By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
January 27, 2026-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is proud to announce that longtime volunteer Dusanka Marusic was inducted into the Eastern New York Soccer Hall of Fame at our Hall of Fame Banquet on January 24 at Marina del Rey in the Bronx.
For over four decades, Dusanka has been a driving force in youth soccer. She began as a player for the West Hempstead Flames of the Long Island Ladies Soccer League (LILSL), serving for over a decade on the league’s Board of Directors.
Dusanka coached for over two decades with the Hewlett-Lawrence Soccer Club and Valley Stream Soccer Club of the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) plus New York Croatia of the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL). In the early 1990’s, she recognized the need for CJSL teams to have more competitive matches so she proposed that CJSL squads be allowed to play as guest teams, a groundbreaking idea at the time, in the LIJSL. It eventually was approved and elevated player development, stabilized clubs and supported long-term growth.
Dusanka also launched the Leonard D’Orazio College Showcase, which became a pathway for players to be seen by college coaches, plus she started new initiatives for female players in the CJSL. She represented the CJSL and later the LIJSL at ENYYSA meetings plus also served on the Long Beach Soccer Club Board of Directors.
For this lifetime of soccer, the Cuddebackville resident was inducted into the CJSL Hall of Fame in 2023 and now, the Eastern New York Hall of Fame. Congratulations to Dusanka!
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, east of Route 81. ENYYSA encourages 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 US Soccer and US Youth Soccer. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/