Rob D

Smithtown Arsenal winning the national championship last summer
nearly two months after winning the State Open Cup in LaGrange

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

May 27, 2014-”We Are the Champions!” will be sung at fields in the Hudson Valley, Long Island and Staten Island during the next four weekends as 52 champion teams are crowned by the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA).

The State Open Cup finals will be played this weekend, May 31 and June 1, at LaGrange’s Stringham Park in the Hudson Valley. The champion teams advance to Regionals and can go all the way to the finals. The Smithtown Arsenal entered the 2013 State Open Cup and wound up as Boys-Under-16 national champions while the Dix Hills Elite made it all the way to the Boys-Under-15 national finals before losing to Santa Barbara White of California, 2-1, on an overtime penalty kick.

The Arch Capital Group Cup finals will be played on Saturday, June 7 at the Peter Collins Soccer Park in Plainview, Long Island. Unlike the State Open Cup, you need not be the best team in the state to win the Arch Capital Group Cup. Many thanks to our sponsor, Arch Capital Group, that writes insurance and reinsurance on a worldwide basis through operations in the United States, Bermuda, Canada and Europe, with a focus on specialty lines.

On Saturday, June 14, the Eastern New York Premier League (ENYPL) finals will be held at the brand-new Owl Hollow Fields on Staten Island. It’s the first time that the ENYPL finals will be played in one location.

The Eastern New York Champions Cup, a new competition, will be played on Saturday, June 21––the boys will be playing at Stringham Park while the girls compete at Owl Hollow Fields. Champion teams from Division 1 from the Capital District Youth Soccer League, Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League, East Hudson Youth Soccer League, Long Island Junior Soccer League, Staten Island Youth Soccer League and Westchester Youth Soccer League will be competing against one another in the Under-13, Under-14 and Under-15 age groups.

Admission to all these championship games is free. For more information, please contact Eastern New York at 888-5-ENYYSA.

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. Eastern New York 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. Eastern New York 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 11, 2019-Black Watch Premier Gold 2001 defeated the Lynbrook/East Rockaway Screaming Eagles, 6-2, in the Girls-Under-18 State Open Cup championship game on June 2 at Stringham Park in LaGrange so the new champs brought the Richard Christiano Cup home to Albany.

Christiano, the cup’s namesake, brought fiscal responsibility to the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) as President for the past decade, was a youth coach for the New Hyde Park Wildcats and served on the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) Board of Directors for 14 years, greatly improving the LIJSL Select Program during this time.

Isa Provost scored a three-goal hat trick, Shannon Cepiel scored two goals and Kennedy Jones added one to pace Black Watch Premier.

“I thought we were the more technically-sound team and we took advantage of our opportunities,” stated Black Watch Premier coach Garrett Cobb.

Lynbrook/East Rockaway are no strangers to Stringham Park as this was their third consecutive final, winning in 2017. After this year’s final, they received the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award as determined by the game officials. The namesake of the award, who died in 2016, was inducted into the Halls of Fame of the LIJSL and Eastern New York plus was also honored as a Life Member by U.S. Soccer like Collins. 

Black Watch Premier will represent Eastern New York at the Regionals from June 28 to July 4 in Charleston, West Virginia as part of the National Championship Series.

USA teammates Crystal Dunn and Allie Long plus Jamaica goalkeeper Nicole McClure, competing in the Women's World Cup, all played on youth teams that won Eastern New York’s State Open Cup when they were kids.

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

January 5, 2018-The Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen is best known as the first person to reach the South Pole, in 1911. But his initial fame came in 1906, when he and his crew became the first to sail from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the Northwest Passage, a goal that had eluded explorers for centuries. This feat was accomplished in a 70 ft. square-sterned sloop named Gjøa, so there’s a town in northern Canada on the Arctic Ocean named Gjoa Haven.

Five years later, in 1911, New York members of the Norwegian Seamens Association organized an athletic club and, inspired by the spirit of that hardy band of explorers, the new club also adopted the name of the ship. Initially, Sporting Club Gjøa only participated in whale fishing and tug of war but the soccer part of the club kicked off play 100 years ago in 1918.

To celebrate this centennial, the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL) club is planning a two-week trip to Norway to honor its Scandinavian roots this upcoming summer.

