Eastern NY Youth Soccer Association

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Scotia’s Grace Mailey Receives the Jack Bauman Scholarship From the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

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By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
 
July 28, 2016-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) congratulates Grace Mailey, who is receiving a Jack Bauman Scholarship, which is based on academic and athletic success as well as community service. The scholarship’s namesake, Jack Bauman, 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.
 
In her essay, Grace wrote, “My opportunities in life increased tremendously when I was adopted from China at nine months old. My parents wanted me to try different activities to find out what I was most interested in pursuing. I took dance, gymnastics, violin and piano lessons. I played softball, basketball, lacrosse and soccer. I love all sports but once I started playing soccer, I never stopped.“

In the Capital District Youth Soccer League (CDYSL), Grace played for the Alleycats and has also served as a referee for the past five years. At Scotia-Glenville High School, she was on the High Honor Roll, a member of the National Honor Society, received the Academic Achievement Award plus Perfect Attendance Award and was honored as Most Valuable Player of the girls varsity soccer team.

For her performance on the violin, Grace was inducted into the Tri-M Music Honor Society plus received Excellent and Superior Ratings from the Music Festival.

Eastern New York wishes Grace the best as she takes her soccer cleats and violin to Hobart and William Smith Colleges 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.

Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association and Nationwide® are pleased to announce a new member benefit opportunity.

ENY Logo Clear Background May 2013NationwideNTAF11002_NPA_hdrimg

 

 

June 18, 2015-EASTERN NEW YORK YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION is excited to announce a new partnership with Nationwide®.  Through this partnership, ENYYSA members can get reliable protection for all the things that matter to them, including exclusive discounts for select Nationwide products and services. And when you purchase a policy through Nationwide, it helps to support our organization.

Like us, Nationwide is made of members and for members. This philosophy drives their industry-leading On Your Side® service, and serves as one of the many reasons we think this partnership is a great fit.

Now ENYYSA members can get a free quote by contacting their local Nationwide agent, visiting www.nationwide.com/ENYYSA, or calling 1-888-231-3614. 

Jim Volpe Named Personality of the Month in Eastern New York

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By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
 
September 12, 2017-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that James Volpe is being honored as our Personality of the Month for September.

The Baldwin, Long Island resident grew up in neighboring Oceanside and has been involved in soccer his entire life. His “real job” is serving as the Manager of Summit Security Services, which provides security guards for companies in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Jim’s soccer career kicked off when he began playing for the Oceanside Dynamo in the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL) even before the Oceanside United Soccer Club was founded by Joe Goldberg and Ian McDougall in 1962. Jim then played at Oceanside High School and on the men’s team of Oceanside United in those days when soccer was not as popular on the sports landscape as it is today.

He became a coach in Oceanside United’s intramural program in 1977. He coached a half-dozen Oceanside United travel teams in the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) over the years, starting with the Oceanside Aztecs, a squad of boys born in 1970. For decades, if there was a soccer game being played in Oceanside, Jim could be spotted at the field, including at the Rudy Lamonica Indoor Tournament, the oldest indoor youth tourney in the United States, and at the Bob Schrager Memorial Long Island Cup. Jim has attained the United Soccer Coaches National Diploma and had many of his former players there at the Huntington Hilton when he was inducted into the LIJSL Hall of Fame in 2015.

Jim volunteered as President of Oceanside United for 1989 to 2000 and his dozen years leading the club is one of the longest reigns for a club president in LIJSL history.

He has been Eastern New York’s Olympic Development Program (ODP) Administrator since 2014. Because of the vast size and population of Eastern New York, the program is split into North and South teams and Jim coached in the program for a dozen years. ODP tryouts are currently taking place throughout the state. On Jim’s watch as Administrator, the Eastern New York 1999 Boys South ODP team won the national championship last year.

Jim’s children, Chelsea (named after the London soccer club) and Shaun, grew up competing in the LIJSL, played for the Manhattan Jaspers over a decade ago, now live in Long Beach and both still play soccer today for the Oceanside women’s team. Older daughter Chelsea also is the varsity coach of the Fieldston School in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, near her alma mater.

