Human Interest

Long Island Futsal Academy Win the National Championship

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

July 25, 2025-Congratulations to the Long Island Futsal Academy (LIFA), who won the US Youth Futsal national championship in the Girls HS Division on July 21 in New Century, Kansas. They won all four games, outscoring their opponents 16-3 and won the final over Dragons Futsal from Pittsburgh, 4-1.

“Our biggest strength is our defense and team structure,” commented LIFA coach Chris Sanders. “We defend as a unit with the five players on the pitch and rely on our ability to force teams into low percentage shots toward our goal. We might not light up the scoreboard but we’re hard to score against. I think our advantage at Nationals is we have players who understand their role and responsibilities.”

Back row, left to right: Coach Chris Sanders, Leila Romero, Amelia Fort, Elleigh Newcombe, Izzy Rohr
Front row, left to right: Gracie Sanders, Brooke Delzatto, Taylor Gray
Additionally, Carolyn Rowe, Samantha Gemmo and Vanessa Frangiadakis helped qualify the team for Nationals but could not attend the competition.

This caps a trophy-filled year for the team that wears New York’s colors of blue and orange as LIFA won the US Youth Futsal Mid-Atlantic Regionals in Richmond, Virginia in January and the US Futsal Northeast Regionals in Atlantic City, New Jersey in February. The Nationals for both competitions was the same weekend and they opted to go to the US Youth Futsal version since they will age out of US Youth Futsal but can play US Futsal as adults for years to come.

The team competed in the Boys HS Division of the Long Island Futsal League last winter when they were not playing in Regionals against other girls teams.

“Playing against boys increased the team’s quickness by forcing us to make faster decisions,” Coach Sanders explained. “It also increased our transition awareness as we had to keep up with the boys’ speed and natural desire to push the pace.”

LIFA seeks players to follow in the footsteps of its national championship team that plays out of the All Star Arena in Coram. For more info about registration for all youth age groups, please contact Chris Sanders at futsalacademy@optonline.net or 631-914-2778.

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

Long Island Slammers Win Their Second Regional Title in Three Years

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

July 16, 2025-Congratulations to the Boys-Under-15 Long Island Slammers who won their second Regional title in the past three years. They will represent the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) in playing for the national championship in Orlando from July 22 to 27.

At the Regionals in Loudon County, Virginia, the Slammers outscored their opponents, 18-0, in five games and did not concede a goal. The championship game on July 3 was an emphatic 4-0 win over the West Virginia Futbol Club that Slammers coach Frank Pampin, a 2022 Regional Coach of the Year, described as “a standout performance from our entire midfield and attackers.”

“Defending as a team is a core part of our identity, and at Regionals, that really showed. Jeremy, our goalkeeper, was great, and our back line of Jeronimo, Andrew, Wilson and Miguel, played with incredible discipline and intensity. They worked together seamlessly and delivered a top-level performance throughout the tournament,” Coach Pampin explained.

Their coach stated that “Consistency, humility, and hunger makes our team really good. These boys show up every day with the right attitude. We emphasize discipline in and out of possession, and the players have fully bought into the system. But more importantly, they care about each other. That chemistry combined with a commitment to hard work is what’s carried us through tough games. We’re not just a talented group, we’re a family.”

The boys are back training to prepare for Nationals and refining details plus tactical awareness as the level of competition will be even higher.

“Our players are prepared to give everything they have as they represent Eastern New York and the Long Island Slammers at Nationals,” Coach Pampin concluded.

Back row, left to right: Coach Bryan Palma, Joshua, Jake, Alex, Isaiah, Jeremy, Coach Frank Pampin, Wilson and Andrew
Front row, left to right: Miguel, Dylan, Jacob, Jhon, Jeysson, Marcus, Jeronimo and Erick

The Tyler Adams Soccer Pitch is Dedicated in Wappinger

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

July 21, 2025-Tyler Adams grew up playing for the Town of Poughkeepsie Soccer Club (TOPSC) of the Hudson Valley Youth Soccer League (HVYSL). With him leading the way, his team won an Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) State Cup. Kevin Longacre was the trainer and Andy Stamper was his coach.