The first week, Gjøa teams will play in the world’s largest youth soccer tournament, the Norway Cup, in the Norwegian capital of Oslo from July 28 to August 5 and the following week, August 5 to 11, will be spent playing near Oslo. Gjøa teams will practice and play against local teams, explore the city and learn more about Norwegian culture.

Gjøa’s philosophy has always been to provide soccer training to as many children as possible, regardless of their family’s financial status. Currently, over 400 players, both boys and girls, are registered in the Brooklyn club, which is New York’s oldest youth soccer club. Soccer and darts are the only sports Gjøa competes in nowadays as whale fishing and tug of war were both dropped nearly a half-century ago after having champion teams for many years in both.

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.

Kevin McCrudden, Founder of the Long Island Soccer Player Hall of Fame on left with inductee Tom Lang on right. Photo courtesy of the LIJSL.

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

March 17, 2015-At the Huntington Hilton on Saturday, March 7, five soccer players who grew up playing in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) were inducted in the Long Island Soccer Player Hall of Fame during the 33rd Annual Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) Convention. One of the five, Tom Lang, hails from New Hyde Park.

“If you shoot for the moon and miss, at least you are among the stars,” said Long Island Soccer Player Hall of Fame Founder Kevin McCrudden. “Tonight, we are among the stars.”

Tom Lang grew up playing for the LIJSL’s New Hyde Park Wildcats and Garden City Centennials. He won the Division 2 national championship with Adelphi in 1973 with the Panthers going 16-2-2 and scoring 101 goals, or more than five goals per game, in the process. His professional resume included playing for the Cosmos, Caribous of Colorado and Atlanta Chiefs of the North American Soccer League and New Jersey Americans of the American Soccer League. Tom played for Lynbrook Steuben of the Long Island Soccer Football League (LISFL) for 25 years and never received a yellow or red card.

At the age of 28 in 1984, Tom coached Lynbrook to the Over-30 national championship. He coached the Hofstra and Fairleigh Dickinson men plus the Adelphi women. For nearly the past two decades, Tom has been the men’s coach at Southern Connecticut State, where he has won two Division 2 national titles.

“It’s great to come back to Long Island and relive all these great memories,” Tom stated.

The other inductees were Alan Bodenstein, Ed Cody, Emily Pickering Harner and Michael Windischmann. Congratulations to all five!

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
 
November 26, 2018-The Presidents of Eastern New York’s two largest leagues, Long Island Junior Soccer League President Anthony Maresco and East Hudson Youth Soccer League President Jim Purdy, as well as former professional player John Wolyniec, will be inducted into the Eastern New York Soccer Hall of Fame during the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) Holiday Party this Saturday, December 1 at Marina del Rey in the Bronx. They will join this esteemed list of over 100 Hall of Famers, both men and women, who all have been irreplaceable in making soccer what it is in Eastern New York:
 
Cesar Aliaga has played soccer for most of his life, founded the Port Chester Soccer Club in 1994 and served as club President from 1994 to 2001 and 2003 to the present.
 
Rocco Amoroso, Mr. Sportsmanship, founded the LIJSL Sportsmanship Program in 1980 and it was copied around the world. Served as Chairperson of Eastern New York’s Hall of Fame Committee until his passing in 2016 at the age of 89.
 
Chris Armas is a LIJSL and Eastern New York ODP alumnus who played in Major League Soccer for over a decade and had 66 caps with the US National Team. Currently coaches the Red Bulls.
 
George Barr played professionally for 15 years in the American Soccer League, then volunteered as a coach for the Syosset Police Boys Club in the LIJSL.
 
Jack Baumann, the father of girls’ soccer on Long Island, was devoted to the Massapequa Soccer Club, Eastern New York and making sure that girls had the same opportunities to play soccer as boys.
 
Ben Boehm played for Pfaelzer Soccer Club in the CJSL, then played local adult soccer and has been coaching at B/W Gottschee since 1967.
 
John Boulos was New York City schools’ MVP while leading the Manuel Training School to the city championship, played on the Bay Ridge Hearts of the CJSL, then competed professionally in the American Soccer League.
 
James Bowne is a player and referee who is also a referee instructor and assignor plus a Board member of the Eastern District Soccer League.
 
Gordon Bradley coached Pelé, Carlos Alberto, Franz Beckenbauer and Giorgio Chinaglia with the Cosmos, then coached the Washington Diplomats. Helped grow the game by giving numerous youth clinics in the New York metro area.
 
