News

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.

Nick Gentile is on the left playing for St. Anthony’s High School. Photo courtesy of the Gentile family.

“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.

Four Longtime Volunteers Inducted Into the LIJSL Hall of Fame

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

March 31, 2026-The Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL), the largest league in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), inducted four longtime members into the LIJSL Hall of Fame on Sunday, March 29 at the Stonebridge Country Club in Smithtown.

From left to right: Jim San Filippo, Pete Bussa, Ilana Strauch (daughter of Efi Domb) and Steve Padaetz

The Levittown Soccer Club is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2026 and Jim San Filippo has been volunteering for the club for 42 of those 50 years. He has been a longtime coach, referee and has served as Levittown Soccer Club President for the past decade. Most importantly, Jim has been a mentor for the many young athletes who have come through the club, teaching them not only about the game, but instilling valuable life lessons.

Pete Bussa coached three LIJSL teams and won a total of 15 LIJSL division titles and 7 Long Island Cups, then became a well-respected mentor for young coaches. Pete volunteered as Oceanside United’s President from 1994 to 2002. He started Oceanside’s Special Needs TOPSoccer Program 35 years ago when one of the boys he coached had a sister with Down syndrome who wanted to play soccer. Pete is currently volunteering as TOPSoccer Chairperson for Eastern New York.

Efi Domb passed away in 2017 from pancreatic cancer but his impact on Long Island soccer has not been forgotten. Efi coached his two daughters in the New Hyde Park Wildcats Soccer Club, where he was a beloved coach and trainer, and after they graduated from high school, he became a top referee, even being honored as the Long Island Soccer Referees Association (LISRA) Referee of the Year in 2016. His “real job” was running a successful locksmith company and after 9/11, he spent days at Ground Zero helping store owners lock their shops to protect against looters.

Steve Padaetz served with Oceanside United for over 30 years, and he was President, Vice President, Secretary and then Director at Large. He developed and published club newsletter Net News, and then when the technology changed, he managed the redesign of the club website. He coached six travel teams, diverse intramural squads and created the Nassau Development Program, which comprised of 15 clubs playing non-results oriented Under-8 and Under-9 games. Steve then volunteered on the LIJSL and Eastern New York Board of Directors, he chaired many committees too numerous to list here and is now the Chief Club Administrator of the Massapequa Soccer Club.

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/

The State Cup Marches Into Spring

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

March 20, 2026-This first day of spring is most welcome after a very snowy winter where much of New York State received three times more snow than average. Our soccer fields are drying out and the State Cup in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is being played.

The first two rounds are in March. Round 3 is scheduled for Saturday, April 18, the quarterfinals are on Saturday, May 2 with the semifinals on Saturday, May 16. All those rounds are played at the home teams’ field.

The finals are at a neutral site, the Blue Sky Sports Complex in Middletown, which is centrally-located in Eastern New York. Championship Day is Saturday, May 30 and 22 state champion teams will be crowned that day.

There are two different cup competitions in Eastern New York. The US Youth Soccer ENYYSA State Cup Championship (formerly the State Open Cup) is for the top teams and it’s the pathway to Nationals. There are no Regionals anymore and State Cup Championship teams go directly to Nationals.

The Challenge Cup is for all teams at Under-10 and Under-11 as there is not a State Cup Championship in those age groups. For Under-12 and Under-13, it’s for mid- to lower-tier squads.

For more info about the State Cup, please phone the ENYYSA office at 516-766-0849.

Angelo O’Connor Selected to Play For the ODP National Team

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

April 2, 2026-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that Angelo O’Connor has been selected to the Olympic Development Program (ODP) National Team.

The Scotia resident, from a very young age, fell in love playing with a soccer ball and would pass it between his feet all the time, even sometimes when eating meals with his family. This helped develop his exquisite ball skills that Angelo has used mainly as a left wing for ODP, club team NY Elite and Scotia-Glenville High School. Now in 9th Grade, Angelo started playing for the high school boys varsity soccer Spartans since 7th Grade against opponents much older and bigger than he is.