The Red Bulls recognized his incredible talent and potential so he left TOPSC in his early teens to train with them. Those long car rides from his home in Poughkeepsie to New Jersey with his mother Melissa Russo and stepfather Darryl Sullivan were worth it as Tyler debuted with the reserve team, Red Bulls II, at the age of 16 and with the MLS side at 17.

It was then on to RB Leipzig in Germany, Leeds United and now Bournemouth in England, where he’s an important part of the Cherries’ hopes for the upcoming English Premier League season.

Tyler has 50 caps (appearances) for the US Men’s National Team and captained the red, white and blue at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Tyler, now 26 years old, returned to the Hudson Valley on July 8 for the dedication of his childhood soccer field, Martz Field in Wappinger, as it became the Tyler Adams Soccer Pitch. We wish our prized alumnus much more continued success!

All photos courtesy of the Hudson Valley Youth Soccer League

Five Outstanding Teenagers Receive CJSL Scholarships

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

June 26, 2025-The Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL), the oldest league in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) and in all of American youth soccer, has announced the recipients of the 2025 Emil Cohill Scholarship, an annual honor awarded to top student-athletes who have demonstrated excellence both on the field and in the classroom while also giving back to their communities.

This year’s scholarship recipients are:

Caoimhe Crowe – SC Gjøa
Brandon Codallos – Eastern Queens FC
Isaiah Harrison – SC Gjøa
Alec McDonald – Manhattan Kickers Soccer Club
Carlos Munoz Tamay – Eleftheria Pancyprian

Each of these outstanding individuals has been awarded a $4,000 scholarship, distributed as $1,000 per year over four years of college enrollment.

The Emil Cohill Scholarship is named in memory of the Eastern New York Hall of Famer and league leader who dedicated his life to youth development and education through soccer. This year, the CJSL received a record number of applications, each one reflecting the passion, discipline and heart that defines the league.

The five teenagers represent the very best of what the CJSL strives to foster: Well-rounded individuals prepared for success in life and sport.

“The Emil Cohill Scholarship is recognition of character, resilience and potential,” said Dimitrie Draguca, CJSL League Director. “We are proud of this year’s recipients, who exemplify the values of the CJSL both on and off the field. They are great players and they are leaders in the making.”

Each scholarship is renewable annually. To receive their yearly installment, recipients must provide a copy of their college transcript along with a brief academic progress update.

Three Outstanding Teenagers Receive LISRA Scholarships

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

June 17, 2025-The soccer referees of the Long Island Soccer Referee Association (LISRA) have been putting out fires on Long Island soccer fields since its founding in 1971 to serve the growing Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL), which had played its first game five years earlier. So it’s appropriate that LISRA often holds its monthly meetings at the Copiague Fire Department.

Three teenagers making a difference were honored with LISRA Scholarships on June 12:

• Joseph Fallon, a resident of Nesconset graduating from Smithtown East High School and who will be attending Bridgewater State University

• Gracie Sanders, a resident of Coram graduating from St. Anthony’s High School and who will be attending Southern Connecticut State University

• Magdalena Law, a resident of Mount Sinai graduating from Mount Sinai High School and who will be attending Binghamton University

These three outstanding teenagers were selected through their résumé, essay and three recommendations from three different areas of their lives, such as a coach, clergy and teacher. The LISRA Scholarship Program was launched in 1981, a decade after LISRA’s founding, and it has always been open to LISRA referees and children of referees.

Jean-Marie Maio, Chairperson of the LISRA Scholarship Committee and the 2023 Administrator of the Year in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), stated, “I love reading the scholarship applications as it’s so great what our kids do with not just soccer but schoolwork and music.”

From left to right: LISRA President Cathy Caldwell, Joseph Fallon, Gracie Sanders, Magdalena Law, LISRA Scholarship Chairperson Jean-Marie Maio.

