From left to right, Katie, Brianna and Frank Scalzo

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

August 15, 2017-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that soccer volunteer Frank Scalzo is being honored as our Personality of the Month for August.

The Mohegan Lake resident grew up in the Bronx in the 1970’s, playing Little League Baseball, basketball and roller hockey. There were not any youth soccer teams for him to play on when he was younger.

He first became involved in soccer in 2010 when his older daughter, Brianna, started playing for the Shrub Oak Athletic Club.

“She wanted me to coach, even though I didn't know all that much about soccer at the time,” Frank recalled. “I was lucky enough to be an assistant coach to some great coaches, from whom I've learned a great deal about the beautiful game. The thing I was able to add as an assistant coach of 6-year-old girls right away was I knew if I didn't understand what the coach was talking about, they didn't either. I was always quick to call out where I thought a drill was confusing, and try to make things the game easier for our players. I'm very proud that most of the players from the Under-6 team I coached in my first year are still playing soccer seven years later.”

So Frank coached both Brianna (now 13 years old) and his younger daughter, Katie (now 9), in Recreational Soccer for Shrub Oak. Along the way, he became In-House Director for Shrub Oak soccer. Frank has overseen an additional 20% growth in Shrub Oak’s recreation program to now over 650 kids. Additionally, he is finding fields, re-organizing the age group timing, and is now in the process of helping implement a re-organization of the Shrub Oak Athletic Club from a small-club to one of size, 20 travel teams as well as over 650 players in recreation, to include directors of coaching and a professional training staff for both recreation and travel.

“From the time Frank stepped on the field at Shrub Oak, we knew he would be excellent in a leadership role. He has a strong family-oriented personality, and asked all the right questions to let us know that he understands our philosophy that recreation soccer is for every child to leave with a smile on his or her face and learn a little about soccer every week,” commented EHYSL Age Group Coordinator Dan Kelly. “He had to take over an organization that had outgrew its home, and keep it strong and stable. He has done that well, and kept our family-friendly focus. I don’t know where we would be right now if he didn’t step in to help.”

Frank has served as an assistant coach for Brianna’s Shrub Oak Xtreme and Sparta Shrub Oak teams that play in the East Hudson Youth Soccer League (EHYSL). Plus he has coached recreational teams, including those going by such memorable names as Bumblebees, the Wild Blueberry Bears, and Play Like That! Frank will be making his debut as a travel team head coach this fall when he coaches Katie’s Shrub Oak Storm FC Girls-Under-10 team.

And leading teams does not end with soccer because Frank leads teams that manage financial systems in his “real job” as a Director of Finance for Thomson Reuters. He has worked there for the past 19 years.

Congratulations to Mr. August, Frank Scalzo! 

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 11 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 Association. For more information, please log onto http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.