Boca Announces Super Y-League Tryouts
January 1, 2004
Jersey Shore Boca has announced today that the Club will again participate in the United Soccer Leagues Super Y-League in 2004 and has begun holding open tryouts for their five SYL teams. Club will be a part of the nation’s top elite youth league for fourth straight year
Boca Announces Super Y-League Tryouts
Club will be a part of nation’s top elite youth league for fourth straight year
TOMS RIVER, NJ (January 1, 2004) – The Board of Directors of the Jersey Shore Boca Soccer Club announced today that the Club will again participate in the United Soccer Leagues Super Y-League in 2004 and has begun holding open tryouts for their five Super Y-League teams.
Boca will compete in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Super Y-League, the nation’s top elite youth soccer league, for the fourth straight year in 2004.
“We are very excited and proud to be part of the Super Y-League again in 2004 and to give our players the opportunity to compete against some of the best young soccer talent in the United States” said Al Schwartz, the President of Jersey Shore Boca.
“This will be our fourth consecutive year in the Super Y-League and as our history and experiences tell us, I believe I speak for all of our directors, coaches and staff when I say that the Super Y-League is the most competitive youth soccer league in the country. We can’t wait to get started again” Schwartz continued.
Jersey Shore Boca will field five boys teams for the 2004 SYL season; U-13s, U-14s, U-15s, U-16s and U-17s. All players born in the years 1987 through 1991 are welcomed to attend the open Boca SYL tryouts.
The 2004 Super Y-League season will begin in March and will end no later than November with details for the playoffs and finals to be announced at a later date.
The Boca SYL teams will again face some of the top youth soccer clubs in the United States during the 2004 season including DC United (DC), FC Delco (PA), Super Nova (PA), Baltimore Bays (MD), The Chesapeake Athletic Club (MD) and local in-state rivals the South Jersey Barons (NJ) among others.
The Super Y-League is the only North American youth league designed for the top one percent of elite youth players in the United States and Canada.
As a national affiliate of the United States Soccer Federation, the Super Y-League provides the national league structure to develop players and helps identify elite players for National Team programs through ODP status programs such as the SYL Finals and Regional Select Team weekends.
The SYL pilot season in 1999 began with 16 teams in two major regions of the United States and expanded to 75 teams in five major regions in 2000. Last year 490 teams competed in week in – week out league competition in the 2003 SYL season.
The scope of the Super Y-League stretches from as far as Vancouver, BC to Miami, FL and from Boston, MA to Los Angeles, CA.
“We have now developed a solid track record and some baseline standards to gauge the effects of competing in the Super Y-League after three years. In hind-sight, everything has been extremely positive for our Club and all of our players who participated in the SYL with us” said Walt Konopka, a member of the Jersey Shore Boca Board of Directors who also coached Boca SYL teams in 2001 and 2002.
“Any player who previously participated with us in the SYL received a taste of not only what it’s like to play at the next level but what it will take to get there. Regardless of the wins and losses, the fact we were able to provide our players this level of competition was tremendous toward their overall development” Konopka added.
Some of the highlights and accomplishments of Boca’s first three years of SYL history include an inaugural .500 season (6-6-0) for the Boca U18s and U-18 SYL National Player of the Week honors for Chris Konopka (Toms River, NJ) in 2001; U-15 SYL National Player of the Week honors for Jara Habib (Marlboro, NJ) in 2002 and very respectable 4th place finishes for the Boca U14 (6-5-1) and U17 (6-6-1) SYL teams in 2003.
Other player achievements during the Club’s short SYL history include eight Jersey Shore Boca players being named to the 2003 Super Y-League Regional ODP Player Pool, one Boca SYL player being selected to the U-15 Boy’s US National Team Player Pool, one former Boca SYL player being considered for the U-20 Men’s US National Team Player Pool and sixteen Boca SYL alumni participating in NCAA intercollegiate men’s soccer during 2003.
Jersey Shore Boca has been a fixture in the soccer community since 1978 and is one of the most respected soccer clubs in New Jersey.
The Club celebrated their 25-year anniversary in 2003.
Boca alumni include several former National and Olympic Team members as well as numerous collegiate DI –DIII players, coaches and former local high school standouts.
One of the most recognized Boca alumni is current U18 United States Men’s National Team & University of Virginia Coach George Gelnovatch who played under Boca Coach Walt Pericciuoli while also staring at Wall High School in the 1980s.
Gelnovatch is also a former member of the US National Team and played professionally with DC United of Major League Soccer.
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