enypr

You Might Do a Double Take While Watching First Touch Play

4_pairs_of_twins_for_Web

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

September 13, 2016-It’s not necessarily the really hot weather we experienced of late getting to you if you watch the First Touch Futbol Academy play and think you’re seeing double. That’s because, in what could be a first for the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), four pairs of twins make up the 91 players registered with the club.

The twins and their teammates wear yellow shirts, blue shorts and white socks, just like the Brazilian National Team, which gave the soccer world Jogo Bonito, or the Beautiful Game. Whatever language it’s in, the expression evokes images only of Brazil.

“The uniforms are meant to replicate Brazil's kits because they traditionally play the free-flowing, creative soccer we like to try and emulate,“ commented First Touch Director of Coaching Jeff Geller.

Geller goes one step further with the club by naming its teams after Brazilian greats so Boys-Under-12 teams are called Pelé and Kaka, a Boys-Under-10 team is named for Ronaldo and a Boys-Under-8 team uses the name Romario, all playing games at the Saratoga Intermediate School.

Meanwhile First Touch’s league, the Capital District Youth Soccer League (CDYSL), just kicked off Fall Ball 2016, which has seen an increase in registered teams every year. The fall league is also an opportunity for the CDYSL’s newest referees to get their feet wet as the youngest age groups, Under-10 to Under-12, play Fall Ball.

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.

Substitute Keeper Martin Cedillo is Unlikely Hero as Kosmos Greek-American 1994 Take Boys-Under-19 State Open Cup Final

Kosmos_Greek-American_1994_for_Web

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

June 16, 2014-Perhaps Kosmos Greek-American 1994 of the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL) had some help from above in winning Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association’s (ENYYSA) Boys-Under-19 State Open Cup championship. After regulation against Manhattan Ajax of the Westchester Youth Soccer League (WYSL) was scoreless, the final played at the Peter Collins Soccer Park in Plainview on June 7 became really good in overtime and the epic final will be remembered for a long time to come.

Kosmos looked to have the game won when Lawrence Nikaj scored a goal in each overtime period. But Manhattan had other ideas and scored two goals in the last two minutes of the second overtime to tie the score, 2-2. The first Ajax goal got by Kosmos keeper Alex Taliotis, who injured himself on the play, and he was replaced by substitute keeper Martin Cedillo, who became the unlikely hero as he saved three of four penalty kicks to give Kosmos a 3-1 shootout win.

“The game could have gone either way. We had a lack of concentration allowing those two goals at the end of the second overtime,” said Kosmos coach Andreas Touros. “I’m really happy for Martin going in goal and saving those three penalty kicks, especially as his mother just died two weeks ago.”

Kosmos’ lime green uniforms will certainly stand out playing in the Regionals from June 26 to July 1 in Kingston, Rhode Island and they received a $2,000 check from Eastern New York to defer the costs of their participation.

Kosmos also received the Howard Rubenstein Sportsmanship Award as selected by the match officials. Now retired, Mr. 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.

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.

Jazmin Egan Honored With the Patricia Louise Masotto and Brenda Driscoll Scholarship

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

August 4, 2022-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) congratulates Shirley’s Jazmin Egan upon receiving a

Patricia Louise Masotto and Brenda Driscoll Scholarship

The scholarship’s namesakes were best friends and top women’s soccer players from Massapequa, Long Island and Eastern New York set up a scholarship in their name after they were killed by a drunk driver in 1985.

Jazmin was a member of the National Honor Society at Longwood High School and received the Presidential Scholarship Award and the Jon H. Poteat Scholarship Award.

Jazmin wrote in her essay, “By the age of two, I learned to kick, pass and play the game of soccer. Even now, 16 years later, this sport has alawys been a part of me, and without it, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Soccer has given me friends, family, a drive and passion to do anything I set my mind to. Leadership, teamwork and humility are characteristics I learned in soccer that I apply to the rest of my life. Soccer gives me the drive to push and constantly seek consistency to achieve my goals, not only in the sports world but in the real world.”

We wish Jazmin the best studying physical therapy at Stony Brook University.

