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New York Referees Association to Celebrate Its 75th Anniversary With an April 13th Dinner Dance

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

January 30, 2013-The New York Referees Association (NYRA) has been providing officials for Eastern New York State Senior Association and Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) games for decades. NYRA will be celebrating its 75th Anniversary with a Dinner/Dance on Saturday night, April 13, from 8 pm to 1 am at Leonard’s of Great Neck.

The Dinner/Dance provides a rare chance to meet and socialize with the finest referees and administrators of Eastern New York. NYRA is hopeful that the five living FIFA referees from Eastern New York, who represented US Soccer at the highest level of the sport, will attend the Dinner/Dance. 92-year-old John DiSalvatore, a FIFA referee from 1966 to 1973, has already committed to coming.

"It should be a very festive occasion and we are honoring a legend in Johnny D," commented State Referee Administrator Howard Rubenstein.

The cost is $125 per person. The check is payable to the New York Referees Association and sent to Mr. Keith Bantz, 90 East Second Street, Deer Park, NY 11729.

For more information, please contact Keith at 631-940-8400 or Frank Sorrentino at 718-288-7528.

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.

Congratulations to Addie Matttei-Iaia!

Addie Matttei-Iaia, President of Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL), announced her retirement on December 3, 2014 at the LIJSL Club Presidents meeting. . Ms. Mattei-Iaia has served ten years as President of the largest league in the country. Best of Luck in your retirement!

Who is Driving the Bus?

By: Director of Instruction Tim Bradbury

I really wanted to title this article the "soccer circle of insanity" but realized that half of you would not read or share with the soccer parents that need to read this. So who is driving the bus?

Over the last 24 months I have taught, talked with, and worked alongside hundreds of youth coaches. The majority of these have shared experiences both good and bad. The interesting or increasingly disappointing issue is the one that concerns player development and health.

A portion of each of the revamped USSF E and D licensees, and the NSCAA Level 1 through 5 diplomas is centered on the phrases; developmentally appropriate and periodization.

Developmentally appropriate coaching refers to a session that considers the cognitive, physical and psycho-social level of each player. By doing so, the coach ensures that all players within the practice are challenged by learning skills that ARE possible for them to learn. Perhaps the best way to illustrate this for the average soccer parent is by considering stamina (aerobic) training for five year olds (or for that matter 10 year olds). The Sports Science shows us that it is IMPOSSIBLE to improve the lung capacity, and therefore the stamina, of a 10 year old player which means the developmentally aware coach never tries.

Now imagine the scenario above with a group of parents on the sideline who have decided to lobby for stamina training for the u10s. Ultimately they know nothing about the science involved, but they seem all too willing to have loud voices on the topic nevertheless. I am told the conversations are like this:

Parent 1 … "coach I really think we are losing because the kids are not fit enough. How about we do a 2 mile run before each practice?

Coach…."Thanks for the idea but the sports science involved proves that we can do nothing to improve their aerobic capacity at this age, so I am going to focus on skill developmental."

Parent 2... "well if you’re not going to listen we are thinking of finding a new coach"

Periodization is planning a soccer season or year with a sensible game and practice frequency that enables the body to both perform at its maximum and rest so that it is able to do so when needed. The educated coach is fully aware of the amount of rest needed after a game and the appropriate workload that is safe on the day, before a game, or after five days of high school practice etc.. ( basically a rest day)

So let’s examine the above scenario from the perspective of an educated coach and novice parent.

Coach… "The u14s have just played 2 games in 5 days and had practices every day in between so instead of a formal practice today I am encouraging them to rest"

Parent 1…. "I have heard that the New York Tremors…. never have rest days, so if their kids are doing it, we should be doing it as well"

Coach… " I really have to do what is right for the players and what their bodies can handle. If we don't give them the necessary rest, their bodies will never recuperate and injuries will happen"

Parent 2… "you’re too soft and if we don't train we will lose players to the New York Tremors. Either we train or I am leaving"

By far the most common conversation that fits into the mold of the above scenarios is of course the one on development vs. winning or, possession vs. whacking it forward. To their credit, the majority of coaches seem to understand that players develop by touching the ball, playing out of the back, and players being allowed to make their own decisions. They fully understand that in the modern game full backs frequently attack and goalkeepers are used to switch the point of attack after their central defenders have passed back to them.

The conversations in these situations I know all too well and they go like this;

Coach …although we did not get the win today we managed to string 8 or 9 passes in a row together and completed several two player combinations. Our 1v1 take on ability was great and bright things lay ahead.

Parent 1… "I'm not interested in this pretty soccer nonsense. We just need to win. If we play Alex up top and whack it forward we will get the wins we need."