Angelo playing for the Scotia-Glenville High School Spartans. Photo courtesy of the O’Connor family.

“I have enjoyed my time playing ODP,” Angelo stated. “Each step in the ODP process has brought wonderful moments, like when I was picked to attend the ID Camp last summer. After the ID Camp, I moved on to the Inter-Regional Program, where I played against other ODP Regional Teams. But the biggest moment was when we received the e-mail that I had made the ODP National Team and will be traveling to play in Portugal this spring.”

Austin Sheehan Selected to the ODP National Team for the Second Consecutive Year

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

March 24, 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 Eastern New York ODP.

North Merrick resident Austin Sheehan has played Eastern New York ODP since 2020 and been selected to the ODP National Team for the second consecutive year. His soccer resume is very impressive as he helped lead New York Hota Bavarian 2008 Blue to the State Cup and Regional championship last year as well as the semifinals of Nationals.

At Calhoun High School, the 6’3” goalkeeper is a member of the National Honor Society and Honor Roll. Austin led the Colts to two consecutive conference championships, played in the Rising Juniors Game in 2024 and the Exceptional Seniors Game in 2025. He was selected both All-Region and All-State in 2025, All County in 2024 and ’25, Conference Goalkeeper of the Year in both ’24 and ’25, received the Al Freeman Best Goalkeeper Award last year and was one of the Newsday Top 100 Boys Soccer Players on Long Island.

Austin said that “the best moments of my ODP career have been the Inter-Regional events and the National event. The Inter-Regional event connected me with many new faces that have helped me turn into the player I am today, and the National event gave me the most competitive soccer I have ever played before.”

Austin will be looking to post many more shutouts in goal, and in the future it will be for the Hawks of SUNY-New Paltz starting this fall.

Three Youth Leagues Compete in the Inaugural Kontonis Esperanza Cup

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

March 19, 2026-Selected Division 2 teams from the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL), Big Apple Youth Soccer League (BAYSL) and Metrokids Youth Soccer League (MYSL) got together on Sunday, March 8 at Flushing-Meadows Park to play in the first-ever Kontonis Esperanza Cup.

“The Kontonis Esperanza Cup was named for the late Paul Kontonis, whose vision as President of the CJSL was rooted in unity, opportunity and community,” said Jonathan Puma, Second Vice President of the CJSL. “Paul believed deeply that the Beautiful Game can unite leagues and communities across New York City. This competition proudly carries forward his passion and his hope.”

This vision of unity was echoed across the other participating Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) leagues.

“I would like to thank the gentlemen organizing this tournament and for inviting Metrokids. This competition honors Kontonis—a father, brother and friend who dedicated himself to the youth as a soccer coach. Paul envisioned a Champions’ Championship that would unite our leagues. We welcome this new competition in his honor and are confident it will grow year after year with the support of our affiliated leagues,” explained Metrokids President Cesar Juca.

“The Big Apple Youth Soccer League was honored to participate in the Kontonis Esperanza Cup. We’re excited to join fellow leagues in celebrating youth soccer through sportsmanship, collaboration and meaningful competition, and we look forward to building lasting connections on and off the field,” stated BAYSL President Carlos Vergara.

While Paul Kontonis was a proud Greek-American, the “Esperanza” in the cup’s name comes from the Spanish word for hope. It is the hope of the three leagues playing that the Kontonis Esperanza Cup will expand in future seasons to include additional age groups and participation within the girls city program, creating more opportunities across leagues.

The champion teams were ARB SC 2013, FC Copa Academy Brooklyn B13 Black, Guerreros FC 2015, Mike’s FC 2015, South Brooklyn FC 2014 and Success Academy 2014B.

All photos courtesy of the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League

State Cup Scheduled to Kick Off on February 28

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

February 23, 2026-What’s fascinating about the State Cup in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is there is something new every spring.

