New Jersey Youth Soccer hosted nearly 900 guests at its 30th Annual Awards Dinner this past Friday night at the Pines Manor in Edison, N.J., where it honored New Jersey players, teams, coaches, referees and volunteers for outstanding performances and contributions in 2017.
“We would like to thank everybody who contributed to the overwhelming success of our 30th Annual Awards Dinner,” said Evelyn Gill, NJ Youth Soccer President. “It was such a special night to recognize the commitment of so many deserving players, coaches and administrators throughout New Jersey. Also, much of our state leadership is comprised of volunteers, and this annual celebration serves as a great vehicle to acknowledge their dedicated service to the game.”
A highlight of the evening occurred when two-time FIFA Women’s Player of the Year, 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and New Jersey native Carli Lloyd delivered the keynote address for the event. Lloyd spoke about her personal journey that started in New Jersey ODP well before she experienced international success, as well as addressing some of the obstacles that she faced along the way. Further, she discussed coming back home to New Jersey in 2018 to play with Sky Blue FC of the National Women’s Soccer League.
Three new members were formally inducted into the NJ Youth Soccer Hall of Fame on Friday, as Glenn Crooks, Kevin Dearman and Krissy Turner were honored. Each inductee gave a very inspirational speech regarding their experiences as members of the New Jersey soccer community, and they also spoke about how their involvement helped mold them into the people they are today.
Many of the New Jersey Youth Soccer State Cup champions in the National Championship Series, Presidents Cup and Commissioners Cup, as well as the players who were selected into the U.S. Youth Soccer Region I ODP Player Pool, were also acknowledged over the course of the evening.
Additionally, the following honorees were presented with awards for their individual contributions:
Bob McNulty Travel Coach of the Year: Roman Mamotyuk
Recreation Program of the Year: Freehold Soccer League
Recreation Coach of the Year: Chuck Myers
Distinguished Service Award: Joe Anzalone
TOPSoccer Volunteer of the Year: Liam Wintz
Comeback Player of the Year Presented by JAG Physical Therapy: Cooper Grossman
Youth Referees of the Year: Brianna Brennan and Ryan Mitzel
Lastly, the following individuals were honored as scholarship recipients:
Allan Sinclair Memorial Scholarship: Jenna Mandell and Vincent Lamina
Jeanine Willis Scholarship: Giana Pittaro and Ryan Eusebi
Brett Fenster Memorial Scholarship: Megan Foley and Kevin Bretz
To find out more information about New Jersey Youth Soccer or to contact us directly, please email communications@njyouthsoccer.com. Also make sure to follow us on social media: @NJYouthSoccer
