29 Teenagers Receive Long Island Junior Soccer League Scholarships
New York Youth Soccer News: It’s the largest scholarship program in Eastern New York
The Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) is the largest league in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) and has the largest college scholarship program. 29 scholarship recipients, selected based on academic and athletic excellence plus community service, were honored by the league at a brunch on Sunday, July 16 at the Huntington Hilton.
Back row, left to right: Claudia Urquiza, Kristen Shine, Victoria Thurer, Maria Aruanna, Rose Savocchi, Maya Voytelmgum
Middle row, left to right: Dylan Hupert, John Bingham, Steven Libretti, Justin Tollin, Jordan Anderson, Brian Killian, Sean Walsh, Daniel Sparkowski, Matthew Sloan, Sean Madden
Front row, left to right: Keara Brown, Amanda Spitaleri, Erica Viscovich, Emily Jonas, Malena Farber, Suzanne Espey, Shelbi Wuss, Emma Pinezich, Kiara Birch
At college commitments and unable to attend: Blake Aronson, Jillian Colucci, Michael Maceluch, Daniel Urli
The LIJSL Scholarship Program began in the early 1980’s when one boy and one girl each received a scholarship and it has grown just as soccer continues to grow in the United States. New this year are the Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award Scholarship, the Sean Urda Memorial Scholarship plus the Frank and Michael Vertullo Foundation Scholarships. Amoroso, a US Soccer Life Member plus Eastern New York and LIJSL Hall of Famer, started the LIJSL Sportsmanship Program in 1980 and it was copied throughout the United States as well as Ireland and China. Urda, a National Honor Society member, was a LIJSL player in his senior year at John Glenn High School in 2015 when he was tragically killed in a sledding accident. The Vertullo Foundation Scholarships are awarded to teens helping people with special needs. Frank, a longtime coach, was selected as the Eastern New York Personality of the Month in December 2014.
Congratulations to all the LIJSL Scholarship recipients:
Brian Killian attending Binghamton University, Rocco Amoroso Sportsmanship Award Scholarship
Daniel Sparkowski attending Morrisville State College, Sean Urda Memorial Scholarship
Keara Brown attending Suffolk Community College, Frank and Michael Vertullo Foundation Scholarships
Victoria Thurer attending Oneonta State, Frank and Michael Vertullo Foundation Scholarships
Maria Aruanna attending St. Joseph’s College, Peter C. Collins Presidential Scholarship
Emma Pinezich attending the University of Vermont, Addie Mattei-Iaia Presidential Scholarship
Emily Jonas attending Gardner-Webb University, Pat Grecco Scholarship
Steven Libretti attending the University of New Haven, Eurosport Scholarship
Kiara Birch attending Adelphi University, Bobbie Marks Memorial Scholarship
Jillian Colucci attending Marist College, Bobbie Marks Memorial Scholarship
Maya Voytelmgum attending Stony Brook University, Bobbie Marks Memorial Scholarship
Erica Viscovich attending George Washington University, Eileen Frazita Memorial Scholarship
Jordan Anderson attending Ohio State, Joseph Lombardo Memorial Scholarship
Sean Madden attending Mount St. Mary’s College, Michael Scarpati Memorial Scholarship
Matthew Sloan attending American University, Matthew Scarpati Memorial Scholarship
John Bingham attending Notre Dame, Miles For Matt Foundation Scholarship
Dylan Hupert attending Arizona State University, Miles For Matt Foundation Scholarship
Michael Maceluch attending Binghamton University, Miles For Matt Foundation Scholarship
Claudia Urquiza attending Nassau Community College, Carolyn Page Memorial Scholarship
Malena Farber attending Drexel University, Sandra Atlas Bass Scholarship
Amanda Spitaleri attending Bryant University, Dalia Morelli Memorial Scholarship
Rose Savocchi attending Wake Forest University, Frank Gorman Memorial Scholarship
Kristen Shine attending Farmingdale State College, John Pinezich Memorial Scholarship
Blake Aronson attending Marist College, Michael Secko Memorial Scholarship
Daniel Urli attending Georgia Tech, Jonathan Marc Serota Memorial Scholarship
Sean Walsh attending Kean University, Modell’s Scholarship
Suzanne Espey attending Cortland State, George Hoffman TOPSoccer Volunteer Scholarship
Justin Tollin attending the University of South Carolina, George Hoffman TOPSoccer Volunteer Scholarship
Shelbi Wuss attending American University, Modell’s TOPSoccer Volunteer Scholarship
LIJSL Scholarship Chairperson Lynn Scarpati addressed the scholarship winners when she said, “You put in a lot of hard work to be here. Life is not always fair but we know that you know how to transform lemons into lemonades.”
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.
