Hall of Fame inductee Roy Pfeil, ENYYSA President Richard Christiano, Hall of Fame inductee Jim Vogt
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
December 8, 2019-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is pleased to announce that Capital District Youth Soccer League (CDYSL) President Roy Pfeil was inducted into the Eastern New York Hall of Fame on December 7 at the ENYYSA Holiday Party at Marina del Rey in the Bronx.
Roy worked 41 years as a teacher in the Capital District, Syracuse and Finger Lakes regions and is now retired, yet he continues teaching soccer skills to this day. Roy has served on the Eastern New York coaching education instructional staff from 1978 to the present, and State ODP coaching staff beginning in 1980 and continues with ODP today. He was on the Girls Regional ODP staff coach from 1984 to ’87 and on the Girls-Under-19 US Youth National Team training camp coaching staff and selection committee held at Eastern Michigan University in 1985.
The teams that the Mechanicville resident has coached have always been successful, no matter the level. Roy started his coaching in the Capital District in 1972 as the Troy High School JV coach (4 years), then the Shenendehowa High School boys varsity team (4 years), the Schenectady varsity coach (4 years), and finally, the Burnt Hills Boys Varsity (4 years). From 1980 to 1989, Roy was the Public High School Athletic Association Section 2 Soccer Chairman/Coordinator for the State High School Boys Soccer Championships.
In 1987, Roy became the head coach of the Hudson Valley Community College women and brought them to as high as fifth in the nation with a 32-10-1 record. Roy was the head coach of the University of Albany men from 1990 to ‘99, bringing the program from Division 3 to Division 1 and, despite the more difficult competition and no scholarships, had a record of 81-61-15. In his four years as a Division 3 coach, his teams earned one NCAA playoff bid in 1994 and two ECAC bids, including one championship in 1992. From 2001 to ’09, Roy served as the University at Albany men's assistant coach.
Roy was one of the co-founders of the CDYSL in 1976 and had been the 2nd Vice President of the league from 1993 to 2019. He has served as the CDYSL Director of Coaching Education and Instruction, head of the select team program, league representative to the Eastern New York board and last summer became the President of the CDYSL. He founded the first Upstate soccer tourney, the Clifton Park Soccer Jamboree in 1976, and served as its tournament director until 1979. Roy has coached many youth teams in a number of different clubs, including the first CDYSL team to win a State Cup title, in 1988.
He has an “A” coaching license, has been a United Soccer Coaches member since 1978 plus was a Vice President and a member of the Board of Directors for Eastern New York.
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.