The Long Island Junior Soccer League held the League’s Semi-Annual General Meeting on December 5 at the Long Island Huntington Hilton. Club presidents gathered to talk about the successes of the 2023 Fall Season and to look ahead to the new year and 2024 Spring Season.
Some of the topics included the incredible work done by the League’s Coaching Education team to update current coaches’ certification and the League’s transition to not using passes on gamedays for players.
During the course of the meeting, there were several guest speakers. Colorado Rapids coach Chris Armas, who has an extensive history in the Long Island soccer community and boasts playing in the MLS as well as coaching in the Premier League on his resume, shared his insights and offered guidance moving forward should any President wish to use him as a resource. Michael Brigandi, a physical therapist at All-Star Physical Therapy, spoke about injury prevention in young athletes.
Tuesday’s meeting also marked the first one led by new LIJSL Sporting Director John Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald took over the position in September.
“I’m honored to be leading a terrific team at LIJSL,” Fitzgerald said. “As one of the largest youth soccer leagues in the country, we have a responsibility to continually set and raise the standards. I’m looking forward to where we can take this journey. And none of it gets done without the tireless, and often thankless, efforts of volunteers such as club presidents and their boards, people who truly care and are invested in their community’s youth. Soccer is a game for everyone, so we welcome everyone to be part of it together.”
The Spring Season begins play the weekend of March 16-17 with LI Cup action beginning the following weekend on March 23-24.