3 CDYSL Athletes Receive ENY Scholarships

The following announcements were send out through Eastern New York's Registration System announcing CDYSL athletes as recipients of Eastern New York Provided scholarships. Congrats to all the athletes!

The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that Libby Cook is receiving the

Patricia Louise Masotto and Brenda Driscoll Scholarship

The award is based on success in high school as well as community service. The scholarship’s namesakes were best friends and top women’s soccer players from Massapequa, Long Island and Eastern New York set up a scholarship in their name after they were killed by a drunk driver in 1985.

She wrote in her essay that “Soccer officially entered my life at age 4 when I played on a Fulton United recreational team. Here, friendships blossomed and continue to this day. Eventually, soccer became part of my everyday routine. My father became my soccer coach in 4th Grade and he has taught me more than anyone has in my life. We would spend hours together kicking a soccer ball with the correct foot stance, barefoot and recording moves and shots. Through these practices our bond grew. I thank soccer for this bond because without it my father and I would never be as close as we are today.”

Gloversville High School girls varsity coach Michael Hallenbeck, who also serves as the Fulton United Vice President, wrote “Libby usually takes on the challenge of helping with the Pre-K soccer group during camp which truly says something about her patience and kindness. She also has a great personality and is willing to go above and beyond for any task that is presented to her…One experience that comes to mind is when she was in 10th Grade and on the varsity team. We were struggling defensively that year, so I decided to move Libby to outside back from her midfield position. Instead of complaining about the change, she did the exact opposite. She was always asking questions and picking my brain in an effort to become the best possible defender she could be.”

Libby has been a National Honor Society student at Gloversville High School for the past three years, competed in Varsity Track & Field, Varisty Tennis, Varsity Cheerleading in addition to being the Varsity Soccer Team’s captain and was a First Team All-Star for the past two years in soccer. Plus she volunteers for local non-profit organizations and plays for Fulton United in the Capital District Youth Soccer League (CDYSL). She also received a CDYSL Scholarship.

We wish Libby all the best at Elmira College!

The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that Kieran Hughes is receiving a Livio D’Arpino Scholarship. The scholarship’s namesake was a beloved Eastern New York Vice President who was seemingly involved in every level of local soccer before his untimely passing in 2002. The award is based on success in high school as well as community service.

The Latham resident was on the Honor Roll and received the Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish before graduating from Shaker High School this past June.

Kieran is also receiving a scholarship from the Capital District Youth Soccer League (CDYSL). He played for the CDYSL’s Latham Circle Soccer Club plus has officiated hundreds of youth soccer games in both the CDYSL and at Afrim’s Sports.

He wrote in his essay, “During my sophomore year of high school, I was diagnosed with a chronic illness known as ulcerative colitis. I did not know it at the time but the diagnosis has given me a life-changing form of adversity that would shape my life from that day forward.

Prior to my diagnosis, I was an active person. I worked as a certified referee for the CDYSL, captained my JV soccer team and played on the varsity team during their sectional run...The following year, due to my health, I struggled to earn a spot on the JV team.

I was absent from school 25 days during my junior year, was hospitalized for a second time and found difficulty in participating in activities due to fatigue. I succeeded in putting my school work first and my grades remained the same as previous years.

I’ve come to the hard realization that playing competitive soccer in college is no longer an option but my love for the game will never change. I plan to join the club team in college and will also continue working as a referee…Through this experience, I’ve prevailed as a stronger individual. This daily battle with my body continues to give me the confidence day after day to prove to myself that I’m able to win this battle.”

We wish Kieran the best at Siena College this fall.

Niskayuna resident George Tsakalakos is receiving a Livio D’Arpino Scholarship from the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA). The award is based on success in high school as well as community service.

The scholarship’s namesake, Livio D’Arpino, was a beloved Eastern New York Vice President who was seemingly involved in every level of local soccer before his untimely passing in 2002. In a nice irony, Livio founded the Frosinone Soccer Club on Long Island and George was a 10-year-old camper taught by coaches from Italy at the Frosinone Soccer Camp in Rotterdam back in 2011.

At Niskayuna High School, George was Class Vice President, carried an unweighted GPA of 3.73 and scored 1430 on the SAT. He was a member of the National Honor Society and received the Departmental Certificate of Merit in Social Studies, Spanish and Chinese.

George was varsity captain at Niskayuna High School’s boys soccer team and played club soccer with Blackwatch Premier, playing in the State Open Cup final, the Super Y-League national tournament and winning the Jefferson Cup in Virginia, the Potomac Memorial Tournament in Maryland and the Disney Showcase in Florida with his team.

Additionally, George volunteered in two faith-based youth groups and as an altar boy at his Greek Orthodox Church plus somehow also found the time to work as an orthopedic surgery intern and plastic surgery intern.

Eastern New York wishes George the best in his studies and on the soccer team at Emory University this fall.