By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
August 12, 2025-Congratulations to Gurhan Dolgun who has quickly become one of the best referees in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA).
Gurhan took up the whistle eight years ago at the age of 25 as he loves soccer and all its passion. His assessments were very good so he became a Regional Referee in 2022 and is a National Referee Candidate for 2026. He refereed the Eastern Regionals three times and US Youth Soccer’s Nationals three times as well. He was named the Most Outstanding Referee at this summer’s Nationals and refereed the Boys-Under-19 final that was streamed live on ESPN.
Additionally, Gurhan was honored as the 2002 New York Soccer Referees Association (NYSRA) Referee of the Year and 2024 Eastern New York Soccer Referee Association (ENYSRA) Referee of the Year. Plus he’s preparing for the upcoming college soccer season as well after refereeing the Ryder-Vass Cup final (Under-23) in the Long Island Soccer Football League (LISFL) last month.
The Flushing resident does all this refereeing in addition to having an e-commerce business by selling on Amazon and eBay.
Would you like to join Gurhan on the soccer field? Eastern New York is seeking new referees to be in the middle and/or on the line as assistant referees in youth soccer games throughout the state. The minimum age is 14 years old to become certified. You manage your availability so officiating works with all the rest that you do!
For more information, log on to https://enysreferee.org/how-to-become-a-referee/. If you have any questions, e-mail questions@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 US Youth Soccer. For more information, please log onto http://www.enysoccer.com/