Staten Island Youth Soccer League to Debut a High School Recreational Division in June

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

May 9, 2014-Many Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) leagues conclude their Spring Season in June, as does our southernmost league, the Staten Island Youth Soccer League (SIYSL). But while its other games are winding down, the SIYSL is proud to kick off the inaugural season of its High School Recreational Division next month and this new division will conclude in mid-July. Players entering 9th grade through 12th grade this fall are eligible to participate.

“This is something that we as a League Board have been discussing for a few years. We just needed the right time to kick it off,” commented SIYSL 1st Vice President, Rob Libertelli, one of the division’s organizers.

Nearly two years after the destruction of Hurricane Sandy, the SIYSL now has the fields necessary to expand its reach as Miller Field has been restored and the new Owl Hollow Fields are operational at Fresh Kills Park. Teams will play games at Owl Hollow on the new turf fields on weeknight evenings and have the opportunity to play under the lights. Squads will also be able to utilize Miller Field for practices by virtue of being under the jurisdiction of the SIYSL.

Each team will play an 8-game season with three officials for every game provided by the Staten Island Soccer Referees Association. Uniforms and team names will be provided through the SIYSL and the players are insured via registering into the SIYSL by the same policy that covers its other youth players.

“This is a great opportunity to grow our league and help bridge the gap between the recreational league and high school soccer,” added SIYSL 3rd Vice President Rich Nellis, also one of the divisions organizers, “It provides an additional opportunity for all current and potential high school soccer players, especially those who play other sports or are not able to participate in a travel season for one reason or another. We believe this is an opportunity for players to develop, get more touches and gain experience in a well-organized setting.”

SIYSL President Bill Smith stated, “In speaking with the people of our parent organization at Eastern New York, they could not be more pleased. This is a rare concept that they believe doesn’t exist elsewhere in the region. We hope this summer high school division to be the pilot program for others.”

Registration costs are $45 per player and includes insurance, uniform and all referee fees. All coaches are experienced coaches and are also certified in Risk Management. Registrations can be done online by clicking the following link, https://sislplayer.sportssignup.com/, creating an account and follow the step-by-step instructions. Further info can be found by visiting the SIYSL’s website, http://siysl.vicid.net/index.php, or by e-mailing Rob Libertelli at 1VP@siysl.org or Rich Nellis at 3VP@siysl.org

With 123,843 youth soccer players––68,587 boys and 55,256 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. Eastern New York 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 Special Children. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. Eastern New York 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.