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 on to http://www.enysoccer.com/

A Simple Gesture That Goes a Long Way

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Smiling_for_Web2

Association

May 17, 2022-In his April Coaching article, Tim Bradbury, the Director of Coaching of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), lamented the lack of sportsmanship in youth soccer that has contributed greatly to the referee shortage felt here in Eastern New York and throughout the country.

I have been refereeing in Eastern New York since the 1970’s, starting when I was a teenager, and know that we lose more than half of our refs in their first two years of officiating and the number one reason why is because of verbal abuse by the adults, coaches and spectators, in youth soccer. So the next time that you yell at a ref, you might be contributing to our ref shortage.

I receive countless e-mails during the week from assignors trying to plug the holes in their game coverage, which has forced refs like myself to officiate from 9 am to 5 pm every Saturday and Sunday after working 9 am to 5 pm in our jobs from Monday through Friday. This is all very tiring! The ref shortage is the most severe that it has been since I started officiating.

But there is one thing that I notice that greatly contributes to the sportsmanship of the game that follows. Some coaches do it and some do not. When I see a coach greet the opposing coach before the game, I know that the match is most likely going to go well.

Now with some competitions, the teams are on one side with spectators on the other side and with other competitions, the teams are on opposite sides from one another. No matter, whether a coach is 20 or 50 yards from the other coach before the game, they should greet one another and talk for a few minutes. If nobody has done this, then the home coach should go over and welcome the visiting coach and players to the field.

Yes, I know that coaches and trainers before the match are busy sorting out who is at the field, who is still coming, putting the players through their warm-ups, etc. But there must be a few minutes to spare to talk to the opposing coaches.

In the games that I ref, when I see the opposing coaches standing at the halfway line talking amiably with one another either before or during the game, I know that it is going to go well. When opposing coaches totally ignore one another, then the game might not be very disciplined, no matter who the ref is. The attitude of the players feed off what their coach does as the coach is a role model for his or her players.

And who knows, if you talk to the opposing coach before the game, you might make a new friend.

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/

LaGrange’s Delaney McMorris Receives the Masotto-Driscoll Scholarship

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

July 10, 2023-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that Delaney McMorris of LaGrange has received a

Patricia Louise Masotto and Brenda Driscoll Scholarship

Delaney played for the LaGrange Sparks in the East Hudson Youth Soccer League (EHYSL), with Eastern New York’s Olympic Development Program (ODP) and volunteered for the past seven years with LaGrange’s wonderful TOPSoccer Program as well as throughout her hometown. At Arlington High School, she was a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society, was captain and All-League in soccer, All-County and All-League in track plus received the New York State Scholar/Athlete Award for the past four years. She helped create the Arlington Backpack Program that provides weekend meals for nearly 100 students facing food insecurity.

Additonally, Delaney is a soccer referee who received the Section 1 Athletics Sportsmanship Award.

Delaney wrote in her essay that “after my first year of playing travel soccer, I was cut from my team. Despite this, I still saw myself as a soccer player so my Dad created a new team of all the girls who were cut. I became self-motivated and consistently worked hard to improve my soccer skills. As a sixth grader, my hard work paid off when I was selected to the ODP team. I valued the exposure to new coaches and learned to always utilize the feedback I was given.”

The scholarship’s namesakes, Patricia Louise Masotto and Brenda Driscoll, were best friends and top women’s soccer players from Massapequa, Long Island and Eastern New York set up a scholarship in their name after they were killed by a drunk driver in 1985. The scholarship is determined by success in high school as well as community service.

We wish Delaney the best studying architecture and playing sports at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Staten Island’s Burt Wilkes to Take Additional Role Volunteering for the Olympic Development Program

Burt_Wilkes_for_Web

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

January 5, 2016-A New Year brings new responsibilities for Eastern New York Soccer Hall of Famer Burt Wilkes. The Deputy Director of Region 1, which covers youth soccer from Maine to Virginia and West Virginia, has been appointed as a committee member of the United States Youth Soccer Association’s Olympic Development Program (ODP). In this role, Burt will help administer ODP boys inter-regional events, where the four regional champions play against each other. The planning includes lodging, meals, transportation, referees, set-up of fields and anything else that’s needed to run the tournaments plus make a budget for these events. It’s a lot of volunteer work that players and coaches often take for granted.

In his new role, Burt can draw on his experience when he served as Chairperson of Eastern New York ODP.

