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

May 9, 2018-The Commack Youth Soccer League, a proud member of both the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) and Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), hosted its 3rd Annual Commack TOPSoccer Festival on Saturday, April 28 at the Burr Intermediate School. Nearly 200 soccer players from LIJSL TOPSoccer clubs Commack, Dix Hills, Hauppauge, Huntington Boys Club, New Hyde Park Wildcats, Plainview/Old Bethpage Highlanders, Sachem, Smithtown Kickers, South Huntington and Syosset participated in all the fun.  

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. Now using the slogan of “Come Play With Me,” Special Children playing soccer actually originated 40 years ago in 1978 in the LIJSL.

All photos of TOPSoccer players and volunteers at the Commack TOPSoccer Festival courtesy of Melissa DiBartolo

If you missed the Commack TOPSoccer Festival, you can always come to the LIJSL TOPSoccer Tournament and Barbeque on Saturday, June 2 at Plainview’s Peter Collins Soccer Park, where TOPSoccer has been playing since the 1980’s. The fun kicks off at 9 am with the rain date on Sunday, June 3.

For more info or to register your child for TOPSoccer, please call LIJSL TOPSoccer Chairperson Ann Marie Toth at 516-694-3567.

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.