Eastern NY Youth Soccer Association

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Diego Flores Receives Eastern New York’s Cortlandt ODP College Scholarship

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

July 31, 2024-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is pleased to announce that one of our longtime Olympic Development Program (ODP) players, Diego Flores, is receiving a scholarship through the Cortlandt ODP College Scholarship Program. ODP is the highest level of play in each state association and we would particularly like to thank the Cortlandt Soccer Club for funding this scholarship. 

At Smithtown East High School, Diego was a member of the Math Honor Society, Science Honor Society and French Honor Society while maintaining a weighted GPA of 4.28. He had been the Bulls’ starting goalkeeper since 2021 and was honored three times as both All-Conference and All-County, named Long Island Boys Soccer Goalkeeper of the Year, received the News 12 Long Island Scholar-Athlete Award and was a Ray Perez Scholarship Recipient.

Diego also received Eastern New York’s Livio D’Arpino Scholarship earlier this summer. Two separate committees made up of different volunteers selected Diego for these two scholarship awards.

The Nesconset resident has played for ODP since 2019 and been a member of the National ODP Team since 2022, playing in the Dallas Cup’s Boys-Under-17 final in 2023.

This summer, Diego helped lead SUSA Black to the championship game of the Ryder-Vass Cup in the Long Island Soccer Football League (LISFL) Men’s-Under-23 competition. 

We wish Diego the best pursuing a nursing degree and playing soccer at Southern Connecticut State University starting this fall.

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/

Samantha Graf is Honored With the Masotto-Driscoll Scholarship

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

July 12, 2024-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is pleased to announce that Plainview resident Samantha Graf is receiving the Masotto-Driscoll Scholarship. 

At Plainview/Old Bethpage High School, Samantha was involved in student government all four years and was Senior Class President. An Honor Roll Student all four years as well, she was in the Business Honor Society, English Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and a Moot Court Winner in addition to participating in the Mock Trial Club and Marching Band. Her community service includes teacher’s assistant, Holiday Helper, Senior Citizen Prom Senior, Citizen Internet Learning, Holocaust Remembrance Night and Valentine’s Day Veterans Cards.

Samantha played in Eastern New York’s Olympic Development Program (ODP) in addition to club  and high school soccer. In her essay, she wrote that “My dedication to soccer spans many years, starting from my early childhood and continuing into my high school years. Soccer has not only been a sport for me but a source of joy, discipline and personal development. The lessons I’ve learned on the field such as teamwork, resilience and sportsmanship have translated into other areas of my life, including academics and leadership roles.”

The scholarship’s namesakes, Patricia Louise Masotto and Brenda Driscoll, were best friends and top women’s soccer players from Massapequa, Long Island. Eastern New York set up a scholarship in their name after they were killed by a drunk driver in 1985. The scholarship is determined by success in high school as well as community service. 

We wish Samantha well in studying and playing goalkeeper at Marist College in Poughkeepsie this fall.

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/

Michael Iemma Receives a Livio D’Arpino Scholarship

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

July 9, 2024-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that Bethpage resident Michael Iemma is receiving a Livio D’Arpino Scholarship. 

The scholarship’s namesake was a beloved Eastern New York Vice President who was seemingly involved in every level of local soccer before his untimely passing in 2002. The Livio D’Arpino award is based on success in high school as well as community service.

At Plainedge High School, Michael was a  member of the National Honor Society the past two years and had a weighted GPA of 3.7 out of 4.0. He received All-County soccer honors in 2021, ’22 and ’23 plus was the Red Devils’ MVP in 2021.

He has been playing with Eastern New York’s Olympic Development Program (ODP) from 2018 to today and made the National ODP Team three times, including currently. He started playing with the Plainedge Soccer Club when he was four years old and also competed for East Meadow, Massapequa and the Long Island Rough Riders.

Additionally, Michael is a certified referee who received the Long Island Soccer Referee Association (LISRA) Ace of Initiative Award last winter and a LISRA Scholarship last month.

In his essay, he write that “Soccer has been a major part of my life growing up and has taught me valuable lessons that will follow me for the rest of my life. Soccer taught me about competitive spirit, hard work, teamwork, sportsmanship, positive attitude, failure and how to bounce back from it, just to name a few.”

We wish Michael the best studying and playing soccer at Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina this fall.

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/

Diego Flores Receives a Livio D’Arpino Scholarship

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

July 8, 2024-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that Nesconset’s Diego Flores is receiving a Livio D’Arpino Scholarship. 

Diego wrote is his essay that “I have seen that by leading by example and living your values first-hand allows you to impact the lives of so many people. As an incoming college athlete and aspiring nurse, I’m excited to find my role in society and put myself in a position to bring about change, serve the needs of others and implement the same trust, respect and accountability that I was lucky to have been provided by my community and my peers.”

At Smithtown East High School, Diego was a member of the Math Honor Society, Science Honor Society and French Honor Society while maintaining a weighted GPA of 4.28. He has been the Bulls’ starting goalkeeper since 2021 and was honored three times as both All-Conference and All-County, named Long Island Boys Soccer Goalkeeper of the Year, received the News 12 Long Island Scholar-Athlete Award and also was a Ray Perez Scholarship Recipient.

Diego has played for Eastern New York’s Olympic Development Program (ODP) since 2019 and been a member of the National ODP Team since 2022, playing in the Dallas Cup’s Boys-Under-17 final in 2023.

