10,000 Expected to Come to the 37th Annual LIJSL Convention on March 8-10
New York Soccer News: The LIJSL convention is one of the world’s largest soccer conventions
10,000 soccer players, coaches, referees and fans are once again expected to come to the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) Convention this weekend––March 8, 9 and 10––at the Huntington Hilton on Route 110 in Melville.
The fun begins at 7:00 pm on Friday night, March 8 with the Annual Awards Dinner as the Volunteer of the Year from LIJSL clubs will be honored.
Also being celebrated are John Davis from the East Islip Soccer Club, the West Islip Soccer Club’s Gary Kofsky, Diana Riccardi of the New Hyde Park Wildcats and Robert Walters of the Baldwin Eagles, who will be inducted into the LIJSL Hall of Fame that evening.
There are now 113 Long Islanders who have been inducted into the LIJSL Hall of Fame.
Although there is a fee for attending the Annual Awards Dinner, admission to the rest of the LIJSL Convention is absolutely free. Throughout the day on Saturday, March 9 and on Sunday morning, March 10, there will be LIJSL Sportsmanship Award presentations, meetings for club presidents, coaches and volunteers plus coaches and referee clinics as well as vendors who have travelled to Long Island from around the world to meet all your soccer needs.
The vendors are taking up every available space in the Huntington Hilton once again. Highlights include:
• Three Long Island Legends Forum. Red Bulls coach Chris Armas, Red Bulls Academy Director Bob Montgomery plus former Cosmos goalkeeper and current commentator Shep Messing have a candid conversation about the state of the game. On Saturday at 3:00 pm in Salon D.
• A bilingual College Forum (English/Spanish) for high school freshmen, sophomores and juniors. The expert panel will talk about what every parent and player needs to know, including NCAA requirements, financial aid packages plus picking the college that’s right for you! On Saturday from 1:00 to 3:00 pm in Salon D.
• American Red Cross CPR/AED Training, conducted by the Long Island Sports Care Group on Saturday from 10:00 am to noon in the Mattituck Room
• Passing and Receiving: Key Fundamentals in Development. Passing patterns and small-sided games designed to give players a solid foundation for their development. Presented by LIJSL Player Development Program coach Bart Polster, Saturday from 9:00 to 10:00 am in Salon D.
• Top Activities to Develop Decision-Making in Your Players. Activities designed to maximize a player’s decision-making process during training that will relate to game situations. Presented by Bryan Alcantara, Manager of Coaching Education for the Red Bulls, Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 am in Salon D.
• United Soccer Coaches 4v4 Diploma, a three-hour lesson designed for those who will be coaching youth soccer players from 4 to 10 years of age. Sunday from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm in Salon D.
More info about the 37th Annual LIJSL Convention can be found here.
The LIJSL is one of the largest soccer leagues in the world and the largest in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) as 1,379 premier and travel teams––848 boys squads and 605 girls teams––make up the league. The traditional kick-off to the LIJSL Spring Season is the first round of the Long Island Cup, taking place on March 30 and 31.
Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association: 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) reaches 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.