Just as soccer on Long Island has grown exponentially, so too has LISRA and it had 1,176 registered referees and assistant referees last spring. The LISRA meeting also had a changing of the guard as longtime LISRA President Cathy Caldwell is retiring from referee administration work to spend more time with her family.

Caldwell stated, “It’s been a great honor to be your President for over 10 years and along with my marriage and birth of my two sons, this has also been one of the highlights of my life!”

Alan Starost becomes the new LISRA President on July 1. In the LISRA elections, Neal Smith was elected Vice President, Tom Murphy becomes Secretary, Gordon Barr is the new Treasurer while Scott Abel, Eugene O’Neill and John Sengelaub will continue to serve as Trustees.

Maio plus Marty Foeppel are retiring from the LISRA Board of Directors and the LISRA membership voted for both of them at the June meeting to receive Lifetime Membership, the LISRA equivalent of the Lifetime Achievement Award, for their many years of service to Long Island soccer.

Staten Island Soccer Game Pays Tribute to the Remarkable Todd Hack

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

June 18, 2025-More than 100 people gathered at Staten Island Academy on June 6 for the Todd Hack Memorial Game, a friendly soccer match held in honor of the beloved longtime coach at Silver Lake Soccer Academy who tragically passed away on September 12, 2024 of a pulmonary embolism at the age of 46.

Todd Hack was a graduate of both Silver Lake Soccer Academy and Staten Island Academy, where his son, David, graduated, and daughter, Gabrielle, currently attends.

Chris Vega, President of Silver Lake Soccer Academy, called the event “more than just a soccer match, it’s a tribute to a beloved coach, mentor, and friend whose impact on our community continues to be felt every day. This event is a celebration of life, leadership, and lasting influence — and a chance for us all to give back in his name.”

Ken Granowski, the Staten Island Academy girls’ varsity coach and Silver Lake’s director of operations, emphasized the coach’s profound influence.

“Todd had a huge impact on the girls he coached,” he stated. “He was an amazing mentor — a teacher, coach, father, and husband. He was the kind of man who tried to do it all for everybody.”

Todd’s impact extended beyond the soccer field. He was also a longtime fourth-grade teacher at PS 8 in Great Kills, known for leading integrated co-teaching (ICT) classes that combined special needs and general education students. His dedication in the classroom has been widely praised, further highlighting his commitment to mentoring youth both on and off the pitch.

Ken Granowski on left and Chris Vega on right with Todd Hack’s family

The gathering also included a special moment as Silver Lake Soccer Academy awarded a memorial scholarship in Todd’s memory to Jason Consalvo, a recent graduate of The Michael J. Petrides School and a Silver Lake player. Consalvo will continue his education when he attends SUNY Cortland this fall. Chris Vega described Consalvo as “a young man whose commitment and character reflect everything Coach Hack stood for.”Through the combined efforts of the community, family, and friends, the Todd Hack Memorial Game not only honored the legacy of a remarkable coach but also celebrated the lasting impact of a truly exceptional man.

Soccer Players Like Certain Numbers

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

May 27, 2025-It used to be that the position where you played on the soccer field determined your number.

Of a team’s 11 players on the field, number 1 was the goalkeeper, number 9 was the scorer and the number 10 was an attacking player who operates in the spaces between midfield and attack. Both Pelé and Messi made the number 10 jersey famous.

Times have changed and players sometimes select numbers not having to do with their position.

Manchester United and US Women’s National Team goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce was born on October 19, 1996 but when she tried to wear #19 on State Cup champion Farmingdale United over a decade ago, that number was already taken so she reversed it and has worn #91, a highly unusual number for soccer players, ever since.

Mike Ludin started the Huntington Boys Club (HBC) TOPSoccer Program in 1979 so that his son, Craig Ludin, who has Down Syndrome, would have the same opportunities to play soccer as his brothers, Bryan and Evan, did. Craig (in photo) has gone on to win so many medals in the Special Olympics in diverse sports that he was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.