The Volpes have been organizing the Marianne Volpe 5K and Fun Run during the past five years, raising $150,000 total for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the North Shore Long Island Jewish Monter Cancer Center. The donations are in honor of Jim’s wife Marianne, who died of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL), an aggressive form of blood cancer, at the age of 56 on October 14, 2011. The 6th annual event will take place on Saturday, October 28 at Baldwin Park and you can register by clicking here:

http://www.active.com/baldwin-ny/running/distance-running-races/marianne-volpe-5k-and-pumpkin-fun-run-6th-annual-2017

“We are very pleased to honor soccer lifer Jim Volpe as our Personality of the Month for September,” commented Eastern New York President Richard Christiano. “If you ever need something done, you contact Jim and get fantastic results.”

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.

Smithtown Arsenal to Play for the McGuire Cup National Championship

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

July 21, 2016-The prestigious James McGuire Cup, named after a Brooklyn resident who became President of the United States Soccer Federation, is the oldest trophy in youth soccer. It has been awarded to the Boys-Under-19 champs every year since 1935, with the exception of the break taken during World War II, and is currently held by a Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) team, the Massapequa Arsenal.

Next week, a LIJSL team with a similar name, Smithtown Arsenal, will attempt to keep the McGuire Cup on Long Island. Smithtown qualified for Nationals, from July 25 to 31 in Frisco, Texas, by winning Regionals from June 30 to July 5 in Barboursville, West Virginia. Smithtown was 3-0-0 to finish first in their group and won the semifinals with a 1-0 win over Massachusetts’ FC Blazers with Noah Varonier getting the shutout in goal. The final was a scoreless draw against Baltimore Celtic and Smithtown became Regional champs with a 7-6 win in the shootout. Harrison Weilbacher, Alejandro Ruiz, Matt McDonnell, Moosah Khanat, Ryan Willoughby, Chris Hettler and Justin Cebollero converted their penalty kicks for Smithtown.

Smithtown is one of the best teams in the history of both the LIJSL and its parent organization, the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), as they have won four State Open Cups, three Regional titles and the 2013 Boys-Under-16 national championship.

“The players have always believed in themselves and each other and they have the confidence going into every game that they’re going to win,“ explained Smithtown coach Chris Sweeney. “All the players work jobs and it has been tough on them to juggle their schedules to fit all the soccer in, but they do it because they are committed to winning their second national championship.“

Smithtown is currently practicing several times a week and playing friendlies to prepare for Nationals, including against the Boys-Under-18 Dix Hills Elite, also representing Eastern New York in Texas next week. It’s a very tight group as Arsenal players who could not play this year still came to the State Open Cup finals to root on their teammates.

And while Smithtown was winning Regionals, Jack Harrison, one of the star players on Smithtown rival Manhattan Paris Saint-Germain, was honored as MLS Player of the Week for having one goal and an assist in NYCFC’s 2-0 victory over the Red Bulls on July 3 at Yankee Stadium. It was the first time ever that NYCFC won the Hudson River derby.

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Back row, left to right: Coach Chris Sweeney, Nick Giordano, Alejandro Ruiz, Nikosi Burgess, Justin Cebollero, Moosah Khanat, Chris Hettler, Matt Aprile, Matt Hellerman, Beau Hornberger, Noah Varonier, Garrett Sweeney, Coach Dan McDonnell
Front row, left to right: Nick Maldarella, Steve Braccioforte, Steve Dovi, Fernando Cortez, Harrison Weilbacher, TJ Butzke, Casey Abelein, Ryan Willoughby, Matt McDonnell, Chris Abruzzo, Joe Lomonaco, Coach Tom Lips

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.

 

What Makes a Good Ref?

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Randy_for_WebAssociation
 
November 4, 2023-I have officiated with many good refs in my 45 years of refereeing. Here is my view of what makes a good youth soccer referee:
 
1) Arrives at the field appropriately-dressed 30 minutes before his or her first game of the day
 
2) Checks the field before the match and especially that both goals are anchored
 
3) Is pleasant to players and coaches, particularly in making a good first impression when checking in the teams
 
4) Knows the Laws of the Game and how they should be applied to each age group and level
 
5) Keeps up with play
 
6) Controls the game and his or her emotions, especially when others are losing their cool
 
7) Briefly explains the decisions that need to be explained
 
A referee need not be ready to do World Cup games to be an effective and respected youth soccer ref. For our 2,300 referees in Eastern New York, how many of these seven items do you fulfill?
 
