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The trophies distributed at the Dinner of Champions

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
 
July 29, 2016-Nearly 1,000 people came to Anthony’s Pier 9 Restaurant in New Windsor on July 12 and 13 as the East Hudson Youth Soccer League (EHYSL) honored its 36 Division champion teams––21 boys squads and 15 girls teams––from the recently-completed 2015-16 season as well as this year’s four scholarship recipients. East Hudson’s Dinner of Champions has become a July tradition that extends back almost to EHYSL’s founding in 1976, as the West Put Youth Soccer League, when it joined the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA).

All division winners––players, coaches and parents at the Dinner of Champions––were invited for an evening devoted to recognizing the players, honoring the coaches and thanking the parents for their combined efforts to make soccer the popular sport it is. Each coach praised his or her squad and introduced the players to a round of applause from those in attendance each night plus every player and coach was presented with a trophy signifying their team’s accomplishment.

“This is something the East Hudson Board of Directors and staff take great pride in doing,” EHYSL President Jim Purdy said. “The concentration is, of course, on the players. But we do take pains to remind them that their coaches, their parents and their club volunteers have been a huge part of their success––the success they’ve already had, and any they may achieve going forward. These evenings bring an appropriate celebratory end to our soccer year.”

Attilio CrimiVaroli of the Highland Soccer Club, to study at the University of New Hampshire, and Claire Thoma of East Fishkill, who played for the East Hudson Academy and Eastern New York’s Olympic Development Program (ODP) and will be attending Roanoke College, were honored with the Michael Goldberg Scholarship. Thoma also received a scholarship from Eastern New York. Michael Goldberg was a 15-year-old boy playing in the EHYSL for the Chappaqua Soccer Club when he died of leukemia and his family started the scholarship to honor his fulfilling yet brief life.

Receiving the Dan Herbst Scholarships were Laura Fajrado of the Monroe-Woodbury Soccer Club, to attend Fairfield University, and Brendan Smailer of the Kingston Area Soccer League, who will be studying at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Herbst also died from leukemia, in 2001. He was a longtime soccer journalist and author, past president of the Yorktown Soccer Club and in his first term as EHYSL President when he passed away at age 48.

“These four scholarship recipients have exhibited excellence not only on the soccer field but in the classroom and the community as well,” President Purdy stated.

Adding to the festivities, New York City FC donated raffle prizes including an autographed soccer ball and scarf plus had two winners of four tickets to a luxury box at Yankee Stadium for a NYCFC game.

“Enjoy your summer and we will be looking forward to your efforts next year to return to this event,” added President Purdy.

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

August 17, 2017-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very happy to announce that Kaitlyn Mullen is receiving a Jack Bauman Scholarship. The scholarship’s namesake is considered the father of women’s soccer on Long Island. He was devoted to the Massapequa Soccer Club, Eastern New York and making sure that girls had as many opportunities to play soccer as boys did in an era when girls playing sports was not as accepted as it is today. The award is based on academic and athletic success as well as community service.

Kaitlyn’s parents were coordinators of the Sacred Heart Soccer Club in the Staten Island Youth Soccer League (SIYSL). At Notre Dame Academy, she played varsity soccer for three seasons and was a member of the National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society and the Spanish National Honor Society. She volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, Girls Who Code Club and Staten Island United’s Total Soccer Experience, which trains young children to become confident soccer players in an encouraging environment. She recently became a certified referee and has been refereeing intramural games on Staten Island plus currently plays soccer for the SIYSL’s Cedar Stars Academy 1999 Gunners.

She wrote in her essay, “Playing soccer throughout my life not only served as an extracurricular hobby but it also opened my eyes to how influential leadership, teamwork and respect are in everyday life.”

We wish Kaitlyn the best as he starts studying and playing soccer at Loyola University in Maryland this fall.

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.

Volunteers seeking donations from spectators attending Regionals. The Barboursville Soccer Complex is in the background on the right.

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
 
July 16, 2016-Before the Region 1 Championships were played at the Barboursville Soccer Complex in West Virginia from June 30 to July 5, there was a concern about the games being played due to the unprecedented flooding in the Mountain State. Yet Barboursville, in the southwest corner of West Virginia, did not get the historic rainfall that other parts of the state received, although the semifinals and finals toward the end of Regionals had to be moved to other venues because of wet fields.

Yet the floods affected some in the West Virginia Soccer Association’s volunteer base due to property damage and power outages so the 15 state youth associations in Region 1, including the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), stepped up and provided volunteers so that Regionals could run as smoothly as possible. Additionally, every state president volunteered to help further.

$16,000 was donated by the teams and families attending Regionals, including people giving money as they entered the Barboursville Soccer Complex. Volunteers also walked around the fields with buckets seeking donations. An additional $5,000 was donated by Region 1 for a total of $21,000 going to those in the West Virginia State Association affected by the flooding.

