By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
June 16, 2017-Livio D’Arpino was an Eastern New York Hall of Famer who was seemingly involved in every level of local soccer before his untimely passing in 2002. He was the third vice president of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) and the first vice president of the Eastern New York Adult Soccer Association. Livio also was President of the Italian-American Soccer League, of which he was voted a Life Member. With this lifetime of volunteering, Eastern New York named its Boys-Under-16 State Open Cup after him.
As Livio was a longtime Long Islander, it was appropriate that two Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) teams played for the Livio D’Arpino Cup on Sunday, June 4 at Stringham Park in LaGrange. Huntington’s HBC Flash outlasted Bayport Intense, 3-1, in overtime to win the Livio D’Arpino Cup.
Brendan Slattery scored two goals, one on a penalty kick, and Joe Leon scored the other to give HBC the state title.
“We changed our formation in midfield with 10 minutes to go in regulation and that made all the difference,” stated HBC coach Brian Emans.
HBC will represent Eastern New York at the Regionals from June 30 to July 4 in Spotsylvania, Virginia.
Bayport received the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award as determined by the game officials. The namesake of the award, who died last year, was inducted into the Halls of Fame of the LIJSL and Eastern New York plus was honored as a Life Member by U.S. Soccer. Amoroso started the LIJSL Sportsmanship Program in 1980, it has since been copied around the world and he spoke about the benefits of Fair Play across the United States.
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.