Carlo Bucich co-founded the youth program of the Istria Sport Club in 1978, which plays in the CJSL. Became a CJSL Trustee, coaches the Istriamen’s team in the LISFL.
 
Orlando Byfield is a player, coach and referee who has served on the Board of the Directors of Eastern New York adults and Nassau County High School Referees Association.
 
Tony Cangero played for the Forest Park Soccer Club of the Long Island Soccer Football League when he was a teen in the early 1960s as it was a few years before the LIJSL was born. Switched to rival Glen Cove Soccer Club, volunteering on its Board as well as that of the LISFL.
 
Nino Catalioti played for New York Hota and served on its Board of Directors, coached with the Franklin Square Raiders Soccer Club, became a ref and served as President of the New York Referees Association for over a decade.

Richard Ceonzo was appointed to the EHYSL Board of Directors in 1999, as well as served on many committees with the league. Rich has also had a long and very distinguished career as a referee. He served as State Referee Administrator in 2011. 
 
Richard Christiano, who has brought fiscal responsibility to Eastern New York as our President since 2010, was a youth coach for the New Hyde Park Wildcats and served on the LIJSL Board of Directors for 14 years, greatly improving the LIJSL Select Program during this time.
 
Mike Clarke coached Brentwood Soccer Club teams in the 1970s, then served as club President and Director of the Brentwood Columbus Day Tournament. He has volunteered on the LIJSL Board of Directors and many league committees as well as being State Cup Chairperson and Director of the Peter Collins Soccer Park.
 
Peter Clinton was one of the Founding Fathers of the CDYSL in 1976 as well as being one of the Founding Fathers of the Clifton Park Soccer Club.
 
Jack Cohen was a top coach for Oceanside United in the LIJSL as well as New York Hota in the CJSL before becoming Eastern New York’s ODP Chairperson.
 
Emil Cohill serves as Secretary of the CJSL, has been refereeing for over three decades and played local amateur soccer.
 
Peter Collins volunteered as LIJSL President for 27 years, a time when the league quadrupled in size. On his watch, the league started TOPSoccer, the Exceptional Senior Games, LIJSL Convention and the Peter Collins Soccer Park.
 
Joan Connor started as a Bethpage Soccer Club coach, became club President, is now 1st Vice President of the LIJSL and serves as Chair of the Registration and Tournament Control committees.
 
Dr. Bob Contiguglia grew up on Long Island, then moved to Colorado, playing, coaching and managing soccer teams. During his tenure as US Soccer President, the US Women’s National Team won the 1999 Women’s World Cup and the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
 
Syd Crossley has been serving on the Long Island Soccer Football League Board of Directors for the past three decades. Played in the LISFL from 1977 to 2006, coached his kids in the LIJSL.
 
Miguel Cuellar played local soccer, served as President of the Metrokids Interregional Soccer League plus coaches and referees.
 
Joan Czach, the Executive Director of the LIJSL, has been involved in youth soccer since 1978 and coached the West Babylon Panthers to the 2000 Boys-Under-17 national championship.
 
Vincent D’Albis, Mr. Soccer, refereed professionally as well as youth games in Eastern New York. He became a national assessor plus a Board member of the New York Referee Association for 15 years.
 
Livio D’Arpino was an Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association Vice President who was seemingly involved in every aspect of local soccer until his untimely passing in 2002.
 
Nino DePasquali is a successful coach at the youth and adult levels. He coached Regis High School to two New York City championships.
 
Vinny Diliberti co-founded the USA Soccer Club in 1980 that eventually merged into the Auburndale Soccer Club. Coached youth soccer and served as Italian-American Soccer League President.
 
Gino D’Ippolito officiated over 2,000 pro games as well as international matches in 29 different countries. Still referees and serves as an assessor today in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association.
 
Isabel Driscoll was one of the original members of the Massapequa Soccer Club, serving the club as President, Board member, tournament director, coach and referee. Volunteered as Secretary of Eastern New York for nearly a decade.
 
Jim Eleftherion has volunteered as coach, Mahopac Sports Association Soccer Club President and served as 1st Vice President and Games Chairperson of the EHYSL as well as ENYYSA Treasurer.
 
Dieter Emmerling played local amateur soccer. After a hip fracture, he turned to coaching and led the New York Hota BU18 team, then the CJSL BU18 Select Team. Also volunteered as President of New York Hota.
 
