The Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL), the largest league in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), will induct three amazing volunteers into its Hall of Fame on Sunday, May 15 during a brunch at the Huntington Hilton.
Bill Rudy has been President of the Huntington Boys Club (HBC) for the past 18 years. He is at HBC’s home, the Half Hollow Hills Soccer Complex, from dawn to dusk every Saturday and Sunday during the season. Prior to becoming President, Rudy held virtually every administrative role within the club.
His nomination letter stated, “If you need something done, you call Bill. If you have a problem, you call Bill. He has an answer, guidance, or a contact for any situation you can encounter. He is not only an idea man, he gets the job done. He will line fields, rehab fields, drive the tractor, direct traffic, organize the tournament, coordinate divisions, you name it.”
Fred Schoenfeld was one of the founders of the Hewlett-Lawrence Soccer Club, then known as Blue Star, in 1971. Schoenfeld established travel teams, started an intramural program, recruited coaches and worked with school districts to be able to use their fields. A decade later, in 1981, Blue Star had 750 youth players when it joined the LIJSL. Notables such as Lenn Margolis, Seth Roland, and Ronnie Schneider played in the program.
Additionally, in 1981, Schoenfeld rebuilt the United States Maccabiah Soccer Program, winning silver medals in both 1983 and 1985 when it had never advanced beyond the group stage before.
Marc Stein died last October after being an irreplaceable part of the LIJSL for decades. Long considered one of the good guys in soccer, Stein was a mentor, teacher, and friend to so many. He was a member of the LIJSL Board of Directors from 2012 until his passing. He also volunteered on the Long Island Cup Committee for two decades, 15 years as the Boys Cup Chairperson plus emceed the trophy presentation. Stein was also Chairperson of the Rules Committee and spent five years as an Age Group Coordinator.
Stein started volunteering by coaching numerous teams, first in Bellmore and then in the Merrick/South Merrick PAL soccer programs.