What a long strange trip it has been. 1982 saw me bothering Roy Messing & Tom Mulroy so much for a job at Shep Messing Soccer World, that they relented, I began sweeping up and things like that, soon I would start to go to the Shep Messing led NY Arrows games and sit at the table for the facility. The first LIJSL Convention stands out in my mind as I was taken very ill at the LI Marriott. I would first ref a youth game involving a team from Syosset, I knew the family of one of the coaches and let him know, this is my first game, if I stink the place up, let me know the game will not count, ditto for when a coach did not show up, oh we need a person, find Sean. Not well, but I would video the games played at the building, this lead to me doing the video for the NY Arrows, I was too afraid to see those reslults, but I am sure they were equally bad. The Shep Messing Soccer Camps were I am sure proud to have me on staff the next summer, the following ones saw me with what is now the Oakwood Academy and their camps featuring a partnership with furture USWNT HC Tony DiCicco and Dan Gaspar who has now coached Goalkeepers for a handful of National Teams, and I have of late photographed a number of events for him. While still in High School, I was coaching a team in the Long Island Ladies Socccer League, was a ref in the Syosset Soccer Club, for those who think the ref abuse is new, harldy, a parent when i was maybe 120 pounds was in my face screaming he would not stop, as I held the corner flags from my linesman and rapped the heavy handle in my other hand he left. I made a call while doing a game in the Long Island Industrial League I was struck then the player ran off, next day next game a person was on the sidleine with a tire iron, a double forfeit almost happened. There are many players I refereed games for who played overseas, internatioanlly, NASL, MISL, ASL, AISA, MLS, etc., anyone for alphabet soup? The #2 person at Pro was not damaged enough by me or took it upon himself to make sure I would not do the higher level games, many who would go on to play pro themselves were players in games I refereed. 3 pro teams each went under by the time I was 19. When I returned from my last one, I founded Long Island Soccer Schools way back in 1987. I have dealt with commissioners of a number of leagues, coaches of many nations, players good and bad of all levels and leagues world wide. A few USSF coaching licenses and expired referee certs., a degree in Sports Administration (Sports Management) and still at it. During a bit of a lull I kept my toe in the waters of soccer through clinics with among others, Alex Aguinaga, Luis "El Matador" Hernendez, Carlos "El Pibe" Valderamma and countless ones with Soccer Tom Mulroy, gave me great practice for those I do now throughout Long Island and NYC for mostly lower income players. At such events, I have been lucky enough to give out over 10,000 items to this group from school supplies, to clothing, TV's DVD players, phones, furniture, soccer balls to make their lives a bit better. I was privileged to be the manager or more likely mismanager for Dave Masur during his first year at St. John's, some of the things begun there are still done, of course recording the games, the children who play at halftime, charging for seats, but the AAD was not pleased with that one. The pro level had me going from selling tickets at the indoor facility, helping with player appearances, being the in house DJ, getting dry ice, selling ads in gamebooks, heading the summer camp program, selecting the draft for a team that would not return to defend the title just won. The first pick being Franklin McIntosh of NYIT, who would then be an All-Star many times over, telling him this after the Soccer Bowl in Atlanta was quite a surprise to him, wondering how it had happened. 1986 saw me going to the World Cup in Mexico with Roby Young and his U-15 team, this year I photographed some players sons in high school soccer. As my career with the NYPD wound down I got back into it far more with the return of the Cosmos, due to my erratic schedule with NYPD it was impossible to even seek work in the game until I retired, then I bought Soccer Long Island Magazine. I began taking photos of the Cosmos and was invitied to shoot for Kevin McCrudden, a few years later the opportunity presented itself to aqcuire this and so I did. This had given me a vehicle to get out and more involved in soccer than I ever would have imagined it would. Through this, I have been able to shoot booksignings for Pele, numerous ones for Brian Kilmeade who also worked at Shep's, Syosset grads Ronnie Dienhart & Rick Sudi Karatas, Carli Lloyd, Abby Wambach and many more. Events at the UN that I have been able to gain access to are a thrill each and everytime, that I have been able to bring in Kely Nasciomento-Deluca and Mara Davi was terrific. I met Mara of Broadaway, TV etc as she lent her talents in support of then RBNY Training director Jerome Vivona in a fundraiser for the Long Island High School for the Arts in my hometown of Syosset, which Jerome was good enough to allow me to capture. Beauty pagents, fashion week and other such things have been a most welcome outgrowth of this.
As I look forward to the next 37? years wow it has been a while, but next up is taking title to a parcel in Suffolk and afford the local and lower income players a free place to play, this I expect to occur in the spring. Getting then more into the coaching to help eliminate the high cost of pay to play, should you play free, not sure as there are costs such as coaches, uniforms, travel etc, but $5,000 or more is a bit much, more than tuition at a college. I hope through my initiatives to put a major dent in that. Of course more travel to cover games both as a writer and photographer, adding more video should be a good thing. Mostly I seek to put what I have gained over almost 40 years in the game to work to better the game first on the most local of levels with an eye on a far reaching grasp. This is the short version and the resto f it has yet to write itself, if you see my at a game, event, field whatever it may be, say hi.