The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) was very happy to contribute to this insightful and well-researched report from the Aspen Institute.
The State of Soccer in the New York Metro Area
News
Apply For a College Scholarship From Eastern New York
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
April 23, 2026-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) awards college scholarships for deserving high school seniors. The scholarships available are named after Jack Bauman plus Patricia Louise Masotto and Brenda Driscoll (four total scholarships for girls) and Livio D’Arpino (two scholarships for boys).
Criteria for Consideration
1. Must have a C average or better and graduate by August of the current year.
2. Must plan on attending a school of Higher Education in the fall. (Include name of University/College)
3. Must be a registered player in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association.
4. Must submit a 250-word essay on why you are deserving of the scholarship. Essay must include at the top of page 1, Your Name, Address, Phone Number and Scholarship applying to, indicated below.
5. Must submit a personal resume and a school transcript.
6. The essay, resume and transcript must be submitted no later than June 1, 2026:
A. online
B. or by e-mail to lfrancis@enysoccer.com
C. or by mail to the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association, 167 Nassau Blvd., Garden City South, NY 11530, Attn: Scholarship Committee.
7. Indicate on top of the essay which scholarship you are applying to.
Additionally, five ENYYSA leagues––Capital District Youth Soccer League, Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League, Hudson Valley Youth Soccer League, Long Island Junior Soccer League and the Staten Island Youth Soccer League––all have separate scholarship programs as well.
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/
Remembering the Remarkable Frank Kcira
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
April 16, 2026-The local soccer community is mourning the passing of Franush Kcira (fra-NUUSH CEE-ra), who passed away on April 10 at the age of 70 of cancer.
Nicknamed Frank, he was of Albanian descent and came to New York as a teenager from North Macedonia. Frank played in what became the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), and then professionally including with the New York Arrows of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL).
Eastern New York Hall of Famer Ken Gulmi said, “Frank was a super guy. He was a midfielder who blew out his knee and reinvented himself as a goalkeeper so he could stay on the field.”
Frank started coaching his four sons in the Clarkstown Soccer Club, then coached other Clarkstown teams after his kids graduated from youth soccer. The New City resident coached in Eastern New York’s Olympic Development Program (ODP) from 1999 to 2006. With longtime MLS goalkeeper Tim Melia on the team, he coached Eastern New York ODP to the 2002 ODP National Finals in Plano, Texas.
Frank is in the back row on the far left with his Eastern New York ODP team of boys born in 1984 as the squad toured Greece and Italy in the summer of 1999. This photo is from Formia, Italy, before defeating the local men’s team.
His youngest son, Robert Baggio Kcira, was named after Frank’s idol, Italian superstar Roberto Baggio. Robert played ODP and went on to play pro soccer with SC Wiener Neustadt of the Austrian Bundesliga, the top tier in that country, as well as Miami FC of the North American Soccer League (NASL).
Frank coached for three decades in the Clarkstown Soccer Club and had a tremendous impact on the program.
“Frank was a great guy and nobody ever had anything bad to say about him,” explained Dimitri Giatrakis, another Eastern New York Hall of Famer who was very fond of Frank. “He embodied the very essence of kindness, fairness, love and devotion as a husband, father, coach and friend.”
We have lost a very good man. May he rest in peace!
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/
CJSL to Kick Off Silent Support Weekend on April 25 and 26
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
April 13, 2026-The Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL), New York City originals since 1933, is starting its first Silent Support Weekend for all its games on April 25 and 26. This is part of the CJSL’s continued focus on building a stronger community and culture around the game. The goal is simple: reduce sideline noise so players can think, make decisions, communicate and enjoy the game in a more positive environment.
For that weekend:
👏 Applause and positive encouragement only
🗣️ No shouting or sideline coaching during play
⚽ Allow players to play, lead and learn
This initiative is not new and has been successfully implemented in youth leagues across the country and internationally for the past two decades, including programs run by English FA and local leagues such as the West Side Soccer League. These efforts have consistently shown improvements in player confidence, decision-making and overall game experience.
“At the CJSL, we are committed to creating the best possible environment for player development. Silent Support Weekend is part of that effort, encouraging a positive, respectful sideline where players can think for themselves, communicate, and grow through the game,” stated CJSL Executive Director Ron Restrepo. “As a league, we believe taking the lead in initiatives like this helps set the standard for what youth soccer should look like, focused on learning, confidence and a true love of the game.”
