The Fall Season has come to a close and the festive period is around the corner. That means it was time for the winter LIJSL Semi-Annual General Meeting, which was held on December 2 at the Long Island Huntington Hilton.
During the meeting, the successes of the calendar year were highlighted, including LIJSL Academy teams heading to the USL Youth Finals, the introduction of new events like Winter Showdown and the reintroduction of events like the Liberty Cup Long Island.
While the end of the year is always a great time for reflection, it also presented a new opportunity as well. Along with Long Island Soccer Tryouts and Comparion Life Insurance, LIJSL held Goal of the Month and Goal of the Season competitions. The winners – Amelia, Yasser, Jordyn, and Eamon – were all honored at the meeting and presented with a $250 check. Amelia also took home the Goal of the Season honors, earning an additional $500 check for herself and for her club Longwood. LIJSL, LIST, and Comparion congratulate all the players for their efforts on the field.
Also joining the meeting was former LIJSL player and current MLS Technical Director Paul Grafer. He spoke about the opportunity that LIJSL provided him as a young player to dream about one day becoming a professional. Grafer suited up for the NY/NJ MetroStars (now New York Red Bulls) and Colorado Rapids in MLS. During his time at the podium, he also heaped praise upon all the presidents for volunteering their time and continuing to create dreams for players around the League.
When the schedule flips to 2026, LIJSL events will ramp up once again. More info on upcoming competitions such as the Winter Showdown and Elite Clubs Alliance League as well as the remaining LIJSL Academy USL Youth Tryouts can be seen under the programs tab. The LIJSL Convention will also be returning and clubs can nominate volunteers to be honored at the Friday Night Gala here.
One last note of the meeting was the remembrance of Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League President Paul Kontonis. His sudden passing is a huge loss for the soccer community at large. The LIJSL collectively mourns and sends our deepest condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and all who he impacted through his work in the game.