W. Soccer's Lee Recognized for Coaching Award (North Shore of LI)
12/14/2009
NORTH SHORE OF LONG ISLAND
http://www.northshoreoflongisland.com/Site.Home.html
December 10, 2009
Since 1964, the New York Metro Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association has been providing the officials for college and junior college games in New York City, Long Island and Westchester.
This year's award winners were honored at the NYMISOA dinner last month at The Sterling in Bethpage. The awards were selected by balloting from the general membership.
Receiving the sportsmanship award for four-year women's soccer teams was St. Joseph's College in Patchogue. NYMISOA Vice President Randy Vogt presented the award to longtime St. Joseph's coach Joe Lee. The Smithtown resident has also coached for the past three decades in the Long Island Junior Soccer League.
"Our award winner is not your average Joe as he is the first ever three-time winner of our sportsmanship award," Vogt said. "You know that he coaches the St. Joseph's women's team but you might not know that he coached the Sachem Tomahawks to the girls U-16 national championship in 1987 plus coached two players who competed in the Olympics — gold medalist Sue Bird in basketball and Greece goalkeeper Maria Yatrakis in soccer."
Joe Lee previously won the NYMISOA sportsmanship award in 2003 and 2005.
"I tell my players just to concentrate on playing," Lee said. "When they do that, when the coaches coach and the officials officiate, soccer is a wonderful game."
The Long Island Junior Soccer League was established in 1966 as a nonprofit educational organization and is one of the largest youth soccer leagues in the United States, with 98 member clubs representing approximately 70,000 players on Long Island and in Queens. The LIJSL is operated by volunteers committed to enabling young people to build character through soccer.
For more information, please visit the official website at www.lijsoccer.com/.