Matches will be monitored by referees, with any sideline issues handled through standard league procedures. Clubs are expected to ensure that coaches, parents and spectators understand and support these expectations.
Let them play. Let them learn. Let them enjoy the game.
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/
Eastern New York Places Four Players on the ODP National Team
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
April 21, 2026-The Olympic Development Program (ODP) is the highest level of play in every state association. The Eastern New York
Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) has a particularly strong ODP and three current members of the US Women’s National Team––Sam Coffey, Claire Hutton and Phallon Tullis-Joyce––all developed their skills playing in our program.
On the boys side, four of our players––goalkeeper Austin Sheehan, midfielders Sean Mahoney and Nicholas Gentile and forward Angelo O’Connor––were recently selected to the ODP National Team. This is the second consecutive year that Austin, Sean and Nick have received this high honor while it is Angelo’s first time on this prestigious roster.
While they credit ODP for enhancing their skills development in competing against kids with a similar lofty skill set, what also helped is all four played high school varsity soccer as underclassmen. Playing against teammates and opponents much older and bigger than them on a daily basis in the fall made them adapt and enhanced their skills even further.
During Spring Break earlier this month, Austin, Sean and the rest of the 2008 ODP National Team played in the Eture Showcase in Valencia, Spain while Nick and the 2010 ODP National Team plus Angelo and the 2011 ODP National Team played in the IberCup in Lisbon, Portugal.
Eastern New York’s immense talent will be on display when we host the 6th Annual ODP Sub Regional on April 25 and 26 at Afrim’s Sports Park in Colonie.
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/
Segreto, Senise and Wolyniec Inducted Into the SIYSL Hall of Fame
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
April 6, 2026-The Staten Island Youth Soccer League (SIYSL), the southernmost league in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), celebrated three new Hall of Famers on March 5 at LiGreci’s The Staaten.
Mike Segreto coached soccer and softball teams at St. Joseph Hill Academy from 1995 to 2013. Mike also served as the Assistant Director of St Joseph Hill Academy from 2004 to 2013. In 2009, Mike was appointed Trustee to the SIYSL Board and began serving as the SIYSL Representative to ENYYSA. The following year, Mike was elected to SIYSL Board as a Vice President and served until 2021, volunteering as Chairperson of numerous committees including Games, Coaches Training and Education, TOPSoccer, Senior Night, Friendship Games, Field Committee, Disciplinary Committee as well as the Hall of Fame. Mike, along with Rob Libertelli, Rich Nellis, Anthony Pisciottano and Bill Smith, established the Staten Island SC travel program which operates as the lone travel organization that is a member club of SIYSL.
In 2011, Mike was appointed ENYYSA Trustee and was then elected as a Vice President and currently holds that same position. Mike currently is Chairperson of the Competition (State Cup) and Disciplinary committees.
Peter Senise has been a well-respected soccer coach on Staten Island for the past four decades. He has served as the St. Joseph By the Sea boys varsity assistant coach since 2003, winning two New York City high school championship titles along the way. As assistant coach for the Staten Island United Knights from 2006 to 2014, they won two Pocono Cups and the Boys-Under-15 State Cup. Peter also served as assistant coach for Silver Lake Korabi and the Silver Lake Spirits in the 1990’s and both teams won the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL) division championship. From 1988 to ’94, Peter volunteered as co-coach of the St. John Neumann Thundercats, who won five A Division titles.
John Wolyniec, already an Eastern New York Hall of Famer, is one of the best soccer players to ever come out of Staten Island. He began playing with SIYSL in the St. Clare Soccer Club and then moved on to Silver Lake, then Monsignor Farrell High School and Fordham University. John scored 62 goals in 267 MLS games for the MetroStars, Chicago Fire, Columbus Crew and Los Angeles Galaxy. John then became a coach with the Red Bulls Academy, leading Red Bulls II to the regular season and playoff championship in 2016. Since 2022, John has served as Technical Director of the San Jose Earthquakes.
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/
Announcing Gotham FC x ENYYSA in 2026
March 26, 2026-We’re excited to officially announce a new partnership between the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), our Member Leagues, and Gotham FC, built around a shared goal of building the sport of soccer for youth players in our backyard.
Gotham FC, the reigning National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) champion, is working with ENYYSA to create unforgettable experiences for ENYYSA players, families, coaches, and leaders here in our community. There will be special opportunities for ENYYSA to attend Gotham FC matches and engage with the club through special events, clinics, and celebrations throughout the year. Want to stay in the loop? Sign up here to be the first to know.
