By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
March 12, 2020-A seismic change has occurred in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA). Luis Montoya founded the Big Apple Youth Soccer League (BAYSL) in 1997 to serve the growing Latino community in New York City and is the only President the BAYSL has ever known. That's changed as the torch has been passed to his right-hand man, Carlos Vergara, who has been elected the second President of the league.
ENYYSA President Richard Christiano stated, "We wish Carlos the best as he tries to fill the huge shoes of Luis Montoya and look forward to working closely with him."
They are distant relatives as Montoya is the uncle of Vergara’s wife and both grew up in Peru. Both men are all about making sure that all children in New York have the opportunity to play the world’s most popular sport.
Vergara played soccer in middle school and high school in the South American country. The Jamaica, Queens resident has volunteered for the BAYSL since 2003, starting as the Registrar.
The next year, he became a certified referee and the referee assignor for the BAYSL in 2010. Vergara has served as the BAYSL Games Chairperson for the past dozen years and also volunteered as the league Secretary.
He holds a US Soccer “D” Coaching License and started helping Montoya coach in the BAYSL Soccer Start Program a decade ago.
Vergara hopes to continue several initiatives started by Montoya, including a closer working relationship with the other mainly Latino league in New York City, the Metrokids Interregional Soccer League.
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.