For 2026, there are actually two new items. First, US Youth Soccer has renamed the State Open Cup and it’s now called the US Youth Soccer ENYYSA State Cup Championship. The second new thing is it’s scheduled to kick off in February, weather-permitting, for the first time ever to help get all the games played before six rounds (not in every age group) conclude with the championship games on Saturday, May 30.

The US Youth Soccer ENYYSA State Cup Championship is for the top teams and it’s the pathway to Nationals. There are no Regionals anymore and State Cup champion teams go directly to Nationals. 206 teams, both boys and girls squads, are playing in the Under-12 to Under-17 age groups with registration still continuing for the Under-18 and 19 age bracket as that group can use college players and will kick off in May.

109 teams are playing in the Challenge Cup, which is for all teams at Under-10 and Under-11 as there is not a State Open Cup in those age groups. For Under-12 and Under-13, it’s for mid- to lower-tier squads.

For more info on the State Cup, please call Eastern New York at 516-766-0849.

Frankie Pampin Selected as the National Boys Competitive Coach of the Year

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

February 27, 2026-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very proud to announce that Frank Pampin, our 2022 Boys Competitive Coach of the Year, has been named the 2025 US Youth Soccer National Boys Competitive Coach of the Year. In 2022, the Jackson Heights resident also received Regional Boys Competitive Coach of the Year so National honors complete a rare trifecta.

Frankie took over the Boys-Under-10 Gunners Soccer Kids team in the fall of 2020. It was a low-income team with few resources at the time yet Frankie made an impact right away with the boys by teaching them fundamentals. Now known as the Long Island Slammers, he has led them to two State Open Cup championships (2023, 2025), two East Region championships (2023, 2025) and the US Youth Soccer National Pro League Championship (2024). In the 2025 Regionals, the Slammers outscored their opponents 18-0 in five games and did not concede a goal. And proving that nice guys do not finish last, the squad received the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award at the 2025 State Cup finals.

Frankie in inset and with his Boys-Under-16 Long Island Slammers

The team has won division championships in the Big Apple Youth Soccer League (BAYSL), Metrokids Youth Soccer League plus the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL) and they won titles in CJSL Divisions 3, 2 and 1 as they improved and took on more difficult competition. The boys did the same thing as they transitioned to the Eastern Development Program (EDP) and won titles in Division 2, then Division 1 as well as the EDP Champions Cup.

“This group has proven that when you grow organically through hard work, passion, discipline and a clear sense of purpose, anything is possible,” Frankie stated. “With commitment and belief in the process, success will always follow.”

This success was noticed and in December 2025, the Long Island Slammers announced that Frankie has been appointed their Boys Director of Coaching. Congratulations to Frankie for all these accolades!

Geoff Davis Inducted Into the Eastern New York Soccer Hall of Fame

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

February 9, 2026-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that longtime volunteer Geoff Davis has been inducted into the Eastern New York Soccer Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony took place at our Hall of Fame Banquet on Saturday, January 24 at Marina del Rey in the Bronx.

Geoff grew up in the Bronx, came to Oneonta State as a student in 1965 and never left the area. He taught physical education at Oneonta State for 40 years.

Like many other families, his introduction to organized soccer came when his kids, Alexis and Zachary, started playing.

In 1989, he took up the whistle as a soccer referee and is still officiating today. He’s refereed youth games, adults and high school games but stopped officiating college games over a decade ago. Geoff is President of the Oneonta Soccer Referees Association plus Secretary/Treasurer of the Delaware-Ostego High School Officials. Additionally, he’s a referee instructor and assessor.

In the early 1990’s, Geoff served as President, Vice President and Treasurer of the Oneonta Soccer Club, then became Registrar and Treasurer of the Mid-State New York Soccer League. Geoff always made the lengthy trip south to attend ENYYSA meetings.

After serving as Mid-State’s Registrar for 25 years, Geoff left that role a few years ago for a new one as the league’s Referee Retention Coordinator.

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