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 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 onto http://www.enysoccer.com/

Three Eastern New York Refs Honored By the New York Metro Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association

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By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
 
November 19, 2013-The New York Metro Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association (NYMISOA) serves colleges and junior colleges in New York City, Long Island and Westchester. At the NYMISOA Annual Awards Dinner at The Sterling in Bethpage on November 11, three longtime referees in both the Eastern New York State Adult Soccer Association and Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) were honored by their peers for their contributions to soccer.
 
Sima Draguca of Levittown was selected as the Official of the Year, receiving one of the highest vote totals ever. He had also been voted by his fellow referees as the 2011 New Official of the Year. Brooklyn’s Ivan Castillo was tabbed as the Assistant Referee of the Year.
 
Both are very busy refereeing in the exact same leagues as they ref college soccer, the Public School Athletic League, the Cosmopolitan Soccer League and Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League plus the Long Island Soccer Football League and the Long Island Junior Soccer League.
 
Robyn Crawford-Smith of the Bronx, the webmaster of the Eastern New York State Adult Soccer Association and Eastern New York Referee Program, was the landslide winner as the New Official of the Year. Robyn referees college soccer, in the Public School Athletic League, the Caribbean Cup, the United Soccer Leagues, the W-League, the Women’s Premier Soccer League and the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League.
 
Congratulations to these three excellent referees!
 
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.
 

Eastern New York Has Some of the Best Refs in the Entire United States

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

July 11, 2018-The referees developed by the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) and Eastern New York State Adult Soccer Association are frequently seen on TV officiating professional or top amateur and youth games. Currently, four of our officials are members of PRO (Professional Referee Organization) and working Major League Soccer (MLS) games: referees Jorge Gonzalez, J.C. Rivero and Robert Sibiga plus assistant referee Brian Dunn. 

Eastern New York sent 14 refs and three assessors to the Eastern Regionals in Spotsylvania, Virginia from June 28 to July 3. Seven refs attended Regionals for the first time while the seven others had been to Regionals before.

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The Eastern New York officiating delegation at Regionals

“There were over 100 referees in attendance from across the Region at this prestigious event,” commented State Youth Referee Administrator (SYRA) Lee Suckle. “Our delegation proved once again that Eastern New York delivers top-notch, quality officials as every one of our referees were assigned a semifinal or final. Five of our referees were selected to the National Championships in Frisco, Texas from July 23 to 29, along with an invited returnee from last year, Michael Ziegler.“

Congrats especially to the Eastern New York refs at Regionals who have advanced to Nationals:

• Christian Centeno, Eastern New York Elite Referee Program, BU16 Semifinal Ref, BU17 Final Fourth Official

• Ronny Castillo Ochoa, Eastern New York Elite Referee Program, BU16 Final Ref

• Ben Schnell, BU12 Semifinal Ref, BU13 Final Fourth Official

• Kevin Skaalerud, Eastern New York Elite Referee Program, BU13 Final Ref

• Hao Zhong, BU12 Final Ref

Besides serving as SYRA, Suckle also is the Director of the Eastern New York Elite Referee Program, whose mission is to promote, assist, mentor and instruct the young, promising officials to have the opportunity to reach the highest levels of the game, such as the pros and maybe even the World Cup. For more info, you can contact Suckle at lee@suckle.net 

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.

 

 

Playing Time and Irate Parents: What are we teaching them?

Playing time and irate parents, what are we teaching them?

 
 
As I travel around New York coaching games, I get to observe some beautiful human characteristics and unfortunately many very disturbing ones as well. From honest, selfless endeavor to warped selfish acts the contradictions are staggering.
 
I used to wish I had my video camera with me at all times. Now with I-phone in hand I am equipped to collect evidence.
 
Parents screaming, kicking, fighting and chasing coaches around the car parks are very common scenes. Understanding why these scenes occur is a bit more complicated, but is a conundrum that is worth getting to grips with.
 
"Playing time", I believe for any player over 10 in a competitive league must be based upon the following criteria:
1. Attendance at practice
2. Effort at practice
3. Attendance at warm up
4. Effort at warm up
5. Effectiveness in game – am I hurting or helping my team?
 
