By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
January 7, 2020-What a year 2019 was! So as we embark on a new year and decade, the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) takes one last look back and celebrates our Top 10 Highlights of 2019:
1) USWNT, With New Yorkers Crystal Dunn and Allie Long, Win the Women’s World Cup. The US Women’s National Team was dominant in the Women’s World Cup, winning all seven of its games and never trailing in outscoring their opponents, 26-3. Defender Crystal Dunn and midfielder Allie Long cut their teeth playing soccer for Eastern New York’s Olympic Development Program (ODP) and in the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL). Now local girls in our programs are dreaming of becoming a Women’s World Cup champ just as Crystal and Allie did.
2) Challenge Cup Champs Kickers Jrs. Honored at City Hall. Boys-Under-12 Kickers Jrs. of the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL) was honored for winning the Challenge Cup at New York’s City Hall last summer, just like the US Women’s National Team was for winning the Women’s World Cup.
3) 2003 Boys South ODP Become Regional Champs. Coached by Graham Radcliffe (on right in photo above), the boys born in 2003 from New York City and Long Island won three games, tied two with no losses and outscored opponents, 11-5, in becoming Regional champs last June.
4) Brian Dunn Officiates the MLS Cup Final. The New Hyde Park resident was voted as the MLS Assistant Referee of the Year and officiated the MLS Cup Final, the MLS All-Star Game and the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final in 2019.
5) Jessica Lee Selected as the National TOPSoccer Buddy of the Year. 16-year-old Jessica is an important reason why the West Hempstead Chiefs’ TOPSoccer Program exists. She started as a TOPSoccer Buddy when she was just seven years old and, besides being selected as the National TOPSoccer Buddy of the Year, she was also honored as the Eastern New York TOPSoccer Buddy of the Year and the Regional TOPSoccer Buddy of the Year.
6) Eastern New York Donates About $1 For Every Registered Player. Eastern New York donated $100,000 to 21 clubs in six member leagues as part of our Field Maintenance Program. Those leagues are the Capital District Youth Soccer League, Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League, East Hudson Youth Soccer League, Long Island Junior Soccer League, Mid-State Soccer League and Staten Island Youth Soccer League.
7) Guinness World Record Broken in Garden City. The Garden City Centennial Soccer Club, the largest soccer club in Eastern New York, used its large size to shatter a Guinness World Record on September 15 at St. Paul’s Recreation Complex. The longest digital soccer pass was captured on video with 421 players passing the ball, besting the previous mark of 250.
8) CJSL Takes a Stand Against Racism. Tragically, there have been a few unseemly incidents of a racial nature recently on local soccer fields which has caused players to feel unwelcome and excluded. So the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League took a stand against racism. On April 13 and 14, players and coaches walked hand-in-hand before their games and their photos were shared on social media under the hashtag #STANDAGAINSTRACISM. South Bronx United won New York City FC tickets with the top post on Instagram.
9) Staten Island Soccer Participates in the Tunnel to Towers Run. The Staten Island Youth Soccer League (SIYSL) and Staten Island Soccer Club, the SIYSL travel program, registered 35 players and 31 adults for the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers 5K Run and Walk on September 29 in New York City. The groups raised $1,940 for the non-profit organization Stephen Sillers Tunnel to Towers Foundation, whose work benefits first responders and catastrophically-injured service members.
10) Eastern New York Partners With US Futsal. Eastern New York has just kicked off a partnership with US Futsal, the governing body for American futsal since its founding in 1981. Their expertise in organizing futsal leagues should be helpful to the Long Island Futsal League, New York Futsal and other futsal leagues joining Eastern New York in the future.
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 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.