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

November 14, 2018-As Long Island soccer fans know, the longtime slogan of the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) is “Building Character Through Soccer.” The slogan comes from the LIJSL Sportsmanship Program, which was created nearly four decades ago by now US Soccer Life Member Rocco Amoroso. In 1980, Rocco was concerned about the lack of civility that he witnessed on youth soccer fields so he started this program in which each match referee grades LIJSL teams about the cooperation of players, coaches and spectators, overall game conduct and player appearance at the conclusion of every LIJSL game. The teams receiving the most sportsmanship points in each division are honored by the league and given Sportsmanship patches, that they proudly wear on their shirt sleeves. 

This Sportsmanship Program is so ingrained in the culture of the LIJSL that many teams want to win Sportsmanship as much as their division title and is one reason for the longevity of many LIJSL refs.

One Sportsmanship-winning team is the Huntington Boys Club (HBC) Rovers and it’s easy to see why by their actions last Sunday, November 11. Their opponents, the Elwood LI Sound, arrived at the HBC Soccer Park in Melville with only nine players for the Boys-Under-13 Division 6 East game. HBC had 14 players.

Rather than play 11 vs. 9, HBC coaches Mike Martin, Sue Stewart, Julie Thayer and Dave Bobker did the very sporting thing and only fielded nine players, leaving five players on the bench that they rotated in as substitutes.

Playing 9 vs. 9 on a large field, there were several breakaways but keepers Noah Tognon (played first half) and Danny Anderson (second half) from HBC and Jake Amend (entire game) of Elwood were outstanding, making numerous saves. 11 vs. 9 could have been a mismatch but 9 vs. 9, it was a very competitive match. Many thanks to the HBC team who gave everybody a life lesson in fair play.
 

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

Over the last 10 years, I have become increasingly concerned about both the level of motivation of many players I have seen and the apparent lack of key mental characteristics they display. What people often call mental strength I prefer to breakdown into key characteristics like focus, resilience and courage. I've had many conversations with coaches from all over the country and indeed the world who have voiced similar concerns. Identifying the problem has been the easy part.

This identification has led me to spend a good deal of time learning more about sports psychology and discovering new opportunities and ways in which to learn. As part of this journey, I have come across many good pieces of research in terms of articles and books and some great podcasts. I admit that despite considering myself an active life long learner, I reflect on missed years of learning opportunities with some great podcasts.

Three that I highly recommend coaches try and find time to subscribe and listen to the three noted below.

In listening to these podcasts, I have listened to material from Dan Abrahams plus others that has led me to offer the suggestions below to help coaches create good training environments with an emphasis upon the psycho-social realm.

The three areas below

Positive Self Talk

Visualization

Goal Setting

Can all be used to help players create the right mindset for a good practice.

Positive Self Talk

Dr. Christopher M. Carr explored the relationship between focus and optimal performance in his study, “Sport Psychology: Psychologic Issues and Applications (Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Clinics of North America, 2006).”

Carr identified positive self-talk as one technique that can enhance competitive focus.

He defines self-talk is the conscious and subconscious dialog that occurs in your mind before, during and after competition.

Self-talk affects your confidence and emotions which impact your performance.

CARR: “If athletes are engaging in negative self-talk, their affective experience may be one of frustration, anger, or extreme anxiety. These emotional states challenge breathing, increase muscle tension, and create a loss of concentration and focus, resulting in lower performance. If an athlete’s self-talk is positive and relevant, however, the resulting emotional experience is one of relaxation, calmness, and feeling centered; as a result, the chances of good performance increase dramatically.”

For me the positive self-talk issue is focused around belief and a growth mindset summed up with the phrase that with my best effort I will master all the technical and tactical issues that each practice throws at me. I think it takes great care and focus for youth players to always replace self-doubt with positive self-talk.

Visualization

For me, this is one of the most powerful and under used tools that youth players practice and use. I remember as a young player spending endless hours trying to create my own internal video clips that my mind had in a loop of me playing a great pass, making a match winning tackle or heading one powerfully into the top corner. If only I knew then what I have learned since. The tips below taken from an article by Jim Taylor may help some young players out there.

Imagery Perspective.

Imagery perspective refers to where the “imagery camera” is when you do imagery. The internal perspective involves seeing yourself from inside your body looking out, as if you were performing your sport. The external perspective involves seeing yourself from outside your body like on video. Research indicates that one perspective is not better than the other. Most people have a dominant perspective with which they’re most comfortable. Use the perspective that’s most natural for you and then experiment with the other perspective to see if it helps you in a different way.

Control.

