Dec. 21, 2008
FANTASTIC FOUR
Grecco, Rodriguez, Friedman, Turchi are inducted into ENY Soccer Hall of Fame
The ENY Hall of Fame, class of 2008 (left to right): Sal Turchi, standing in for his father, Bruce Friedeman, Pat Grecco and Barbara Rodriguez.
Photo by Michael Lewis
Franklin Square, L.I. -- A pillar of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association's State Cup competition, a woman who took the time to help players find their way to college, someone who has worked at the youth and amateur game and a soccer pioneer were given their just desserts at the Sand Castle before the dessert was served on Dec. 13.
Pat Grecco, Barbara Rodriguez, Bruce Friedman and Nicola Turchi were inducted into the Eastern New York Soccer Hall of Fame during Eastern New York's annual Christmas party.
The Hall is a joint venture of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association and Eastern New York State Amateur Soccer Association.
All four inductees were humbled by the honor.
During her induction speech, Rodriguez, the State Cup administrator for the past 15 years, ask "any former or present commissioner, please stand up and take a bow. Don't be shy. I'm just honored by this whole thing and flabbergasted."
Ray Ward, ENY's youth first president is also State Cup commissioner, so he has gotten to know Rodriguez quite well over the years. He recalled many a phone call between him and Rodriguez and how Barbara's husband, Julie, had to make sacrifices for the sport.
"Barbara, it's Ray," he would say to her on the phone.
"Dinner will wait," she said. "Let's go."
Rodriguez has worked tireless for the State Cup, mostly as the administrator.
"Without Barbara Rodriguez, the success of the State Cup would not be possible," Ward said.
Ward added that Rodriguez "has been there and done it all."
Indeed.
Rodriguez began coaching her daughter, Judy in the early 1980s when she was the coach of the Northport Rainbows. Her son, Jim, also played in the Long Island Junior Soccer League. Soon after starting her coaching career, Rodriguez was elected to the board of directors of the Northport/Cow Harbor Soccer Club and eventually became president.
During her two years as president Rodriguez could boast that three of their club teams went all the way to the U.S. Youth Soccer national championships in the same year (1997). Those teams were the Piranha, Elite and Celtics. The Piranha won the national championship that year at the Girls Under-16 finals in Arizona. No other LIJSL club had three teams reach the nationals in the same year.
Rodriguez also served as supervisor for the LIJSL games committee, tournament director of the LIJSL Girls Select tournament in the 1980s and Girls Coordinator of the Liberty Cup during the 1990s.
After a few years of experience with the Liberty Cup, Rodriguez decided to take on the challenge of forming the Northport/Cow Harbor Columbus Day Tournament. For eight years during the mid- and late-1990s, she led a group of volunteers as tournament chairperson.
Grecco took a different path to the Hall.
"Pat Grecco has personally helped more players get to college than anyone on this planet," LIJSL executive director Joan Czach said. "Mrs. Grecco has volunteered thousands of hours of her time to our organization and always finds time to help a disadvantaged family with a difficult problem."
Grecco sees the coach's world from the coach's point of view. For the past 15 years, she has worked with hundreds of college coaches in soccer. She has acquired sensitivity for their coaching style, their program's traditions, the school's culture and its valuation of athletics and student/athletes. Her College Showcase for the LIJSL has earned the respect of coaches and created hundreds of valuable personal relationships. She has organized college workshops for local players and their parents in English and Spanish. She also has worked the last 10 years as the chairperson of the league's scholarship Program. Grecco also was director of the Exceptional Senior Games throughout the 1990s.
All three Grecco kids played in the LIJSL. Beth is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, a full scholarship recipient and three-time All-American. Ellen played at Northport High School, graduated from Fordham University where women's soccer began after she graduated. Son Frank Jr., a recruited soccer player, was four-year varsity player at the U.S. Naval Academy and is a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. Her husband, Frank Sr., has served as a LIJSL referee.
"If I were to tell you all the accomplishments of Pat Grecco, it would take me three hours," LIJSL president Addie Mattei-Iaia said at the induction. "Pat is part of an exemplary soccer family. She has volunteered with every aspect of the LIJSL. Pat believes there is a college for everybody, no matter athletic or academic standing."
Grecco? She was as modest and humble as Rodriguez.
"I'm here to help anybody who needs it," she said. "My children benefited from soccer volunteers so this is my way to give back. There is a college for everybody, whether you're the best player or not or the smartest student or not.
"Nobody gets anywhere in life without the help of another person," she added.
Like Grecco, Friedman got hooked on the game when his son played youth soccer.
"It was the beginning of a life-long love for the game," he said.
Friedman, currently the president of the Long Island Soccer Football League, said his wife has heard the same story from him for years.
"I'll be home in 20 minutes and it took four hours," he said.
No one had to remind Friedman the audience who he was speaking to. "I am coming home to people who share our love for the game," he said. "We're not doing it for anything else but love."
Friedman rose up through the youth ranks as Sachem Soccer Club intramural Girls coordinator, as a member of the Lake Grove S.C. board of directors and eventually as club president. He joined the LISFL in 1994 and became Under-23 game chairman and league president in 2005.
Sal Rapaglia, president of the Eastern New York amateurs, remembered Nicola Turchi's dedication to the sport and his club. Turchi had eight sons and Rapaglia played soccer against some of then.
"Every Sunday, rain or shine, he was there, fighting for his club . . . His heart was always there."
Rapaglia later said, "The Turchi family has been an asset for the game."
Turchi said he told his father two weeks ago about his election to the Hall. Nicola, who is 94, had planned to attend the ceremonies, but recently came down with bronchitis.
"I want to come, but your mother says she's going to leave me," Sal told the audience. "We forced him not to come."
Earlier that day Nicola called his son. "He apologized and wanted to thank the committee," Turchi said