Coach.. "If we play that directly and never try to possess, our players will never master the skills of the game. Development must come before win at all costs".

Parent chorus… "If we don't win you’re gone or we all leave".

All the above, accurately reflect real conversations held with young coaches who both know and want to do the right thing. These coaches are placed in very tough situations by parents and team managers, who with no knowledge of the science or developmentally appropriate action to take, simply insist on getting their own way.

The number one consideration for both coaches and parents in all discussions must be what is best for the development of the players. It would help if those people involved in these discussions, who have no real knowledge of the honest answers, take time to listen and learn rather than force a direction based on their own personal interests.

I am not sure who is driving the bus, BUT I hope and pray that it is someone with a driving license.

Eastern New York Honors Kingston as Our May Club of the Month

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

May 19, 2021-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that the Kingston Area Soccer League (KASL) is our Club of the Month for May. Kingston was nominated by volunteers in its member league, the East Hudson Youth Soccer League (EHYSL).

Kingston currently has over 400 registered players. It has 12 travel teams, 133 boys registered on eight teams and 86 girls enrolled on four teams under the leadership of Nick Malvai, Travel Director. It also has 186 players registered in its Under-4 to Under-14 intramural program. Approximately one-third (60) are girls. They are a very diverse club, ranging from farms to inner city families, and they have managed to embrace everyone as they grew their program.

“Our intramural numbers are lower than previous years due to the pandemic but we expect to go back to our normal numbers of over 300 intramural players,” explained Kingston club president Juan Jeri.

Two decades ago, they were under AYSO but approached EHYSL to register two teams seeking higher competition. Then they grew their club under the EHYSL umbrella.

Kingston utilizes both outdoor and indoor fields at Tech City. Additionally, the travel teams play at Dietz Stadium and at Miller Middle School in the Kingston City School District. New fields at Kukuk Lane are currently under construction and the club hopes to inaugurate them soon.

Kingston peewees are in maroon in the above photo

Despite the moderate size of the club, it does things that would be the envy of some larger clubs as it has an indoor tournament, a scholarship program and a club recognition dinner.

The KASL Kick Start Into Spring Indoor Tournament has been played toward the end of winter for five years, taking off in 2021 because of the pandemic but hoping to return in 2022. Over 100 teams play on one weekend with girls playing on Saturday and boys playing on Sunday.

“We take pride that we run a very tight tournament where teams are guaranteed to play on time,” President Jeri commented.

Scholarships are given to five graduating high school seniors who are planning to pursue higher education. They are available for students who have competed or volunteered for the club and also played varsity soccer for their high school.

The year concludes with the Annual End of Year Banquet to celebrate the accomplishments of players and coaches. Senior students are also recognized. The banquet is divided into two nights with music provided by a DJ.

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/

Eastern New York Encouraging Many More Females to Become Soccer Referees

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From left to right: Cheryl Aronson, Cathy Caldwell and Jean-Marie Maio

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

August 25, 2023-The United States has appeared in six of the nine Women’s World Cup finals. The US Women’s National Team won the Women’s World Cup in 1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019 and lost on penalty kicks in the 2011 final to Japan. The squad’s earliest exit ever in the recent Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, in the Round of 16, paved the way for Americans to referee the final as American officials were sent home, through no fault of their own, as the US Women’s National Team advanced in recent Women’s World Cups.

Referee Tori Penso plus assistant refs Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt did very well in officiating Spain’s 1-0 shutout of England in the final. All three cut their teeth and gained experience refereeing US Youth Soccer games.

Nearly half of the 114,559 registered players in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) are girls yet only 13% of our 2,300 registered referees are females. Increasing the number of female refs so the percentage corresponds to the percentage of players would end our referee shortage.

There are diverse reasons for the lack of participation of women and girls as officials including:

• Coaches and spectators perceive female officials as easier to intimidate than male officials.

• Although females see soccer in competitive terms just like males, females often see soccer in more social terms than males. Newly-certified refs start with the youngest games that have one ref and no certified assistant referees. Although you can meet the greatest people on soccer fields, officiating can be a lonely avocation at times.

• Lack of bathrooms at some youth soccer fields. An issue for male refs but an even bigger problem for female referees as officials generally do a few games in one day. Females who ref at fields with no or closed bathrooms report that they do not drink water at all, a very unhealthy choice, or drive to a building with a bathroom and delay the next game.

Last year, Cheryl Aronson became the first female State Youth Referee Administrator (SYRA) in Eastern New York history. The SYRA is in charge of all the youth soccer referees and assistant referees in a state association.