He has been a soccer volunteer for a quarter-century. Burt became involved with the Silver Lake Soccer Club in 1991 and volunteered as President, Vice President and Trustee. He was the assistant coach and team administrator of the Silver Lake Rams, who won two State Cup championships at Boys-Under-17 and Boys-Under-19 with losing in the final at Boys-Under-18 in-between their two State Cup titles.

While with Silver Lake, the Rossville, Staten Island resident became a member of the Board of Directors of the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL). He then served six years as the CJSL President. Burt was the driving force behind the CJSL opening a full-time office, negotiated partnerships with corporations and was instrumental in CJSL girls teams playing in other Eastern New York leagues as guest teams while the CJSL accepted guest boys teams from other leagues.

Burt volunteered as the First, Second, Third and Fourth Vice President as well as Trustee of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA). In addition to serving as Chairperson of Eastern New York ODP, he volunteered as Commissioner of the Eastern New York Premier League (ENYPL). So with all this volunteering and accomplishments, it’s no surprise that Burt has been inducted into the Halls of Fame for both Eastern New York (2012) and the CJSL (2013).

Somehow Burt also found the time to be the boys soccer coach at Moore Catholic High School for five years, coaching the Mavericks to the B Division Championship in 2001, as well as spending countless hours volunteering in the Hurricane Sandy relief efforts three years ago.

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.

MLS Assistant Referee Brian Dunn Returns to Roots By Officiating Youth Soccer Games

Brian Dunn on far left before a MLS game.

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

September 25, 2013-New Hyde Park resident Brian Dunn has served as an assistant referee in Major League Soccer games for the past two years and refereed top-ranked college teams for nearly a decade in front of thousands of fans. But when his schedule allows on weekends, he can be seen refereeing Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) and Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) youth soccer games in front of friends and family in local parks and schools. Brian got his start refereeing these games over a decade ago.

"I am very grateful to the refs from Eastern New York and the LIJSL who have developed my ability over the years and I never want to forget where I came from," said Brian. "It’s also very nice to ref youth soccer games where it’s only about having fun."

Brian, whose "real job" is a remedial math teacher at Plaza Elementary School in Baldwin, has officiated 11 international games during the past three years in such noted venues as Yankee Stadium, Citi Field, Red Bull Arena plus RFK Stadium and has officiated 27 MLS games.

2011 was a very good year for the National Referee as Brian was chosen as the New York Metro Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association (NYMISOA) Official of the Year and Eastern New York Referee of the Year in the same year. He was selected as the top referee among the more than 2,000 registered game officials in Eastern New York.

"Brian Dunn is a superb individual with an excellent sense of respect that he brings on the field and makes it a positive aspect of his game," commented State Referee Administrator Enrico Romano. "As an official, he’s the total package and I take great pride in having a ref like Brian in our organization here in Eastern New York."

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.

Manhattan Kickers FC U10 Takes the Boys-Under-10 Challenge Cup Championship

Manhattan_for_Web

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

June 26, 2021-It's a good time to be playing soccer in Manhattan. The Manhattan Soccer Club was selected as the Club of the Month in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) and their neighbors, Manhattan Kickers, had the champion team in Eastern New York's Boys-Under-10 Challenge Cup. Manhattan Kickers FC U10 defeated the Plainview/Old Bethpage Blackhawks, 5-2, in the final on Saturday, June 5 at Stringham Park in LaGrange.

Plainview/Old Bethpage did not leave the Hudson Valley empty-handed as they received the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award as determined by the game officials. Amoroso, a US Soccer Life Member who died five years ago, 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, and in the process, made soccer games kinder and gentler.

Longtime Volunteer Burt Wilkes Honored as Personality of the Month in Eastern New York

Burt_Wilkes_for_Web

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

August 9, 2016-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that Burt Wilkes is being honored as our Personality of the Month for August. This is far from the first honor for the longtime volunteer as Burt was inducted into the Eastern New York Hall of Fame in 2012 as well as the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL) Hall of Fame a year later.

“Youth soccer volunteers know that if you need something done, you call on Burt Wilkes so I am delighted that we are honoring him as Personality of the Month for always being there to help others,” commented Eastern New York President Richard Christiano.