Joe Ferraro started coaching in what is now the Northport/Cow Harbor Soccer Club, served on the club’s Board of Directors, then volunteered for many years as LIJSL Registrar plus was Chairperson of the LIJSL Hall of Fame Committee.
 
Mike Finnegan volunteered as a longtime coach in the Rockville Centre Soccer Club, then served as club President. For over two decades, he served as Treasurer of Eastern New York.
 
Jack Flamhaft played soccer in New York City public schools, served as US Soccer President from 1959 to 1961.
 
Steve Flamhaft played professionally in the American Soccer League as well as for the US Maccabiah Team. Has served as a member of the Oversight and Member Grants Committee of the US Soccer Foundation.
 
Bruce Friedman coached intramural teams in Sachem and Lake Grove, served as President of the Lake Grove Soccer Club and then as President of the Long Island Soccer Football League.
 
Eddie Gamarra co-founded the Our Lady Queen of Peace soccer program on Staten Island in 1980 and served as its President for nearly every year since until his retirement last year.
 
Joseph Goldberg co-founded the Oceanside United Soccer Club in 1962, served on its Board of Directors for many years and he was a player, coach, referee and administrator for decades. The Long Island Soccer Football League indoor tourney is named after him. His basement was like a soccer museum.
 
Norma Gorman was President of the Brentwood Soccer Club for a decade and saw to it that the Pilgrim State Soccer Complex, now Brentwood State Park, was preserved.
 
Pat Grecco volunteered as Director of the Exceptional Senior Games, the College-Bound Player Program and the Scholarship Program, all organized by the LIJSL.
 
Richard Groff served as President of the Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association, was Commissioner of the A-League and promoted US Soccer’s international games.
 
Albino Guimaraes is the smiling presence at Eastern New York meetings. Founding father of the Mamaroneck Junior Soccer League plus served as President of the Eastern District Soccer League.
 
Sunil Gulati served as US Soccer President for over a decade and has been involved in player development since the 1980s. His kids have played in Eastern New York. 
 
Ken Gulmi volunteered as EHYSL President for an amazing 22 years and has been on the Board of Directors of Eastern New York for the past two decades. A longtime coach who directed his teams to 60 tournament championships.
 
Jack Hahn played for Brooklyn Sport Club of the CJSL, then volunteered as Secretary and Vice President of New York Hota. Refereed for a decade, then served Eastern New York as State Youth Referee Administrator.
 
Herbert Hellpern played local amateur soccer, was President of the Cosmopolitan Soccer League and co-founded both the New York Cosmos and original North American Soccer League. The CJSL indoor tourney is named after him.
 
Robert Hopkins restructured Yorktown Youth Soccer during his time as President of the club, volunteered for the EHYSL as Treasurer and also as Director of the Hudson Invitational Tournament.
 
Jack Hynes played for Curtis High School and professionally in the American Soccer League while still a teenager. Also played on the US National Team in 1949.
 
Dinos Iordanou won three Lamar Hunt US Open Cups and three Cosmopolitan Soccer League titles with the New York Pancyprian Freedoms as a player and has graciously donated $500,000 to ENYYSA during the past decade.
 
Klaus Kleinstauber played local soccer but is best known as a top referee and then he became an assessor, which he has been doing for decades.
 
Gregg Knight coached for the LIJSL’s Merrick PAL for two decades, serving as club President and starting its Sportsmanship Program. Served on the Board of Directors of both the LIJSL and Eastern New York.
 
Steve Kovalenko played for the New York Ukrainians of the CJSL as a kid in the 1960s, serves as player/coach of their adult team and volunteers on the Cosmopolitan Soccer League Board.
 
Bessie and Phil Lamonica founded Oceanside United’s girls program in 1972 and have supported the Oceanside indoor tournament named after their son Rudy for the past five decades.
 
Steve LaRosa became the second President of Eastern New York in 1976. A longtime coach, he founded both the indoor and outdoor tournaments of the North Babylon Patriot Soccer Club.
 
Boris Lazari became a referee in 1975 after playing local soccer and served as State Referee Administrator.

Joe Licata immigrated from Sicily at the age of 26. His love of soccer continued in Brooklyn on the Italian-American Soccer League team Fiorentina. In 1976, he founded the St. Patrick’s Soccer Club located in Staten Island, NY. St. Pat's became the first league to initiate an all-girls team. 
 