The scholarship’s namesake, Livio D’Arpino, was a beloved Eastern New York Vice President who was seemingly involved in every level of local soccer before his untimely passing in 2002. The award is based on success in high school as well as community service.

We wish Diego the best pursuing a nursing degree and playing soccer at Southern Connecticut State University starting this fall.

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/

30 Local Soccer Players Participate in Eastern New York’s Clinic During the State Cup Finals

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

June 17, 2024-While travel team and premier players were competing in State Cup championship games on adjacent fields at Stringham Park on Saturday, June 1, the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) held a free clinic for 30 local recreational soccer players from the LaGrange area. Boys and girls 9-10 years old participated. 

Olympic Development Program (ODP) coaches Ricky Cusano, Medo Kafaga and Scott Goodman helped the players work on the basic fundamentals such as ball control, dribbling and shooting during the 1-hour session.

“I thought that the clinic went very well,” ODP Director Jim Volpe stated. “The kids got a taste of professional coaching and had a good time.”

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 onto http://www.enysoccer.com/

Eastern New York to Host Our Fourth Annual ODP Sub Regional in Colonie

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

March 12, 2024-Six weeks before college and regional coaches scout the ODP Regionals, those coaches get a sneak peak in looking at the top soccer talent in the Northeast United States when the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) hosts our Fourth Annual ODP Sub Regional on April 27 and 28 at Afrim’s Sports Park in Colonie. 

ODP, the Olympic Development Program, is the highest level of play in each state association. Eastern New York has a particularly strong ODP as 10 of our players recently made the ODP National Teams plus US Women’s National Team player Crystal Dunn is a Eastern New York ODP alumna.

Hosting the Sub Regional are the North and South 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 other state associations playing are Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York West and Vermont.

The Under-12 to Under-17 boys will be competing on Saturday, April 27 while the girls in those same age groups will be playing on Sunday, April 28. These are truly friendly games and no standings are kept.

For more info, please contact Eastern New York ODP Director Jim Volpe at jvolpe@enysoccer.com

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/

10 Eastern New Yorkers Make the National ODP Teams

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

February 20, 2024-The Olympic Development Program (ODP) is the highest level of play in each state association. The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) has a particularly strong program based on our recent national titles and the fact that US Women’s National Team defender Crystal Dunn is an Eastern New York ODP graduate.

That strength was also demonstrated when 10 players from Eastern New York recently were selected to the National ODP Team for 2024 after the Regional Tournament in January. These 10 players are:

• Jack Dorsey (2008 Boys)
• Brendan Glenn (2008 Boys)
• Asiah Carroll (2007 Boys)
• Andrew Lowenhar (2007 Boys)
• Shackoneal Myrurrie (2007 Boys)
• Diego Flores (2006 Boys)
• Michael Iemma (2006 Boys)
• Louis Pelo (2006 Boys)
• Payton Galuski (2010 Girls)
• Anacapri Neill (2006 Girls)

“Placing players on the Regional ODP and National ODP Teams has been a great success both last year and this year,” Eastern New York ODP Director Jim Volpe stated. “Eastern New York is very proud of all the players who competed for these spots and very happy that we had as many as 10 players selected in 2024.”

The National ODP Teams will play in top American and international tournaments this year.

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/

ODP Director Jim Volpe was inducted into the Oceanside High School Circle of Pride

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

November 20, 2023-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that James Volpe, the longtime Director of our Olympic Development Program (ODP), was inducted into the Oceanside High School Hall of Fame Circle of Pride on November 13 in front of 200 people and other honorees at the Oceanside Knights of Columbus Hall. The Circle of Pride is reserved for those who have achieved the greatest level of success in their athletic careers at Oceanside High School and beyond plus certain others deemed worthy of this honor.

“It was a great night, more than I ever could have anticipated,” Jim explained. “Players who I played with in high school, players who I coached on my first boys travel team, and players who I coached on my first girls travel team were all there. I took it to heart to receive an award and was with the people I grew up with.”

Jim’s soccer career kicked off when few Americans were paying any attention to the sport. He started playing for the Oceanside Dynamo in the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL) even before the Oceanside United Soccer Club was founded in 1962. He graduated from Oceanside High School in 1968. 

Jim coached a half-dozen Oceanside United teams in Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) games through the years. He was an ODP coach for 15 years and a LIJSL Select Team coach for a couple of years in the period from the early 1980s to 2001. Additionally, from 2006 to 2010, he was an assistant coach for the St. Peter’s College women in New Jersey.

He volunteered as Oceanside United President from 1989 to 2000 and remains on the Board of Directors today as Director Emeritus. The soccer lifer was inducted into the LIJSL Hall of Fame in 2015.

Jim, currently a Long Beach resident, has been our ODP Director since 2014 and under his leadership, many of our ODP players make the Regional Team plus the Boys South ODP Team of players born in 1999 won the ODP national championship in 2016.

Jim’s children, Chelsea and Shaun, grew up playing in the LIJSL and then for the Manhattan College Jaspers and are still involved with the game today. For the past 12 years, the Volpes have teamed up and raised over $300,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) through the Marianne Volpe 5K and Pumpkin Fun Run after Jim’s wife Marianne passed away from Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) at the age of 56.

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 United States Youth Soccer. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/