Have you ever been doing imagery and you keep making mistakes, for example, a basketball point guard sees the ball stick to the court while dribbling or a golfer sees her ball pop out of the cup? This problem relates to imagery control, which is how well you’re able to imagine what you want to imagine. It’s not uncommon for athletes to perform poorly in their imagery and it often reflects a fundamental lack of confidence in their ability to perform successfully (when I started using imagery as a youth, I couldn't go three gates in a ski race course in my head without falling!).

Multiple Senses.

Good imagery is more than just visual, that's why I don't like to call it visualization. The best imagery involves the multi-sensory reproduction of the actual sport experience. You should duplicate the sights, sounds, physical sensations, thoughts and emotions that you would experience in an actual competition. Visual imagery involves how clearly you see yourself performing. If sounds, such as the quarterback calling the play at the line of scrimmage, are important, you would want to generate them in your imagery. If you get nervous before an actual competition, you should get nervous in your imagery (and then take steps to relax).

The most powerful part of mental imagery is feeling it in your body. That’s how you really ingrain new technical and mental skills and habits. A useful way to increase the feeling in your mental imagery is to combine imagined and real sensations. Imagine yourself performing and move your body along with the imagery. You see world-class athletes doing this before competitions.

Speed.

The ability to adjust the speed of your imagery will enable you to use imagery to improve different aspects of your sports performance. Slow motion is effective for focusing on technique. When you first start to work on technique in your imagery, slow the imagery video down, frame by frame if necessary, to see yourself executing the skill correctly. Then, as you see and feel yourself performing well in slow motion, increase the speed of your imagery until you can perform well at “real-time” speed.

Goal Setting

I get to talk about goal setting quite a lot on numerous USSF courses and United Coaches diplomas. I see it used in sports in what can be an unhealthy way where goals that are set are beyond the athlete’s ability to control and ultimately are just about win-loss records. I believe that in the right hands and as part of a conversation between coach and player, it can be a very active ingredient in player development. The first one I discuss with all my players is that of a commitment to excellence. Simply put I ask them to commit to doing their very best with the tools they have at any given moment in any practice or game. A simple yet powerful goal that they can all strive to achieve.

There is a good deal of talk regarding the lack of development in many youth players that is centered around their lack of ability to read the game. Enormous numbers of players are reactive and not proactive, react slowly to the changing moments of the game. At the same time there is a storing and loud voice within educational circles, much of which is based on sound educational theory that coaches must start to put the software first. In a game where players must make so many split-second decisions, it is easy to understand the argument.

Please click on this link to watch the five-minute video:

https://vimeo.com/763511733/d7c55355ec

One of our local players heading a soccer ball

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

March 17, 2016-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is clarifying the following implementation guidelines for U.S. Soccer’s Recognize to Recover Player Safety Campaign, specifically as it relates to concussion initiatives and heading for youth players.

US Soccer is recommending, and Eastern New York is immediately requiring, new rules as it relates to heading, as follows:

• Players in Under-11 programs and younger shall not engage in heading, either in practices or in games. Referees have been instructed by US Soccer of the following rule addition in the Under-11 age group and younger:

When a player deliberately heads the ball in a game, an indirect free kick should be awarded to the opposing team from the spot of the offense. If the deliberate header occurs within the goal area, the indirect free kick should be taken on the goal area line parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the infringement occurred. If a player does not deliberately head the ball, then play should continue.

• Limited heading in practice for players in Under-12 and Under-13 programs. More specifically, these players shall be limited to a maximum of 30 minutes of heading training per week, with no more than 15-20 headers per player, per week.

• Clubs should be aware of circumstances in which individual consideration is needed. For example:
   –– A 10-year-old playing at Under-12 should not head the ball at all
   –– A 11- or 12-year-old playing at Under-14 should abide by the heading restrictions in practice

• Referees should enforce these restrictions by age group according to the specified rules. Referees will not be assessing the age of individual players on the field; they will enforce the rules for the age group.

• Leagues and organizations are free to set their own standards, as long as the minimum requirements outlined above are met.

US Soccer recommends that health care professionals be on site for major tournaments. The guidelines continue that an adequate number of health care professionals be present at all tournaments with 64 or more teams at Under-11 and the older age groups. Health care professionals are considered licensed professionals such as Athletic Trainer Certified (ATC) or Physician (MD/DO), with skills in emergency care, sports medicine injuries and experience related to concussion evaluation and management. A PDF of the US Youth Soccer guidelines is linked here, which Eastern New York has adopted.

Jim Eleftherion, Chairperson of Eastern New York’s Risk Management Committee and a member of US Youth Soccer’s Risk Management Committee, commented, “I’m glad that US Soccer has taken the initiative here but the medical people who have examined the whole issue agree that heading alone does not cause brain injuries or concussions. They are also caused by player contact or contact with the ground. It’s nice to see that US Soccer continues to be very concerned about player safety."