Craig wears #22 as that is a good number in his family. His maternal grandmother, Hannah, was in barrack #22 when Auschwitz was liberated on January 27, 1945. She survived, unlike so many others there including her sister Lilly Kallus.

As World War II was ending, Hannah attended a wedding and a Russian soldier was very aggressive in trying to dance with her. A man named Ernest Greenfeld protected Hannah. They were both from what is now Czechia, were alone, fell in love and married two weeks later.

The Greenfelds moved to Apartment #22 on the East Side of Manhattan. They needed to earn money and Ernest started learning how to become a butcher at the Metropolitan Kosher Butcher on Metropolitan Avenue in Kew Gardens, Queens. They moved across the street to Apartment #222.

Evan’s daughter, Hailey Ludin, plays for the Commack Wildcats of the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) and she also wears #22 because of all this history.

We’ll conclude this article on a much lighter note as longtime Hudson Valley Youth Soccer League (HVYSL) referee Rich Ceonzo tells the story of cautioning #17 of the blue team and then when the same player committed another foul worthy of a yellow card, he pulled out the yellow and since two yellow cards by the same player is a red card, was going to pull out the red until the player said, “That was not me!” And it was not as that foul was committed by his identical twin wearing #19. Rich thought, “Identical twins wearing virtually the same number?”

Liberty Cup to Reboot With a Tournament This Summer on Long Island

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

May 12, 2025-The Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL), the largest league in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), has announced plans to expand the league’s slate of competitions with a summer tournament. Liberty Cup Long Island will be played on Saturday, July 26 and Sunday, July 27 at Brentwood Soccer Park.

“We are confident that the Liberty Cup will become a mainstay of the Long Island soccer calendar,” LIJSL President Andrew Seabury said.

The event will be for the Under-9 to Under-12 age groups with brackets for both boys and girls. The competition will have a guarantee of three games and the ability to reach a final. All games will be 50 minutes long as the Under-9 and Under-10 age groups compete 7v7, while Under-11 and Under-12 compete 9v9.

“We’re continuously looking for initiatives for our LIJSL clubs and players,” LIJSL Sporting Director John Fitzgerald explained. “The Liberty Cup was a top-flight event that we ran in the past, and in its return is one such initiative. We’re excited to host this local competition, and also hope to attract teams from beyond Long Island.”

Along with bolstering league-wide programming to benefit all membership, the tournament provides a local platform for the LIJSL Academy East and West programs to showcase each team’s hard work over the coming months.

“I’m excited to be part of bringing the Liberty Cup back to Long Island,” LIJSL Technical Director Ronan Wiseman said. “It will provide our Academy East and West teams with a great opportunity for some good competition close to home and it will re-establish the tournament we first started back in the 90s.”

The upcoming tournament is a reboot of the Liberty Cup in the 1990s that featured competing teams from around the United States and the world. Sister tournaments were Liberty Cup Moscow, Liberty Cup Italy and Liberty Cup Ireland.

The Eastern Pennsylvania ODP team (along with their families) that played in Liberty Cup Moscow. In the front row, Jon Busch is second from the left and Ben Olsen is third from the right (in the orange cap). Coach Len Bilous is on the far right in the back row.

Scores of youth soccer players who would move on to the professional ranks played in the Liberty Cup. Eastern Pennsylvania Olympic Development Program (ODP) players Ben Olsen (now the Houston Dynamo coach) and Jon Busch (now goalkeeper coach for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds) had long professional playing careers and played in both Liberty Cup USA and Liberty Cup Moscow. In Moscow, they were eyewitnesses to history as the August 1991 military coup was defeated and Liberty Cup Moscow truly earned its name.

ENYYSA Public Relations Director Randy Vogt purposely wearing the ironic color of red as Communism was defeated when the August 1991 military coup ended. He’s standing in front of the Russian Parliament Building just after the coup was over. Notice the barricades in the background that were protecting Russian President Boris Yeltsin.