Marco Malusa founded the Glen Cove Soccer Club in 1953, Glen Cove Junior Soccer in 1964 and was a LIJSL Board member for six years. Player, coach, referee, assessor and administrator.
 
Cesar Maniccia was one of the Founding Fathers of the CDYSL in 1976 and served as President plus Director of its Select Program. Also founded the Rotterdam Youth Soccer Club. A longtime player, coach and referee.
 
Patricia Louise Masotto played on the Massapequa Falcons team that won the Girls-Under-19 national championship. Scored a record 120 goals in two seasons at Massapequa High School before her life was tragically cut short by a drunk driver.
 
Peter Masotto volunteered as President of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association from 1984 to 2006. Coached the Massapequa Falcons to the Girls-Under-19 national championship, honored as Youth Coach of the Year in both 1984 and 1996.
 
Addie Mattei-Iaia served the LIJSL as its President from 2004 to 2015. Volunteered as LIJSL Convention Chairperson, co-founded the Smithtown Kickers Soccer Club and directed its international tournament for over a decade.
 
Jack McCabe served on the committee that helped bring the 1994 World Cup to the United States but is best known as a pro ref, serving as State Referee Administrator, Region 1 Referee Director and National Referee Director.
 
Ian McDougall played professionally in the American Soccer League, co-founded the Oceanside United Soccer Club in 1962 and coached Oceanside teams for 35 years.
 
Lloyd Monsen played for Gjoa of the CJSL, professionally in the American Soccer League and represented the United States in both World Cup qualifying and the Olympics. Also served as a referee for 30 years.
 
Luis Montoya founded the Big Apple Youth Soccer League in 1997 to serve the growing Latino community in New York City and is the only President the league has known during its 20 years of existence. The league remains mainly Latino but has players from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
 
Rocco Morelli scored in the NCAA Final, then served as a top coach in both the LIJSL and Eastern New York’s ODP.
 
Dr. Gabriel Nigrin founded the Silver Lake Soccer Club in 1970. Silver Lake was the first soccer club on Staten Island and he entered its first team in the CJSL.
 
Bob Palmeiro served as Region 1 Director for over two decades and has been a long-standing member of both the US Youth Soccer and US Soccer Board of Directors.
 
Lincoln Page served as President, Treasurer and coach of the Massapequa Soccer Club and Director of the Massapequa Memorial Day Tournament that now bears his name.
 
Al Pastore, a longtime coach, was the founder, President and head coach of FC Westchester.
 
Pelé greatly helped the youth soccer boom by signing with the New York Cosmos in 1975. Won three World Cups with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
 
Giulio Petruccelli has been honored as Coach of the Year in both the Auburndale Soccer Club and entire LIJSL. Co-founded both the Auburndale TOPSoccer Program and SS Cosma e Damiano of the Italian-American Soccer League.
 
Peter Pinori has served as Eastern District Soccer League President, increasing membership an amazing 7x in the past two decades. 
 
Joe Palumbo founded the Yorktown Soccer Club, serving as a player and coach, plus founded the Joe Palumbo Soccer Academy in 1997 in the Putnam Valley.
 
Sal Rapaglia has been President of the Eastern New York adults since 1990, worked closely with adult and youth teams particularly in the Italian-American Soccer League. Received the Werner Fricker Builders Award for his dedication to soccer.
 
Kevin Reardon played in the Hicksville Americans Soccer Club as a boy, then served as club President as an adult. Played local amateur soccer and served as Director of the Peter Collins Soccer Park and on the Long Island Soccer Football League Board of Directors.
 
Barbara Rodriguez volunteered as Northport/Cow Harbor Soccer Club President, girl’s coordinator of Liberty Cup USA and as State Cup Chairperson, a title she held for an amazing two decades.
 
Werner Roth played for Brooklyn Technical High School, was the Cosmos captain and had a starring role in the movie “Victory.” After his professional career, became a LIJSL volunteer.
 
Howard Rubenstein volunteered as President of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association from 1980 to 1984. He was seemingly involved in every aspect of New York soccer for decades.
 
Barry Salter volunteered as President of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association from 2006 to 2010. The Westchester Youth Soccer League tripled in size when he served as President for 18 seasons, in addition to him being a Board member with the New Rochelle Soccer Club.
 