Eastern New York and our 11 member leagues have announced a new concussion protocol as well since whenever a player’s head is injured, regardless of whether the collision was with an opponent, teammate or an object on the field such as a goal post, the safety of that player is of prime concern. Any youth player who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or injury in a practice or game shall be immediately removed. The new protocol states that if this takes place during a league or cup game, the player’s pass will be retained by the referee and submitted along with the game report and incident (supplementary) report to the league office.

Should the suspected concussion take place during an Eastern New York sanctioned tournament, that player’s card will be obtained by the referee with a notion made on the lineup card. The notification of possible concussion form will be completed. The player’s card will be sent by the tournament director to the league office where the player is registered, along with the notification of possible concussion form, immediately after the tournament.

The player may return to play only with clearance from a health care professional (licensed professionals such as ATC, MD or DO with skills in emergency care, sports medicine injuries and experience related to concussion evaluation and management). Once the league has received the medical clearance, the player pass will be mailed back to the coach via express mail, on the next business day, with a copy of the correspondence to the parents. Eastern New York's Pocket Concussion Card, given to coaches, refs and parents, is linked here as a PDF.

The youth leagues within the geography of Eastern New York who are not affiliated with us have decided to adopt our well-worded protocol on concussions.

Eastern New York’s new concussion protocol is in addition to the fact that coaches, referees plus league and club volunteers must pass a test on concussions when certifying and re-certifying for their Background Check every two years so they can be involved in Eastern New York sanctioned soccer games.

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 tohttp://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 2, 2015-One dynasty is over but another one just could be starting. In the past six Girls-Under-12 Small-Sided State Open Cup finals, the Alleycats have been victorious. Until this year, when the Capital United Blue Flash made sure the title does not leave the Capital District Youth Soccer League (CDYSL) with an emphatic 8-0 win over another CDYSL side, the Niskayuna Nightmare. The championship game was played 8 vs. 8 on May 30 at Stringham Park in LaGrange.

Shannon Capiel scored a hat trick, Samantha Dickinson had a two-goal brace while Brynn Murphy, Brooke Pickett and Bella Tronco each scored a goal to pace Capital United. Keeper Mackenzie Swinson had the shutout in goal.

“From the opening kick-off, our team came out to play as we really wanted to win the State Cup championship,” said Capital United coach Liz Villamil.

The new champs received a $2,000 check from the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) to defray their costs during the National Championship Series. Capital United will be playing in the Regionals from June 26 to 30 in Barboursville, West Virginia.

Niskayuna received the Howard Rubenstein Sportsmanship Award for committing just one foul in 60 minutes of play.

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

January 10, 2017-Soccer fans might recognize Rudy Lamonica’s name as the oldest youth indoor soccer tournament in the United States, celebrating its 50th anniversary this winter, is named after him. The tourney will be played all day on both January 21 and 22 at Coleman Country Day Camp in Freeport and it has survived impressibly for five decades as there are very few indoor tournaments left since teams are playing in indoor leagues instead.

Throughout the South Shore soccer hamlet of Oceanside, there are memorials to Rudy. But who is Rudy Lamonica?

Rudy played on one of Oceanside United’s first boys teams after the club was founded by Joe Goldberg and Ian McDougall in 1962. As a teenager, he scored more than half of Oceanside High School’s goals during 1968 and 1969 in leading the Sailors to consecutive Long Island championships. He also starred in the indoor tournament that now bears his name during the winters of ’68 and ’69.

His teammate, Tony Higgins, recalled that, “He would be up at 5:30 every morning — dribbling, shooting. He seemed to have an intense desire burning within to be the very best. Nothing would distract him from playing soccer.”

One year later, bone cancer was discovered and doctors amputated Rudy’s right leg, hoping to stop the spread of the disease. Through all the pain and turmoil, he kept his spirits high. In fact, the hospital staff put in his room a teenage boy with all his limbs intact but who couldn’t walk properly. That boy was feeling very bad so Rudy lifted his spirits.

Rudy passed away at the age of 17 during the closing days of the 1970 Fall Season after volunteering as Oceanside High School’s assistant coach. Shortly before his death, he received a get-well letter from President Nixon and his wife, Pat.

McDougall remembered Rudy as “one of the more modest, unassuming, thoroughly likeable persons you could ever hope to met.”

Longtime Oceanside United volunteer Jim Volpe, Chairperson of the Olympic Development Program (ODP) in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), was a few grades older than Rudy and recalled that he “was a very funny and outgoing kid — even when he was sick. A very positive person.”

