By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) and Eastern New York State Senior Soccer Association are pleased to announce that ENYYSA President Richard Christiano has been inducted into the Eastern New York Soccer Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place at Eastern New York’s Annual Holiday Party on December 17 at the Jericho Terrace in Mineola, Long Island.
Although this decade is not quite two years old, it's been very good to Richie as he was inducted into the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) Hall of Fame last year besides being elected ENYYSA President.
In the late 1970s until the ‘90s, Richie Christiano was a coach for the New Hyde Park Wildcats and then a member of its Board of Directors. Two decades ago, the LIJSL Select Program operated as two separate entities based on gender. Then LIJSL President Peter Collins asked Richie to take over as the head administrator of the program and unite the boys and girls programs.
The Floral Park, Queens resident insisted that they meet every Wednesday night without fail while he was the Program Director. He delegated, he saw that things got done and he appreciated the work that was done, from the committee to the coaches. He was always a “hands-on” manager but never micro-managed. The staff made contact every day, on the phone or through e-mail, to make sure he was informed. He was always at tryouts, practices and tournaments plus he had time to listen to parents' concerns.
“Richie did a fantastic job of bringing the boys and girls programs together,” commented LIJSL President Addie Mattei-Iaia. “Anything that I asked him to do, he did.”
Due to his success with LIJSL Select, Richie became the girls administrator of the ENYYSA Olympic Development Program where he again worked tirelessly to improve it.
Richie served on the LIJSL Board of Directors from 1997 to 2010 plus chaired the LIJSL Membership Committee.
Since his election as ENYYSA President, the state and Capital District Youth Soccer League hosted a very successful Region 1 President's Cup plus the state added sponsors Arch Capital Group and Herald National Bank, among other successful ventures. These sponsorships help keep costs down for soccer families.
“This is a special award to me to when I think of the company I am now in, but it wouldn’t be possible without my friends and mentors Peter Collins and Addie Mattei-Iaia--working with them for so many years has given me a wealth of knowledge, and I thank them for that,” Richie commented. “I’ve learned that if you want to have a good organization, you surround yourself with good people and I have been blessed over all these years to have done so. From the beginning days with Frank Scafuri in the Select Program, to Tim Bradbury with ODP to today with my board and office staff, they make me shine even when some rust is coming through.”
“In the last two years being President of Eastern New York, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting the most exciting people in this sport. Attending meetings around the country, I know that Eastern New York is one of the best youth organizations out there and I have all of you to thank for that. I wish to thank the Hall of Fame Committee for bestowing this honor on me, but it is a shared honor with all of my entire soccer family,” Richie added. “And most of all, I wish to thank my wife Helen and my two boys for all their support; for without them, I wouldn’t be able to do everything I do.”