Burt became involved with the CJSL’s Silver Lake Soccer Club in 1991 and served the club as President, Vice President and Trustee. He was the assistant coach and team administrator of the Silver Lake Rams, who won two State Cup championships at Boys-Under-17 and Boys-Under-19 with losing in the final at Boys-Under-18 in-between their two State Cups.

While with Silver Lake, the Rossville, Staten Island resident became part of the CJSL Board of Directors, then volunteered for six years as CJSL President. He was the driving force behind the CJSL opening a full-time office, negotiated partnerships with corporations and was instrumental in CJSL girls teams playing in other Eastern New York leagues as guest teams while the CJSL accepted guest teams from other leagues.

Burt also volunteered as the First, Second, Third and Fourth Vice President of Eastern New York as well as Trustee. He served as Chairperson of Eastern New York’s Olympic Development Program (ODP) as well as Commissioner of the Eastern New York Premier League (ENYPL).

Burt was the boys soccer coach at Moore Catholic High School for five years, coaching the Mavericks to the B Division championship in 2001, plus he coached football at McKee/SI Tech for four seasons.

Recently, Mr. August has been promoted to a more national role as a committee member of the United States Youth Soccer Association's ODP. Last year, he was elected Vice Chair of Region 1, covering youth soccer from Maine to Virginia and West Virginia. In this role as second in command, he also serves as Chairperson of the Eastern Regional League.

Burt somehow finds the time to remain active as a trusted volunteer with Eastern New York, still serving on the State Cup committee and Arbitration Board, and continuing to tirelessly volunteer for the New York Chapter of the American Red Cross.

In the past two months alone, Burt has travelled to the Hudson Valley for the State Open Cup finals, to West Virginia for Regionals and to Texas for Nationals, all as a soccer volunteer.

Congratulations to Mr. August, Burt Wilkes.

Ken Gulmi Honored as Life Member by the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

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

August 23, 2021-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that longtime volunteer Ken Gulmi is being honored as a Life Member, our version of the Lifetime Achievement Award. The decision was made by a vote of our member leagues at the ENYYSA Annual General Meeting on August 7.

“I am humbled to be one of about a half-dozen people in Eastern New York history to be included on such a short list that includes such giants of youth soccer as Peter Masotto, Peter Collins and Howard Rubenstein,” Gulmi explained.

The Mahopac resident volunteered as East Hudson Youth Soccer League (EHYSL) President for an amazing 22 years from 1990 to 2012 and was on the Board of Directors of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) for over two decades from 1993 to 2018, starting as Registrar and moving to numerous Vice President positions. The EHYSL grew from a little over 4,000 players (80% boys) in three counties to nearly 19,000 players in seven counties (nearly 50/50 split between genders) during Gulmi's 22 years in charge.

Additionally, he was a certified referee and was quite a busy youth soccer coach, leading his teams to over 80 tournament titles, both indoors and outdoors. Gulmi started as an intramural coach in 1983, moved to travel teams in 1985 and coached until his retirement in 2016. He coached the Mahopac Hurricanes for 11 years, the Mahopac Indians and Mahopac Spirit girls for a combined five years as well as a Mahopac intramural team, the Golden Eagles, for six years. His coaching career ended with 17 years spent coaching three boys teams––the Mahopac Knights for seven years, the Somers Knights for one year and the Yorktown Knights for nine.

In 2016, when his Knights players had aged out of youth soccer, they moved on to compete in the Under-23 division of the Greater Hudson Valley Soccer League (GHVSL). Those players agreed on the name FC Knights and on two uniforms––one light blue, one in purple––with Gulmi’s face on the front of the jersey as a tribute to their longtime coach.

FC_Knights_jerseys_for_Web

Additionally, Gulmi coached a Boys-Under-16 team in the East Hudson Academy in 2002 and 2003 as an unpaid volunteer when the chosen coach had to withdraw for health reasons.

Gulmi said his greatest accomplishments in youth soccer have been impacting so many kids as a coach, ref and administrator, growing soccer in the Hudson Valley, modernizing EHYSL operations from yellow pad and pencils to computers, instituting and championing local TOPSoccer plus serving 15 years on US Soccer’s Disability Committee from 2005 to 2020.

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 Association. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/

« Previous Page