Cheryl has set out to recruit more female refs and, building on the publicity from the Women’s World Cup final, is currently working with State Referee Adminstrator (SRA) Joe Brosi to finalize plans. Watch this space in the fall for updates on the Eastern New York initiatives to recruit more refs of both genders.

Meanwhile, anybody interested or thinking about becoming a ref can contact Cheryl at syra@enysreferee.org

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

Samuel Statham of Greenville is Awarded the Livio D’Arpino Scholarship From Eastern New York

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

August 2, 2016-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is pleased to announce that Samuel Statham will be receiving a Livio D’Arpino Scholarship, which is based on academic and athletic success as well as community service. The scholarship’s namesake was a beloved Eastern New York Vice President who was seemingly involved in every level of local soccer before his untimely passing in 2002.

In the Capital District Youth Soccer League (CDYSL), Sam played for the Bethlehem Soccer Club, New York Elite FC and the Alleycats Crush in addition to being a captain for Eastern New York’s Olympic Development Program (ODP).

At Greenville High School, Sam was a member of the National Honor Society while carrying a 3.7 GPA. He also played in the high school band plus volunteered for the Red Cross and a local food pantry, in addition to being a four-year starter for Greenville High School’s varsity soccer team and becoming the Spartans’ all-time leading scorer.

In his essay, Sam wrote that during last year’s Class C sectional championship game, “the defining moment of that game did not come from winning or scoring important goals. It came when I was able to look into the crowd and see how a community had come together because of soccer. Seeing almost an entire town in the stands, parents, grandparents, business owners, to past graduates of the school, showed me how my efforts were not only allowing me to play the sport I love but also help a community gain hope and appreciation for such a wonderful game.“

Sam will be taking his many talents to the College of Saint Rose, where he will be playing for the Golden Knights soccer program.

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.

The Never-Ending Drive to Get Nowhere

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

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I have spent the last 20 years in the USA working as a coach and getting as much education and experience as possible. I have coached players from five years of age through 26 years of age and continue to coach all age ranges to this day. I have coached in big clubs, in little clubs and all sizes in-between. I have worked with players from all types of cultural background and economic means. I have coached thousands of players of all different abilities and all at different points in their developmental pathway. Throughout this journey, there have been some wonderfully positive moments and shining examples of the human spirit at its best and, unfortunately, some negative ones as well.

Far too often the negative moments are driven by one or more of the following issues:

1) Overly competitive parents who believe that winning is the best judge of the level of development.

2) Coaches, clubs and parents desperate to get to the next buzz word – academy, elite, premier so they can tell others how good they are rather than simply concern themselves with the idea of, "Can my child develop against this level of competition and in this environment?"

3) Coaches, clubs and parents demanding bigger numbers of the field, so their 7-year-old can play the real game (11v11) rather than the developmentally appropriate 4v4 game that they have a chance of understanding

4) Players on so many teams or playing so many sports that the idea of TEAM and the wonderful human traits it can foster (discipline, self-sacrifice, communication, reliability, dealing with adversity) have been diminished or more truthfully obliterated.

I was recently asked by the parent of a young 3-year-old child if I could explain the pitfalls they should avoid if they wanted their child to have a long, FUN developmentally appropriate journey in soccer, one that might help them become the best player and person they could possibly become. Typically, I just get told my kid is the next Messi and how do they get on the best team, so I was jarred into thinking seriously about my answer. Shared below are the things I stressed:

a) Always concern yourself more with skills learned and FUN had than goals scored, and wins gained.

b) Find a team where the coach and other parents understand commitment and what being on a team means. One in which the simple concept of not letting your teammates down means the world.

c) Remember kids get physically and emotionally tired and that they can not be on too many teams at the same time.

d) Find a team with coach that treats their players as people first and athletes second.

e) Find a team with a coach who has the qualifications that show they have the knowledge to teach the game in a developmentally appropriate manner.

f) Never concern yourself with labels or titles, try and ensure your team play in a competitive league as local as possible and as long as possible.

g) Try and find a club with a top to bottom developmental plan, one that has coaches who work together, holds picnics and open days, one invested in holistic development.

h) Try to remember that mistakes are learning opportunities, that development is a journey and that learning to deal with adversity and a losing is probably a good thing!

i) Above all else remember always that the only words as a supportive parent you need to remember are, “I enjoyed watching you play today.”

Luis Montoya Inducted Into the Eastern New York Hall of Fame

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From left to right: Eastern New York President Richard Christiano, Luis Montoya, Eastern New York First Vice President Ken Gulmi

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

December 13, 2016-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is pleased to announce that Luis Montoya has been inducted into the Eastern New York Soccer Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony took place at our Holiday Party on December 4 at Marina del Rey in the Bronx. 2016 must be Luis' year as he was also selected as Eastern New York’s Personality of the Month In June.

