In June 2020, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (‘ENYYSA’) issued media release announcing that, ‘NYCSL [New York Club Soccer League] will be joining ENYYSA starting immediately for the 2020/2021 soccer year.’ The release stated that to accomplish this result: ‘NYCSL’s players and teams will register as a new division of CJSL [Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League].’
In July 2021, ENYYSA issued a press release stating in relevant part that:
‘Effective immediately, ENYYSA will no longer sanction any NYCSL (New York Club Soccer League) soccer programming (leagues, tournaments, competitions, clinics, etc.). US Youth Soccer Association player passes issued by ENYYSA are not valid for any NYCSL competitions.’
As a result, CJSL and NYCSL filed a grievance against the July 2021 decision of ENYYSA with US Soccer. The impartial and independent Hearing Panel hearing that grievance determined that the decision of ENYYSA should be and is reversed with immediate effect. As a result, the parties are put back in the position they were in before the above quoted announcement of ENYYSA was made, and NYCSL is an affiliate of CJSL with all the rights for itself and its athletes and other affiliated participants as existed before the July 2021 press release was issued by ENYYSA.” A copy of the decision on the grievance is attached.