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.”
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.
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/
