By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
October 28, 2025-Jocelyn Davis always wanted to become a teacher. Then known as Jocelyn Grafstein, she started volunteering as a teenager with the Smithtown Kickers’ TOPSoccer Program for four years around the turn of the millennium. TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer) is a US Youth Soccer initiative that gives the opportunity to play soccer to those who are differently-abled.
“I always wanted to be a teacher and I think that Smithtown TOPSoccer is what sealed the deal to become a Special Ed teacher,” Jocelyn explained. “It truly is what I was meant to do and I absolutely love it!”
Smithtown TOPSoccer, now run by Bob Kinney, was led by Ronnie Whalen and Sue Rapp when Jocelyn was a teen. For her Senior Project at Smithtown High School in 2001 (before the community was divided into East and West high schools), Jocelyn organized a TOPSoccer tournament that May with up to 10 teams and 150 athletes having fun at the New York Avenue School. Helping Jocelyn pull this off were Ronnie and Sue, Jocelyn’s teenage friends plus her parents, Howard and Mary Pat Grafstein.
Howard was Jocelyn’s longtime coach with the Smithtown Kickers in the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL), the largest league in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA).
“Dad was my coach forever!” Jocelyn said. “During this time, I babysat for families who were part of TOPSoccer which helped solidify that this is what my calling is and I absolutely love working with the kids!”
Jocelyn is now a Bronx resident, has been a Special Ed teacher for 21 years with the past 19 years at PS/MS 194 in the Bronx.
“I volunteer for a program called Autism on the Seas where I spend my school and summer breaks helping families with Special Needs children and adults have a nice vacation with assistance from this non-profit organization.”
Jocelyn coached lacrosse for a decade at the Ursuline School and Eastchester High School, she coached soccer at Ursuline plus ran a soccer program at the Bronx YMCA for six years.
She took up the whistle and has been refereeing US Soccer youth games plus school games in the Bronx and Westchester consistently for the past five years, and her involvement with soccer came full circle when she refereed the Special Olympics on October 11 on Randall’s Island.
Interested in also volunteering with TOPSoccer like Jocelyn did or even starting a program? Then contact Lauren Lee, Eastern New York’s TOPSoccer Director, at llee@enysoccer.com or 516-538-7303 and she will tell you how to get started.
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/