Continuing to grow off of a promising second year, the LIJSL Club-to-Club Player Development Initiative (PDI) has expanded westward to Nassau County with the addition of numerous member clubs for the start of it’s third year.
“As we get back on the fields this fall, it is not only great to start up the Suffolk Club-to-Club games, but to expand it into Nassau County. The excitement about playing from these young players is fantastic. You could see how happy they were as they took the field, and how pleased their parents were to see their children playing again,” said Ronan Wiseman, LIJSL Technical Director.
The PDI program is an exciting platform for players in the U7 & U8 (2014, 2013) age groups. At PDI events, players are taught the fundamentals of soccer in an encouraging and fun environment.
“It was a great first experience for some, and we hope that it continues for the rest of the season. It is up to us to make that happen,” Wiseman added.
New to the program this year, are the following notable LIJSL member clubs: East Meadow, Garden City, Merrick, New Hyde Park, Rockville Centre, and Syosset.
“This was Rockville Centre’s first Club-to-Club PDI experience, and it was fantastic. It was organized and all safety protocols were in place. Coaches and spectators maintained a positive and educational atmosphere, our girls had fun,” said Melanie Corbett, Rockville Centre Intramural Coordinator.
The Club-to-Club PDI program consists of like-minded LIJSL member clubs who want to provide their intramural players with exciting matches in a consequence-free environment.
“We had a seamless experience. Parents, coaches, players, referees, and field marshals all came together for a great day of soccer,” Tim Assante, New Hyde Park Director of Coaching, added.
When asked, what did you see on the fields? Mike Borra, Syosset Director of Travel and Developmental Programs responded,
“Laughter, excitement, and the joy of kids seeing their friends and being able to play the beautiful game. Thank you to everyone for putting in the extra effort to follow the guidelines that allow us back on the fields. Having this social, emotional outlet to be with their friends is very important.”
Looking towards the future, LIJSL thrives to expand the program and continue to provide young players an opportunity to develop a passion for the beautiful game through this exciting platform.
“Our teams enjoyed it and are looking forward to the next set of games on October 18th,” Skip Haile, Merrick Club President.
LIJSL has released fall 2020 dates for Club Development Days. These days are similar to the Club to Club PDI except, PDI is a weekly competition and Club Development Days are 2 specific dates with festival-style matches.
For more information on LIJSL’s Club to Club PDI, please contact League Technical Director Ronan Wiseman