The Eastern New York Soccer Hall of Fame Inducts Merrick’s Gregg Knight
The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) and Eastern New York State Adult Soccer Association are pleased to announce that Gregg Knight has been inducted into the Eastern New York Soccer Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony took place at our 2015 Holiday Party on December 6 at Marina del Rey in the Bronx.
Gregg was an intramural coach in the Merrick Police Athletic League (PAL) from 1987 to 1994 and was a travel team coach with the Merrick Magic of the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) from 1994 to 2002. The Magic were one of the top teams in New York during the 1990’s, winning Eastern New York’s State Open Cup twice, finalists two other years plus won the Region 1 Premier League and Tampa Bay Sun Bowl. Gregg served as President of Merrick PAL for a decade, starting their Sportsmanship Program and writing a code of conduct for parents and players that still appears on all PAL applications today.
He was a Trustee on the LIJSL Board of Directors from 2000 to 2008 and volunteered on the committees for Player Arbitration, the Waldbaum’s Challenge and the LIJSL Convention. For all this volunteering, he was inducted into the LIJSL Hall of Fame in 2014.
Gregg served as Vice President of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association from 2002 to 2009 and continues as a member of the State Cup Committee to this day. When players step onto the fields for the finals, they might take it for granted that the fields are lined and ready to go, the equipment is in place, the registration tables are ready, etc. All of this is done through Gregg’s leadership as he transports the signage and equipment from the ENYYSA office in Rockville Centre to the diverse State Cup venues.
“Gregg does all this on his own time, taking vacation days in order for the kids to play,” commented longtime volunteer Burt Wilkes.
If all that was not enough, he was also a member of Eastern New York’s Premier League Committee from 2006 to 2011, serving as its Director in 2009.
Congratulations to Eastern New York Hall of Famer Gregg Knight!
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) 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 Special Children. 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.