“Region 1 is a family of 15 states as we all have soccer in common,“ explained Region 1 Director Natalie Schwoeble. “To see the generosity of all 15 states was amazing. When high-powered individuals such as the state presidents volunteer their time by standing in the middle of the street and accept donations for families in West Virginia, that was inspiring.“

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 28, 2014-The Olympic Development Program (ODP) teams from the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) continue to make a good impression on their tours of Italy during 2014.

Recently during Spring Break, our Eastern New York ODP team of boys born in 2000 played in the Agropoli Cup in southern Italy. Playing up a year against Italian boys born in 1999, they finished with two ties and a loss. They tied host Agropoli (2-2) and Roccadaspide (3-3) plus lost to Sporting Vesuvio (1-3).

The boys did better against kids born in the same year (2000) as they were 1-1-1 in group play, losing to Savoia (0-1), defeating Europa Napoli (3-0) and tying Casalvieri Frosinone (0-0). Their tournament ended in the semifinals. After a scoreless game against Scuida Calcio, they were eliminated in the shootout, 2-4.

Eastern New York’s Javier Carrillo was selected as Tournament Most Valuable Player. The Bronx resident plays club soccer for Yonkers Golden Touch, the Westchester Youth Soccer League team that are defending State Open Cup champions,

“The boys did very well, Javier was selected as the Tournament MVP and our Italian hosts were very gracious,” commented Eastern New York ODP coach Miguel Cuellar, who also was honored as he was selected the Coach of the Tournament.

“I think that Eastern New York had the best behaved team in all of Italy,” team manager Maureen Kerwin stated. “The boys were so polite and no problem at all. Just awesome athletes with sportsmanship and manners.”

This past January, our ODP team of boys born in 2001 made the semifinals of the Trofeo Costa Gaia in Sicily, becoming the second American team ever to make the semis of this prestigious tournament. Eastern New York’s ODP team in the same age group, Boys-Under-13, accomplished the same feat in 2012. Italian soccer fans will get one more chance to see Eastern New York ODP play this year as our team of boys born in 1999 will play in the Lazio Cup next month.

ODP is traditionally considered the highest level of youth soccer in the state. Eastern New York has been running a very successful program for decades and former ODP players such as Crystal Dunn, Cari Roccaro and Nicholas Gaitan also played in exotic locales for Eastern New York ODP as kids and have all used ODP as a springboard to represent the United States recently in international competition.

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.

Tournament MVP Javier Carrillo.

Boys-Under-17 Rip Van Winkle Raptors

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

September 15, 2015-If you were very tired and fell asleep for 20 years, you’d be amazed at the progress that soccer has made in the United States in the past generation as our Women’s National Team has now won three World Cups and four Olympic gold medals, the average attendance of Major League Soccer in its 20th season is above 20,000, the National Women’s Soccer League is trying to gain a foothold and more Americans play organized soccer more than any other sport besides basketball. Far from the limelight of those accomplishments, a generation ago, the Rip Van Winkle Soccer Club was founded and started play in the Capital District Youth Soccer League (CDYSL) and Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA).

Falling asleep for 20 years is obviously what happened to the club’s namesake in the 1819 short story written by Washington Irving. Set in the years around the American Revolution, Rip falls asleep in the Catskill Mountains and after he finally wakes up, he discovers that his entire world has changed.

“The past club presidents, Mike Esslie and August Freemann, thought that the Rip Van Winkle name represented our unique area in the Catskill Mountains and wanted to include players from the surrounding school districts, even when the club was founded,” commented Patricia Gibson, in her 12th year as club President. “Our club has players from Cairo, Catskill, Durham, Germantown, Greenville, Saugerties and Windham.”

Rip Van Winkle has 120 travel team players and 118 intramural players with a 50/50 split between genders. It is a non-profit volunteer organization whose mission statement says it promotes the sport of soccer, develops each player to the maximum of his or her ability plus fosters a spirit of sportsmanship and fellowship among its members. Keeping in mind that Rip Van Winkle wants to develop players, they also recognize that soccer has to be fun so that the kids enjoy the experience and develop a lifelong passion for the sport.

Rip Van Winkle has certainly done just that with its Boys-Under-17 team, the Raptors, which recently won a CDYSL division championship. All the players on the squad have been competing for the club since they were 10 years old. The energy of the club volunteers is currently focused on building a new place to play.

“We are in the process of building a new field near the Cairo Town Park on Mountain Avenue,” explained President Gibson. “We have a water retention pond and parking lot completed and just finished putting drainage in and now are waiting for an estimate on the cost of excavation and top soil. We are in the process of fund-raising to finish the project.”

For more info about the Rip Van Winkle Soccer Club, please contact President Gibson at president@ncyasoccer.com or 518-622-2508 or log on to the club website at http://www.ncyasoccer.com

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 

September 14, 2021-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that the Huntington Boys Club (HBC) is being honored as our Club of the Month for September. Despite its name, girls have been a large part of the success of HBC soccer for decades. Those who have worn  HBC’s green and have gone on to the professional ranks include Shannon MacMillan, Maria Yatrakis, Edson Buddle, Dan Calichman, Kyle Martino plus Sue Bird of basketball fame.

HBC TOPSoccer

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/