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

May 29, 2018-Just how busy are things in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA)? Take this Saturday, June 2, for example as there are three big events scheduled for this day.

Eastern New York will host its State Open Cup finals this Saturday, June 2 and Sunday, June 3 at Stringham Park in LaGrange. The Under-12 through Under-18 age groups, both boys and girls, will be playing its championship games this weekend with eight matches to played this Saturday at Stringham Park.

Head west from Dutchess County to Orange County by taking the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge so you can go to the inaugural Eastern New York Soccer Festival, originally rained out last month. The big event is this Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm at Delano-Hitch Recreation Park in Newburgh.

This Soccer Open House will show kids, both boys and girls from the local area, all the good things that youth soccer offers to them, including the health benefits, making new friends and learning ideals such as teamwork and sportsmanship. The children and teenagers can play pick-up games on the four inflatable fields, test their skills on the half-dozen exhibits while some of Eastern New York’s nationally-licensed coaches help the kids with their skills. Volunteers from both Eastern New York and the East Hudson Youth Soccer League (EHYSL) will make sure the entire day goes smoothly.

And you will not want to miss the New York Red Bulls Street Team that will be appearing from 10 am to 2 pm. They will perform eye-popping freestyle tricks, sign jerseys and have their photos taken with local kids. Additionally, there will be giveaway items donated by ENYYSA sponsors.

Or you can head south and take in the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) TOPSoccer Tournament and Barbeque this Saturday from 9 am to noon at the Peter Collins Soccer Park in Plainview, Long Island, where the LIJSL TOPSoccer Program has been playing since the 1980’s.

TOPSoccer stands for The Outreach Program for Soccer, an innovative program run by volunteers, which provides a safe and fun environment plus an opportunity for the child who deviates from the average kid in mental, physical or social characteristics and requires modified educational practices and services in order to develop to his or her potential.

“Our TOPSoccer players are the nicest and most loyal people that you will ever meet,” commented LIJSL TOPSoccer Program Chairperson Ann Marie Toth.

And while these three big events happen this Saturday both east and west of the Hudson River as well as on Long Island, Eastern New York regular season games will be played too as most of our 11 member leagues are finishing up their Spring Season in the next few weeks.  

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