HALL OF FAMERS IN OUR BOOK
East Islip’s Scafuri’s, Sachem’s Panzarella Earn LIJSL Honors
By Ken Ilchuk
Ronkonkoma, NY – Beth and Frank Scafuri of East Islip Soccer Club, and Marge Panzarella of the Sachem Soccer Club, became the most recent inductees of the 83-member Long Island Junior Soccer League Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Friday, March 4th, at the Huntington Hilton in Melville, NY. The induction took place at the organization’s volunteer awards dinner, which kicked off the 29th annual LIJSL Convention.
Beth Scafuri has an extensive history of service to the soccer community that includes a position as long-time associate director of the LIJSL Exceptional High School Senior Games, and ten years as the chairperson of that event. In addition, she has served as an administrator for the LIJSL Girls Select Program, and been an active member of the LIJSL Scholarship Committee. She and her husband Frank have also been instrumental in the success of the annual LIJSL Convention, and the creation of the College Bound Player Forum.
Frank Scafuri held several administrative positions within the Boys Select program before taking over as Chief Administrator. His term was marked by many new innovative ideas, including the “Pass back Program”, and the creation of athletic-academic profiles and college networking opportunities for all players. He also worked with Alfonso Mondello to create the LIJSL Advanced Training Program, and currently sits on the LIJSL Board of Directors, handling risk management and other league-related issues.
Panzarella was a long time coach of multiple teams within the Sachem Soccer Club, was in charge of field maintenance, and served as the club registrar. On the league level, she held Supervisor and Division Coordinator positions as a member of the Games Committee. In addition, she volunteered for over 12 years as a member of the LIJSL Registration Committee.
