention from Florida, where she now lives.

“I was one of the LIJSL’s first coaches,” she stated at her induction. “I cannot believe how the LIJSL has grown. Look at how many people are here! You should be tremendously proud of how soccer has grown.”

Gregg Knight was an intramural coach in the Merrick Police Athletic League (PAL) from 1987 to 1994 and was a travel team coach with the Merrick Magic from 1994 to 2002. The Magic were one of the top teams in New York during the 1990’s, winning Eastern New York’s State Open Cup twice plus the Region 1 Premier League and Tampa Bay Sun Bowl. Gregg served as President of Merrick PAL for a decade, starting their Sportsmanship Program and writing a code of conduct for parents and players that still appears on all PAL applications today. He was a Trustee on the LIJSL Board of Directors from 2000 to 2008 and volunteered on the committees for Player Arbitration, the Waldbaum’s Challenge and the LIJSL Convention. Gregg served as Vice President of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association from 2002 to 2009 and continues as a member of the State Cup Committee to this day. If all that was not enough, he was also a member of Eastern New York’s Premier League Committee from 2006 to 2011, serving as its Director in 2009.

Congratulations to these four worthy inductees!

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, 2019-Two teams from Long Island competed in the Boys-Under-14 State Open Cup final on June 1 at Stringham Park in LaGrange. SUSA B05 defeated Stony Brook Red Star, 4-1, to win the Howard Rubenstein Cup. 

Now living in Kentucky, Rubenstein was seemingly involved in every facet of New York soccer for decades and is a member of the Halls of Fame of Eastern New York, the US Amateur Soccer Association and the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL).

The second place team, Stony Brook, is nothing but consistent as this was their third consecutive trip to the final. 

SUSA will represent the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) at the Regionals from June 28 to July 4 in Charleston, West Virginia as part of the National Championship Series.

SUSA’s Kyle Knussman scored two goals, Nick Nowak and Anthony Randazo added one apiece to win the state championship. 

“Our pace was excellent and we were very organized defensively,” stated SUSA coach Dan Kravitsky.

Kravitsky coached the Sachem Destroyers, with current NYCFC player Joe Scally, to the State Cup title four years ago and his first State Cup title was coaching the HBC Raiders way back in the 1980’s.

SUSA also received the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award, as determined by the game officials. Amoroso, a US Soccer Life Member who died three years ago, started the LIJSL Sportsmanship Program 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.

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

April 4, 2019-Nyla Frazier, who plays for the Olympic Development Program (ODP) of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), recently starred with the East Region 2003 Girls Team while on a winter tour of Costa Rica.

The report from Central America stated that “Nyla Frazier and Amanda Graziano were definitely the stars of the first half with strong dribbling and passing skills. Nyla showed great defensive technique and gave Codea Alajuela’s forwards a very hard time; she was definitely a nightmare for them due to her strong and committed will.“

Nyla received the Most Valuable Player Award after the game between the East Region and Codea Alajuela. Besides ODP, the Manhattanite has also starred for club team Manhattan Timbers.

Nyla is one of the top players of Eastern New York ODP, which has produced many great players including Crystal Dunn, currently playing on both the NWSL champion NC Courage and the United States Women’s National Team.

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.

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

June 18, 2017-Cedar Stars Orange County of the Eastern New York Premier League (ENYPL) defeated the Levittown Rage of the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL), 3-1, to capture the Boys-Under-17 State Open Cup title. This game for the Jose Vargas Cup was played under cloudy skies on Sunday, June 4 at Stringham Park in LaGrange.

Ikiel Collins-Brown scored two goals and Zemi Rodriguez added one for the new champions.

Vargas, a man of many hats, was an Eastern New York Hall of Famer who was an enthusiastic ref for decades and served as State Referee Administrator, State Youth Referee Administrator and State Director of Assessment, three of the top referee positions in Eastern New York. But his soccer expertise was not confined to refereeing as he volunteered as President of the East Hudson Youth Soccer League as well as President of the East Fishkill Soccer Club.

Cedar Stars will represent the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) at the Regionals from June 30 to July 4 in Spotsylvania, Virginia.

Levittown received the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award as determined by the game officials. Amoroso, a US Soccer Life Member who died last year, started the LIJSL Sportsmanship Program 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.

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

February 12, 2015-A young woman who grew up a short corner kick from the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) office in Rockville Centre, U.S. Women’s National Team player Crystal Dunn, is very happy to help youth soccer players avoid injuries by serving as a spokesperson for At Peak Sports.

The At Peak app delivers strength and conditioning exercises and video workouts, specific to age, gender and sport, that are designed by medical professionals for youth athletes. The app comes with exercise videos demonstrating proper form and has a social platform where teammates can interact, upload photos, view sports-related video content and challenge one another in trivia contests.

“I love what the At Peak app is doing for kids playing soccer,” Crystal explained. “Physical and mental conditioning are so important to playing better and avoiding injuries at all ages, at all levels. I really wish At Peak was around when I was a kid. I encourage parents and coaches to urge their young soccer players to sign up for the At Peak app and do the workouts. They’ll get a weekly message from me if they do.”

To register NOW for your FREE strength and conditioning program select here.

Research shows that a 20-minute workout twice per week can help reduce sports injuries by 50%. Using the At Peak app, players as young as eight can build a base of strength and conditioning to reduce injury. Beyond individual training, the app allows coaches to communicate with their youth teams and monitor team training. Parents are also able to participate with their child or just monitor their progress.

Crystal spent her formative years in the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL), playing for the Rockville Centre Power, Rockville Centre Tornadoes and Albertson Fury ‘91 and received the 2009 Mike Clarke Award, named after the esteemed LIJSL volunteer, as the best high school player in Nassau County. Crystal also developed her wonderful skills with Eastern New York’s Olympic Development Program, competing in ODP for six years, and used it as a springboard to represent the USA internationally.

She helped lead the USA to the 2012 FIFA Under-20 World Cup title in Japan, playing every minute of all six matches, and has her sights set on the Women’s World Cup in Canada this summer, when she will turn 23 years old. She is currently playing with the U.S. Women’s National Team in Europe.

As a junior at the University of North Carolina, she won the Hermann Trophy as college soccer's best player, scoring five goals, in leading the Tar Heels to the 2012 NCAA championship. The versatile Crystal was named the 2010 and 2012 Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year plus the 2013 ACC Offensive Player of the Year while scoring 14 goals. She was the first player to be honored as ACC Player of the Year three times since Mia Hamm, who also played for the University of North Carolina.

Crystal was the first player selected in the 2014 National Women’s Soccer League Draft and currently stars for the Washington Spirit. Her teammates include two other former Eastern New York ODP players––Amanda DaCosta and Alex Singer.

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.