Harry Saunders served as President of New York Hota, the Cosmopolitan Soccer League and the Eastern New York adults. Helped create the New York Cosmos in 1971.
 
Willy Schaller played for Schwaben and B?W Gottschee of the Cosmopolitan Soccer League, played for the US at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, then coached youth soccer.
 
Peter Sedlmair coached in the EHYSL, founded the Northern Westchester Soccer League in 1990 and also played locally.
 
Stu Serota volunteered as Eastern New York ODP Administrator from 1994 to 2002. Volunteered as Chairperson of the Rockville Centre Soccer Club’s intramural program from 1979 to 1991.
 
Philip Slone played for Manhattan’s High School of Commerce, competed for the US National Team that finished in third place in the inaugural 1930 World Cup and played professionally in the American Soccer League during the 1930s.
 
Bill Smith, the Staten Island Youth Soccer League President, started coaching in the Richmondtown Soccer Club, then soon became the Director of the club, growing membership by 71%.
 
George Snizek won a national championship as the goalkeeper of the Lynbrook Over-30 team in 1994 and has also served the game as coach, referee and West Hempstead Chiefs’ travel team program founder. Also in the National Drag Racing Hall of Fame.
 
John Steigerwald grew up playing for Eintracht of the CJSL, played as an adult for local clubs and served as Arbiter of the Cosmopolitan Soccer League plus as Eastern New York State Adult Soccer Association Trustee.
 
Hank Steinbrecher played local youth soccer with the Kollsman Footbal Club and the German Brooklyn soccer team and eventually had leadership positions with US Soccer, the 1994 World Cup and the 1999 Women’s World Cup.
 
Peter Strumpf played for the Eintracht Soccer Club in the CJSL, then served on the Eintracht Board, then on the Board of Directors of the Cosmopolitan Soccer League, becoming President in 2004. Currently the league’s Treasurer.

Jimmy Svendsen became CJSL President as well as SC Gjøa President in 1998, then went back to being Gjøa’s Youth Director. 2005 was Jimmy’s year as he received Lifetime Membership, soccer’s version of the Lifetime Achievement Award, for both the CJSL and Gjøa. In 2013, he was inducted into the CJSL Hall of Fame and received the same honor from Gjøa last year.
 
Lynne Thibdeau volunteered as Bethlehem Soccer Club President, Director of the Bethlehem Off the Wall Tournament, CDYSL Games Committee Chairperson as well as on Eastern New York’s Board of Directors for over a decade.
 
Mario Treglia played in goal for New York Hota youth teams in the CJSL, then played for the men’s team. Served as Italian-American Soccer League President, founding its youth program in 1999. Co-founded SS Cosma e Damiano Soccer Club, serves as the Treasurer of the Eastern New York adults today.
 
Galo Trujillo founded the Mount Kisco Soccer League in 1997 and served as its President for nearly two decades. Referees and coaches at many levels.
 
Consalvo Turchi was State Assigning Chairperson for two decades as well as the State Director of Assessment. Italian-American Soccer League President from 1987 to 1994, he coached Frosinone in the Northeast Super Soccer League.
 
Fred Valenti served on the Mahopac Soccer Club’s Board of Directors for 15 years as well as EHYSL’s Hall of Fame and Supervisory committees. A top coach and referee for many years.
 
Vincenzo Valente played for Mount Carmelo’s CYO Program in the Bronx, he founded soccer club Associazione Sportiva Bisceglie that played in the Italian-American Soccer League plus he became President of the Northeast Super Soccer League.
 
Jerry Valerio served as President of the Brooklyn Italians Soccer Club for over a decade, emphasizing its youth soccer programs.
 
Enrico Varani, the 2003 National Amateur Coach of the Year, served for many years as a coach in both the LIJSL and Eastern New York ODP.
 
John Varas played soccer, then became a coach of both boys and girls as well as a top referee and national assessor.
 
Jose Vargas, a man of many hats, was a coach, East Fishkill Soccer Club President, EHYSL President, referee, State Director of Instruction, State Youth Referee Administrator and State Referee Administrator.
 
Ray Ward served as President of the Catskill Soccer Club, CDYSL Vice President plus Eastern New York Vice President, Trustee and State Cup chairperson.