The Rudy Lamonica Memorial Field at Merle Avenue School in Oceanside was dedicated on October 21, 1990 — exactly 20 years after Rudy’s death. Go to the southwest corner of the field, just outside the running track, where there’s a 4 x 9 foot brick wall with a plaque bearing his likeness and the words, “Rudy Lamonica Memorial Field. His Dream Lives On.” That plaque is a reference to what he would often tell his mother Bessie, “If I make professional, I’ll make a lot of money and I’ll build fields to keep kids off the streets.” This was at a time when very few Americans played pro soccer.

Nearly five decades after his passing, his now 90-year-old mother, who is an Eastern New York Hall of Famer just as his deceased father Phil is, still hands out trophies and is in charge of the journal at the Rudy Lamonica Indoor Tournament, celebrating its golden anniversary this winter.

Bessie reminisced, “Rudy lived a short life but he lived a full life. He lived every moment of his life! He enjoyed people and he was very kind, especially to older people."

Every year, Oceanside United gives scholarships funded by the indoor tourney in honor of Rudy. The two Rudy Lamonica Memorial MVP Scholarships are awarded to one boy and girl who are chosen MVPs of the Oceanside High School teams as voted by the players. The Rudy Lamonica Memorial Scholarship is also given to deserving Oceanside United players. More than 50 players have had their college education partially funded by scholarships in Rudy’s name.

Former teammate Higgins, now 62, remembered that “Rudy had a strong impact on us while he lived, just as strong as when he passed. He had a spirit that was indomitable!”

Through the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) indoor tourney, the scholarships, the field on Merle Avenue and his mother’s volunteering, it’s a spirit that lives on.

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.

Massapequa Arsenal with the McGuire Cup

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

January 21, 2016-So how good is Massapequa Arsenal of the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL)? They are so good that the only goal they gave up in the Boys-Under-19 McGuire Cup national championship game, from Steven May of St. Louis’ Scott Gallagher, was so spectacular that it was impossible for Massapequa keeper Dan Vitiello to make a save and the shot became the US Youth Soccer Association (USYSA) Goal of the Year. The goal is the third one featured here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O2E9Hf08dw

The award was presented last week at the US Youth Soccer Workshop during the NSCAA Convention in Baltimore. Massapequa Arsenal sent their congratulations to the goal scorer. May’s goal knotted the national championship game at 1-1 early in the second half after Massapequa’s Michael Farese scored in the third minute on a tap-in.

“Steven May's goal was an unbelievable strike and came at the perfect time for them. It is one of the best goals I have ever seen,” commented Massapequa Arsenal coach Tobias Bischof. “I’m proud of my players that they stayed focused and kept following the game plan after conceding what is now the Goal of the Year. Congrats to Steven on his remarkable effort and deserved award.”

Massapequa’s Nicholas Cestaro and Brendan Gallivan broke a 1-1 tie with penalty kicks in the second half to bring the McGuire Cup back to the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA).

The first youth soccer national championship was founded in 1935 in the Boys-Under-19 age group. Brooklyn’s Hatikvoh Juniors won the national championship in 1935 and ‘36, Brooklyn’s Kollsman SC were champs in 1952 plus Ukrainian of New York won the title in 1959, the last team from New York to become Boys-Under-19 national champions before Massapequa last year. In 1975, the trophy was named the McGuire Cup, in honor of former U.S. Soccer Federation President James McGuire.

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 

February 7, 2023-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that Cheryl Aronson is our new State Youth Referee Administration (SYRA). The SYRA is in charge of the thousands of youth soccer refs in Eastern New York. Cheryl is the first woman to be hired for this important role.

The Islip resident has been refereeing for the past decade and she was previously the Corresponding Secretary of the Long Island Soccer Referees Association (LISRA), the largest referee group in the state.

“I've always loved soccer including as a player or coach, but being the referee is truly my passion. From my very first match, I knew this was for me,” Cheryl explained. “I really enjoy being around the little ones and helping them understand the game, all the way up to adult matches, watching how far they’ve progressed."

Cheryl has officiated ENYYSA games, the Development Academy, MLS Next, the Women's Premier Soccer League, United Soccer Leagues and the Men’s Open Cup.

Cheryl's “real job” is Office Manager for a commercial real estate office where she also does loan processing and property management.

“Dealing with tenants can be very similar to dealing with soccer parents,” she stated. 

Cheryl certainly brings enthusiasm and dedication to her new position.

“I've played every role as a referee, I understand the needs of our officials and I know the game,” she concluded. “I have a strong desire to do everything I can to help all 10 Eastern New York districts.” 

And when not found on a soccer field or at a referee clinic, Cheryl enjoys attending live music concerts.

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