The LIJSL then established an exchange program with soccer clubs in the former Soviet Union and the league purchased flags of the newly independent nations carved out of the USSR. In 1992, a Zenit St. Petersburg youth team was arriving at Kennedy Airport two days earlier than expected, the LIJSL had less than 24 hours notice plus the LIJSL Select Team scheduled to host them was playing in a tournament in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. So LIJSL volunteers scrambled, picking up the team at Kennedy Airport, found host homes that weekend for all the players and provided summer uniforms for the boys as their long-sleeve wool jerseys were too hot for the summer heat.

Commack United players surrounding Juventus goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi in 1994.

Commack United, coached by Ray Anderson, made it to the Liberty Cup Italy Boys-Under-16 final in Turin in 1994. Two Commack United players, Carlo Acquista (Fordham) and Mike Mordocco (LIU), are now NCAA Division 1 men’s college coaches.

Registration for the 2025 Liberty Cup is now open and interested teams can apply here.

Commack Crushes Their Way to the IberCup in Portugal

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

May 8, 2025-The Commack Crush went undefeated in qualifying against Dix Hills, Rockville Centre and Smithtown to reserve a spot in the 2025 IberCup, being played from July 1 to 6 in Estoril, Portugal. Commack qualified through the Elite Clubs Alliance League (ECAL), which is organized by the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) to earn free entry in the IberCup.

Under the coaching of former Long Island Rough Rider Jim Walther, Commack has done well, being champions of their EDP division and the East Meadow Tournament in 2024 plus reaching the championship game of the East Islip Fall Classic and SUSA Spring Kickoff. This solid Girls-Under-11 team is currently playing up a year in EDP Southeast 2 to prepare for the IberCup.

“The Crush is a very good team because the players are close, love and play for one another,” Coach Walther stated.

In the LIJSL’s agreement with the IberCup, squads that qualify through ECAL such as Commack receive free accommodation during the trip as well as three meals per day. Transport to and from the airport in Portugal as well as to and from the tournament venues is provided. Yet there is need for the girls to fundraise to help decrease the cost for their families for the trip to Portugal. Anybody who would like to help out can contact coach Jim Walther at jwalther827@gmail.com

Ron Restrepo Named CJSL Director of League Club Development

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

May 7, 2025-America’s oldest youth soccer league, the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL), is pleased to announce that Ron Restrepo has become the CJSL Director of League Club Development. This brand-new role was created to support, guide and elevate every CJSL club and Ron is ready to make an impact from player development to club growth and community connection. Ron explained that “my goal is to ensure every club feels supported, heard and equipped to grow, on and off the field.”

The 46-year-old Jackson Heights resident first became involved with soccer back in 1996 as a teenage coach, working as an after-school soccer coach with the Sports & Art Foundation Program under the umbrella of the New York City Board of Education. In 2001, he took the reins coaching a Boys-Under-11 team in the Brooklyn Patriots Soccer Club and the men’s team of the Borough of Manhattan Community College. The next year, he coached the Manhattan Kickers women’s team in the New York Metropolitan Women’s Soccer League.

2002 was a pivotal year as Ron founded the Chelsea Piers Soccer Club and it joined the CJSL two years later.

“I currently work with many of our Chelsea Piers Soccer Club boys and girls travel teams, and I continue to enjoy being on the field and staying connected with the player development side of the game,” he stated. One of the players that Ron coached at Chelsea Piers was New York City FC midfielder Justin Haak.

And if all this coaching was not enough, Ron started volunteering as the CJSL Games Chairperson in 2010 and worked his way up that ladder. He volunteered as CJSL President from 2018 to 2024 and highlights during his presidency include:

• Expanding league membership and improving club development standards

• Successfully navigating the league through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic

• Launching initiatives to support coaching education and referee recruitment

• Enhancing the league’s relationship with GotSport to streamline operations and communication

• Organizing competitive, well-structured tournaments that continue to grow every year

The first CJSL President, Erwin Klaus, reigned for 27 years, which was the longest Presidency, from the league’s founding in 1933 to 1960. Paul Kontonis is the current and 17th CJSL President and placed Ron in this vital new role.