By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
February 13, 2018-Although February is the shortest month, we honor a man this month who has a very lengthy soccer résumé as he has been a player, coach, referee and administrator. The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that Paul Bascomb been selected as our Personality of the Month for February. The Cobleskill resident has been involved in soccer nearly his entire life.
A real homebody, Paul played midfield at Cobleskill High School and then at SUNY Cobleskill in the 1970’s. He did not play club soccer as his playing career started before the Capital District Youth Soccer League (CDYSL) was founded in 1978 in Colonie.
Paul coached his daughter Kelly in the Valley Soccer Club on various teams from 1996 to 2003 while he and his wife Mary Ann’s other child, Katie, played soccer a little but was more into cheerleading.
Paul started refereeing over two decades ago as he wanted “to find another way to stay involved in soccer.” He has refereed in the CDYSL for over 20 years, local high school games since around the turn of the millennium and college soccer for over a decade. Currently, Paul is the First Vice President of the Capital District Referee Association (CD-Ref) and was honored as their Referee of the Year in 2008.
Paul has volunteered on the CDYSL Executive Committee and served for the past decade as Chairperson of the Games Committee, a huge task whose responsibilities include ensuring that the league’s over 200 games go smoothly every weekend during the spring and fall.
Arguably, Paul’s biggest contribution to local youth soccer has been volunteering as President of the Valley Soccer Club since 2004. He became involved in the construction of the Valley Soccer Complex, with three large fields and two small-sided fields. Paul personally maintains the fields, mows and aerates them, bush hogs the perimeter and is there when games are being played.
“Paul has been an integral part of CDYSL's success story, spanning several decades. Simply put, he is dedicated to doing what is best for the kids to play soccer. In addition to being an elected At-Large member of our Executive Committee, Paul is our liaison for the referee association, a club president, a coach, a referee and referee mentor, as well as games committee chair,” commented CDYSL President Tim Owens. “He is the consummate ambassador and advocate for youth soccer. Without Paul, as with so many others, the CDYSL would not be where we are today. I truly value his dedication and our friendship.”
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.