Fundraising and raising awareness for special causes are foundational values in the Lynbrook community. Throughout the years, the efforts of the Lynbrook soccer program and its teams have proven this true. The program’s most notable event, Lynbrook Soccer Day, selects a new organization each year to highlight a specific cause. This year, the coaches selected the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) for the Sept. 28 game. The RMHC works to provide the families of sick children with resources they need to not only cope but help keep their lives on track when faced with such life-altering circumstances. There are over 40 Ronald McDonald houses throughout the country that are situated near hospitals and allow parents and/or caregivers to have more direct access to their child’s care. Additionally, the RMHC strongly believes in helping all members of families who are affected by childhood illness. This means that siblings of sick children are provided with support services and recreational activities that help to maintain stability in their lives.
To kick off the year and their donations, all four LHS soccer teams had a Saturday morning practice on Aug. 31 and a breakfast to follow. Parents were invited to join, and between practice and breakfast, a representative from the New York Metro region of the Ronald McDonald House Charities spoke to the athletes about what this nonprofit works toward and its message. Many athletes and parents were able to draw an emotional connection with the organization and were further motivated to make a difference.
While money was raised throughout the whole season for the RMHC, Soccer Day was the most renowned charitable event the soccer program hosted; not only did it culminate all the hard work the athletes have done on the field but also the hard work their families put in to make donations for a charitable cause. Last year, the Ryan Patrick O’Shea Foundation was honored for its work toward increasing suicide prevention and mental health awareness, especially amongst teenagers. Other charities and causes that have been highlighted in the past are the Fly-a-Kite Foundation (raising money for pediatric brain cancer in memory of Zachary Bernstein), the Nassau Suffolk Services for Autism, and SIBS Place, which provides support to siblings of children with devastating diseases such as cancer.
Each soccer team plays a non-league game against a school/team of choice, and custom jerseys are made to honor the charities each year. This year, there were white jerseys with orange and yellow accents to pay homage to the colors of the RMHC. It just so happened that this year’s Soccer Day was one of the rainiest days of the season, but the community still rallied to make donations.
North Middle School teacher and first-year girls’ varsity soccer team assistant coach Chris Balas noted how seeing everyone come together despite bad weather was a “beautiful thing.” Previously, Balas had coached the middle school boys soccer team, and in his inaugural season, he noticed a vast sense of community outreach: “I saw parents bring their younger kids who don’t have older siblings to watch [the team] play. You can tell how much they all admired [the team], and it’s wonderful to see grassroots develop and community outreach like that.”
Additionally, Marion Street physical education teacher Jenna Crimmins also had a year of firsts. She has been the assistant coach of the girls’ varsity soccer team for several years, and this one was her first year as head coach. She explained, “Part of our job as coaches is to guide our players to make good choices and help instill strong values in them. It’s important they give back to those in need and support a cause that is bigger than soccer.” In terms of community outreach, she finds it meaningful that “…whenever Soccer Day has been rained out and rescheduled…we always have people show up and support, which says a lot about the connection to the community.”
This year, the stakes were high as the boys’ and girls’ JV teams played Kellenberg Memorial High School, and the boys’ and girls’ varsity teams competed against Carle Place. Both varsity games were broadcasted on Varsity Media, which is a high school sports network in New York that specializes in games and highlight videos. This was an opportunity for players not only to showcase their abilities but also spread word about the charitable efforts being made by the soccer program. Following the high school soccer program’s legacy, players from the Lynbrook East Rockaway Soccer Club had the opportunity to play in a short game during halftime of each of the varsity games.
In addition to benefiting the community, fundraisers like this one impact the players greatly. Senior Michael Werzinger, a midfielder for the boys’ varsity soccer team and an honoree of both an All-County Honorable Mention award and Scholar-Athlete recognition, found much meaning in being able to be a part of a program that dedicates its time and resources to helping others. “What’s most meaningful to me is being able to impact a community through a sport I love. It turns soccer into an opportunity to give back,” he shared. This is a special aspect of this program; the fact that an athletic activity can serve as a vice for making a difference in one’s world is an experience that some teams do not have the pleasure of experiencing.
All four soccer teams were recognized for their hard work and dedication throughout their respective seasons in both performance and fundraising at the December Board of Education Meeting on Dec. 11. Members of all four teams were in attendance and presented a representative from the RMHC with a check of $2,800; a culmination of all the hard work put in throughout the season. This donation will go towards funding the various, crucial programs that the RMHC runs. This was a successful year for the soccer program for so many reasons, but one of the most notable is its contributions to a positive cause and its continued efforts to do so throughout the years.
