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

August 23, 2019-Name the two soccer teams who were honored at New York’s City Hall this summer? One is the United States Women’s National Team after their Women’s World Cup championship. The other team is Kickers Juniors Eagles after they won the Boys-Under-12 Arch Cup in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA).

Although Mayor Bill De Blasio was not there, the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL) team was celebrated by Councilwoman Adrienne Adams (pictured above) on August 6. The team was sponsored by Councilman I. Daneek Miller for their trip to City Hall.

Kickers’ Jaden Rose said, “We got to see a lot of history that we wouldn’t have experienced anywhere else.” 

His teammate, Kosi Nwozuzu, stated, “It was really nice and I got to know background information and how politicians do what they do,” while another teammate, Justin Wilson, said, “It was a nice tour, we learned a lot of stuff and it was like school but in the summer.”

Justin probably summed up what makes Kickers Juniors so special and led them to the championship when he explained, “We all have different characters, some of us are fast, others strong, others good with soccer knowledge. Most teams have some of these but it feels like we have all of them.”

With approximately 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 nine 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 on to http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.