Up first? Gotham FC is planning a historic, record-breaking match at Citi Field on July 15th: The Queens Classic. This iconic match is an official ENYYSA Outing, complete with special offers, unique experiences, and discounted pricing, only for you.
Here’s why you’ll want to come:
- ENYYSA groups get discounted tickets (just $20!) to sit together and enjoy this 2025 Championship rematch at the iconic Citi Field.
- ENYYSA award winners and top players will be honored on the pitch in a special celebration.
- Every member of the ENYYSA community will receive a special Gotham FC merch item.
- The ENYYSA club that brings out the most fans will receive an autographed Gotham FC jersey and a suite at another Gotham FC home match.
Ready to get tickets? For a group of 10 or fewer, select your seats here. For a larger group, inquire here.
More special opportunities are coming soon, only for ENYYSA families. Sign up here to be the first to hear about future Gotham FC x ENYYSA outings, clinics, and events.
Here’s to continuing to build the next generation of players together. ¡Vamos!
Sean Mahoney Selected to the ODP National Team For the Second Consecutive Year
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
April 16, 2026-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is pleased to announce that Sean Mahoney has been selected to the Olympic Development Program (ODP) National Team for the second year in a row.
His best experience with ODP so far has been travelling to Italy last year (photo above) with the ODP National Team to play in the 44th Annual Maggoni Righi Torneo Internazionale di Calcio, where they played pro academy teams such as Juventus and US Catanzaro 1921.
Sean has played for Eastern New York ODP from Under-12 through Under-18, the East Region three times and was the East Region team’s captain this past year.
From his midfield position, Sean helped lead New York Hota Bavarian 2008 Blue to the State Cup and Regional championship last year as well as the semifinals of Nationals.
He was a three-year varsity starter at Oceanside High School and captained the Sailors last fall to the Conference AAA championship and was named Class AAA Player of the Year, All-County, All-State, All-Region while leading Class AAA with 17 assists.
The Oceanside resident hopes to continue scoring golazos (like this one for Hota during the 2025 Regional Final) for SUNY Cortland this fall.
ODP is the highest level of play in every state association. Eastern New York has a particularly strong ODP and three current members of the US Women’s National Team––Sam Coffey, Claire Hutton and Phallon Tullis-Joyce––all developed their skills playing in our program.
Our players’ immense talent will be on display when Eastern New York hosts the 6th Annual ODP Sub Regional on April 25 and 26 at Afrim’s Sports Park in Colonie.
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/
Nicholas Gentile Selected to the ODP National Team For the Second Consecutive Year
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
April 9, 2026-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is pleased to announce that Nicholas Gentile has been selected to the Olympic Development Program (ODP) National Team.
Nick’s composure on the ball and high work rate allow him to dominate midfield play for ODP, club team East Coast Surf 2010 and school team St. Anthony’s High School, where he has a GPA over 100. The St. James resident has played for Eastern New York ODP for three years and the ODP National Team for two years.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed and moreover, appreciate my experience with the entire ODP staff and team members, realizing that much of my growth as a player has come from my time with this program,” Nick stated.
ODP is the highest level of play in every state association. Eastern New York has a particularly strong ODP and three current members of the US Women’s National Team––Sam Coffey, Claire Hutton and Phallon Tullis-Joyce––all developed their skills playing in our program.
Our players’ immense talent will be on display when Eastern New York hosts the 6th Annual ODP Sub Regional on April 25 and 26 at Afrim’s Sports Park in Colonie.
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/
ODP Sub Regional to Be Played on April 25 and 26 in Colonie
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
April 7, 2026-The Olympic Development Program (ODP) is the highest level of play in each state association. Under the direction of Wayne Fortino, the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) has a particularly strong program and current US Women’s National Team players Sam Coffey, Claire Hutton and Phallon Tullis-Joyce are all Eastern New York ODP alumnae.
Eastern New York is pleased to announce that our 6th Annual ODP Sub Regional will take place on April 25 and 26 at Afrim’s Sports Park in Colonie. Hosting are the North and South Olympic Development Program (ODP) teams from Eastern New York. Because the geographic region of our state association is quite large, we feature both North and South ODP teams.
The Under-12 to Under-17 boys will be playing on Saturday, April 25 while the girls in those same age groups will be competing on Sunday, April 26. The other state associations participating are Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York West and Vermont.
College coaches and regional coaches will be scouting the players participating a month before the ODP Regional ID Tournament, making the coaches’ job a little easier in evaluating these top players.
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/