Jeff Wexler has served on the Town of Poughkeepsie Soccer Club’s Executive Board for over 25 years and counting. He has done virtually every job in the management of the club from running the refreshment stand to managing the fields and participating in the tryouts. In addition to his large contributions at the club and league level, Jeff also served four years on the Eastern New York Executive Board as a Trustee. 
 
Burt Wilkes, the former Vice Chair of Region 1, has continued moving up the youth soccer ladder, from Silver Lake Soccer Club President to CJSL President to Eastern New York Vice President. Has volunteered on many committees, including being Chairperson of the Hall of Fame Committee.
 
Hilda Wolfe was an extraordinary presence in youth soccer for four decades, serving as Eastern New York’s office manager during this time and helping it grow into one of the largest state associations in the United States.
 
Ray Wolfe, who served as Eastern New York’s State Youth Referee Administrator for nearly a decade before his passing last year, played in the Cosmopolitan Soccer League, coached with B/W Gottschee of the CJSL and then became a top referee, officiating pro games.
 
Gus Xikis, the Long Island Soccer Football League President, played local soccer and coached many youth teams, including with Eastern New York ODP.
 
With over 100,000 youth soccer players––both boys and girls––and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with nine leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered––from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Children With Special Needs. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and United States Youth Soccer Association. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.

Congratulations to the following girls teams who won the State Open Cup on June 5 and 6 at Stringham Park in LaGrange. Click on the link for a team photo and brief profile of each champion team:

Top row, from left to right: Assistant Coach Graham Radcliffe, Tyler McElhinney, Alessandro Sambone, Niall Coffey, Michael Harten, Blake Aronson, Jaime Schubauer, Marc DePasquale, Mathew Sloan.
Middle row, from left to right: Marcello Mastronardi, Ahmed El Sammak, Lenny Lopez, Nigel Hawthorne, Mariopio DiPasquale, Bryan Jimenez, Samuel Steinberg, Nick Acquafredda, Pablo Napoli Borrero, Eli Eshaghpour
Bottom row: Coach Ralph Pascarella

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

March 4, 2016-The phrase that “Defense wins championships,” could not be truer for the 1999 Boys South ODP Team from the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), who have returned home to New York as national champions. Eastern New York played two scoreless ties and won the shootout of both games at the Olympic Development Program (ODP) Nationals in Phoenix from February 26 to 28. They did it even with having a player sent off early in the second half both games so they played most of the second half and all of 30 minutes of overtime down a player.

A big hero of ODP Nationals was Eastern New York goalkeeper Tyler McElhinney of Jericho, who had a shutout during 240 minutes of play, saved three penalty kicks in the shootout and scored on both his shootout attempts. Pablo Napoli Borrero from Brooklyn scored the fifth and final penalty kick of each shootout to give Eastern New York the wins.

“This was the best group of kids I have ever coached in three decades of coaching,” commented Ralph Pascarella, head coach of 1999 Boys South ODP. “All 18 guys bought into team first and everybody played a role and contributed, through two overtime games and two shootouts. Blake Aronson and Matt Sloan were great leaders on the field and Tyler McElhinney would have gotten MVP if the Final Four had that award.”

In the semifinal against North Carolina, even though Eastern New York was down a player for much of the game, they had the better of play and advanced from the shootout, 5-4. In the championship game against Minnesota, Eastern New York had the disadvantage of playing two overtime games in 36 hours, was also down a player for most of the game, yet they won the shootout, 4-3, after another scoreless tie.

Eastern New York’s 2000 Girls South ODP Team had problems getting acclimated to the Arizona heat during the semifinal and lost, 5-0, to Cal South, the eventual champion. But our girls did much better in the third place game, shutting out Illinois, 2-0, with Maya Scholnick of Manhattan and Sarah Tappeto from Merrick scoring the goals.

“Both of our teams represented Eastern New York extremely well with a very high quality of play and great sportsmanship,” commented ODP Chairperson Jim Volpe.

ODP is considered the highest level of competition in the state. Each year, players must be re-evaluated by the ODP professional staff of coaches for a position on each age-specific team. The identification process ends each summer with the most elite players within Region 1 competing for a position on the regional team. Players are then identified by United States Soccer Federation (USSF) staff coaches for possible entry to the national teams program. Yet even those players who do not make the Region 1 or the national teams often use ODP as a springboard to college scholarships and even on to professional soccer.

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.