Effectiveness in game is obviously the issue that causes the most debate and I admit that my thoughts on this continue to evolve. Often they have changed as the behavior of the players I train has changed. It is undeniable that the youth of today are different than the youth of 20 years ago. Whether it is access to the internet, access to cell phones, values presented to them at home, values presented to them at school, behavior of their sports heroes, or simply how the human race is evolving I really do not know. What I do know is that they are different.
 
Consider at what age players are capable of picking teams in a scrimmage situation and what values they use. By u10 they are normally considering three things:
1. How well is player A doing, will they help me win?
2. How hard is player A trying, will they help me win?
3. Do I need a defender, attacker etc…
4. Is player A my friend
 
So it seems the players get it but the parents do not. I believe we should all be concerned about the feeling of entitlement that many youth players seem to bring to practice. With echoes of conversations held by parents on car rides home they appear at practices and games with an attitude that screams loudly;
 
"I deserve and will play no matter what. My effort does not matter, how I perform does not matter, and if I do not get my minute’s mom and dad will scream until I do"
 
The basic question it seems then becomes at what age they can understand the concept of TEAM, and that effort in all things really does matter. Based upon my experience in youth coaching I believe the kids understand this at 10 and younger. Parents however struggle with what the kids so easily understand. We need to repopulate the dying breed of parents who support the coach and simply ask their child any of the following questions:
1. Do you feel you tried you best?
2. Do you think you helped your TEAM today?
 
I find it sad that we have taken the old phrase, There is no I in TEAM and made it in 2011…. The only person that counts in TEAM is I.
 
Clubs and Leagues, held captive by registration fees and not wanting to deal with angry irate parents, create playing time rules that fuel the parents willing to demand playing time regardless of effort or the needs of the TEAM are the norm. Parents willing to demand playing time regardless of the effort their child puts forth or the needs of the team are the norm.
 
I believe that all of us those that hold sport dear and believe that it can be a vehicle for moral and social development should be concerned. Please carefully consider at what age you want your child to understand the idea that hard work counts and that often the effort put forth will equate to the result obtained.
 
The playing time debate also needs to be considered from the player development perspective. Put quite simply a player only fully develops if they play in game situations, trying to perform techniques under game like pressure. They do not develop while sitting on the bench.
 
I understand the balance and while constantly educating coaches that players have to play! I firmly believe that parents and players understanding the concept of team is equally important. We need to get back to the "no I" in TEAM and we need all coaches, parents and players to carefully consider all sides of the playing time issue and what the concept of team actually means. What values can a good sporting environment promote?
 
 
 
 

The Cold Spring Harbor/Huntington Falcons Voluntarily Use Only 10 Players and Lose Game

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

May 30, 2014-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) prides itself on the sportsmanship of our teams, players and coaches. Our largest league, the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL), uses the slogan of Building Character Through Soccer which comes from its Sportsmanship Program, founded in 1980 by now US Soccer Life Member Rocco Amoroso, and copied around the world during the past 34 years.

Two shining examples of this sportsmanship occurred in LIJSL games recently. The Girls-Under-11, Division N6 game on April 26 between the Syosset Avengers and Wantagh/Seaford Dynamo in Woodbury looked to be a mismatch as Syosset only had seven players show up that day due to other commitments and Wantagh/Seaford had 11. Teams in that age group play 9 vs. 9. But Wantagh/Seaford coach Brian Crowley fielded seven players at kick-off and kept seven on the field the entire game in their competitive 3-1 win.

In a Boys Under 14, Division 5E game on May 17 at Moriches/Don Santorelli Soccer Park in St. James, the home team Smithtown Jaguars had only 10 players able to make their team’s game against the Cold Spring Harbor/Huntington Falcons.

Yet Cold Spring Harbor/Huntington, having a full squad in addition to substitute players, took the field with only ten players.

“As a manager and a parent of a player on the team, I realize that in 10 years, most of these children will have moved on to adulthood,” wrote Smithtown parent Bruno Valenti in a letter to Smithtown Kickers club president Pat LaManna. “Most will not receive scholarships, nor play for a professional soccer team. They will not remember scores, but will have fond memories of the fun times and life lessons learned along the way. Cold Spring Harbor coach Steve Lerner taught one of those important life lessons that Saturday on the playing field. He taught the lesson of sportsmanship, kindness and showed a display of humanity that is often not celebrated enough in our culture today.”