He founded the Big Apple Youth Soccer League (BAYSL) in 1997 to serve the growing Latino community in New York City and is the only President that the BAYSL has known in its 20 years of existence. 62 boys teams and seven girls squads from Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx currently play in the league.

Luis has spent much of his life making certain that all children in the United States have the opportunity to play the world’s most popular sport. He has served as a member of the Diversity Committee for US Soccer under three Presidents––Alan Rothenberg, Dr. Bob Contiguglia and currently under Sunil Gulati. He is a native of Lima, Peru who immigrated to the United States in 1970.

The Astoria, Queens resident has had two tours of duty as Trustee of Eastern New York––previously, when Barry Salter was President of Eastern New York and the last three years serving the Presidency of Richard Christiano.

With Eastern New York, Luis chairs the Soccer Start/Inner City Committee and also volunteers as a member on the Appeals, Tournament Control and Publicity Committees.

Luis has also volunteered as Games Chairperson for the Hellenic-American Soccer League and was on the Board of Directors for that league for seven years as well as serving as Trustee for a few years in the Eastern New York State Adult Soccer Association. Working under the various State Directors of Coaching Education, he has organized numerous “C,” “D,” “E” and “F” courses, mostly in Spanish, reaching an important demographic of coaches who otherwise would not have received the benefit of Eastern New York's support.

Luis has five adult children. His sons Oschta and Paschco were given Peruvian Indian names and live in Florida. Paschco plays soccer in the Sunshine State. Luis’ daughter Monica also lives there, while his other daughters Carrine and Katie live on Long Island. Carrine’s children, Michael and Madison, play for Oceanside United of the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL).

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 teenagersbetween 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 turnedaway. 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.

Lake Grove/Newfield United Bring the Ray Wolfe Cup Home to Suffolk County as Boys-Under-18 State Cup Champs

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

June 11, 2019-The Boys-Under-18 State Open Cup final on June 2 at Stringham Park in LaGrange was a rematch of last year’s final when Lake Grove/Newfield became champs through the shootout. This year, kicks from the mark were not necessary as Lake Grove/Newfield United defeated Levittown Gunners 2001, 4-1, in regulation.

Lake Grove/Newfield coach Frank Stagnitta explained, “Having been here before, it allowed us to create a game plan for a dangerous opponent that is never out of the game. Last year, they came back to tie us but this year, we did not let them.”

Matthew Bogashewicz, Gabriel Cruz, Alex Rosa and Olvin Yames scored Lake Grove/Newfield’s goals.

The cup’s honoree, Ray Wolfe, played in the Cosmopolitan Soccer League, coached in the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL) and was State Youth Referee Administrator (SYRA) of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) for nearly a decade before passing away two years ago.

Levittown 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 Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) and Eastern New York plus was honored as a Life Member by U.S. 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 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.

Brentwood’s Michael Clarke Inducted Into the Eastern New York Soccer Hall of Fame

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

December 4, 2012-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that Brentwood’s Michael Clarke, one of the true gentlemen of soccer, has been inducted into the Eastern New York Soccer Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony took place at the 2012 Holiday Party on December 1 at Lido Restaurant on City Island.

Mike began his soccer career as a youth soccer coach in the Brentwood Soccer Club in the 1970’s, coaching both boys and girls. He then served as club President and under his leadership, the club tripled in size. Mike served as tournament director of Brentwood’s Columbus Day Tournament played at the Pilgrim State Soccer Complex (now Brentwood State Park).

In the early 1980’s, Mike became a member of the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) Board of Directors and was inducted into the LIJSL Hall of Fame in 1994.

Mike was the girls varsity coach at MacArthur High School in Levittown and his reputation as an ambassador of sportsmanship led the Nassau County Coaches Association to annually give the top girls player in the county the Michael Clarke MVP Award.

Mike has also received the Marg McGory Award for his unwavering dedication to the LIJSL’s TOPSoccer Special Children Program.

There are probably not many volunteer positions in local youth soccer that Mike has not held as he has served as LIJSL Select Chairperson, Chase Cup Chairperson, LIJSL Games Supervisor, State Cup Commissioner plus served on the committees for the LIJSL Convention, LIJSL Hall of Fame, LIJSL Scholarship Program and LIJSL Rules Committee. After 40 years of service to the children of New York, Mike is now the Director of the Peter Collins Soccer Park in Plainview.

"When you meet Mike Clarke, you know that you have met a very special person," commented LIJSL President Addie Mattei-Iaia in the induction speech. "He’s in youth soccer for all the right reasons!"

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