What’s even more remarkable to this story is that Cold Spring Harbor/Huntington lost the game, 3-0. Some coaches might have made the gesture early, but changed the game plan once things started going poorly but the Falcons kept 10 players on the field the entire match.

“Our boys recognized this gesture and admired it,” Mr. Valenti added. “I am sure (Coach Lerner’s) team learned a lesson as well. Although losing the game, the Cold Spring Harbor team walked away as winners in other ways and should keep their heads up high under the leadership of Coach Lerner and his display of sportsmanship that day.”

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.

Longtime Volunteer Pete Bussa Honored as Personality of the Month in Eastern New York

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By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
 
January 12, 2016-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very proud of our TOPSoccer Program. Special Children playing soccer in an organized league actually started in Eastern New York back in 1978 when two Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) clubs, the Huntington Boys Club and Massapequa Soccer Club, separately started programs in an era when Special Children playing sports is not as accepted as it is today. While the LIJSL TOPSoccer Special Children’s Program under the direction of Chairperson Ann Marie Toth is thriving, with 28 clubs having programs, there were only pockets of TOPSoccer players here and there outside of Long Island. But thanks to Pete Bussa and new TOPSoccer volunteers, that is rapidly changing and that’s why Pete is our Personality of the Month in January for leading these efforts.

“Pete Bussa is very passionate about TOPSoccer and he has done an absolutely wonderful job of bringing it to diverse corners of New York State,” commented Eastern New York President Richard Christiano. “He is most deserving of being our Personality of the Month to kick off 2016.”

Our honoree grew up playing football and lacrosse in Hicksville, Long Island, married his wife Jo Ann, has lived in Oceanside for many years and was promoted to Sanitation Supervisor for the Town of Hempstead. Pete became involved in soccer when his son Matthew came home from kindergarten nearly three decades ago with a flier from the Oceanside United Soccer Club. So Pete registered his son and starting coaching that team as well as the squad with his daughter, Kimberly.

He was a quick learner and the three teams he coached were quite successful. The Oceanside Tornadoes of boys born in 1984, the Oceanside Herricanes of girls born in 1987 and the Lynbrook/East Rockaway (formerly Oceanside) Piranhas of boys born in 1992 won a total of 15 LIJSL division titles, seven Long Island Cups and appeared in the State Cup semifinals three times. Pete has wonderful memories of coaching but very few photos as they were destroyed when his home flooded during Hurricane Sandy three years ago.

He moved up the volunteer ranks and became Oceanside United’s President from 1994 to 2002, replacing Jim Volpe, now Eastern New York’s Olympic Development Program (ODP) Chairperson. Pete’s life took a dramatic turn 25 years ago as one of the players on the Tornadoes had a sister with Down’s Syndrome.

“Her mom asked me if there was any way she could play soccer. That's when I started Oceanside United’s Special Needs Soccer Program,” Peter said. “After my last team graduated from youth soccer, I hung up my whistle and retired from coaching competitive travel teams, but I still mentor young coaches today. Over the years, other club presidents reached out to me for help setting up their own TOPSoccer Programs so when Richie (Christiano) asked me to take over the TOPSoccer Program for the state, it was just a perfect fit for me.”

Mr. January has been Eastern New York’s TOPSoccer Chairperson for the past five years. Several more LIJSL clubs have added programs during this time but his main efforts have been concentrated outside of Long Island as he has driven across the state to help bring TOPSoccer to those communities. Mainly thanks to Pete, there are many more Special Children now playing under the Eastern New York umbrella.

“I'm most proud of the fact that we now have 10 new programs throughout the state from the Staten Island Youth Soccer League to the East Hudson Youth Soccer League to the Mid-State New York Soccer League and up to the Capital District Youth Soccer League, so if you live in or near Montauk, Staten Island, Oneonta and Clifton Park as well as many other places, you can find a TOPSoccer program for your child,” Pete said.

For more info about TOPSoccer and to register your child, you can contact Pete at pbussa27@gmail.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.