Burt Wilkes (right) received two honors from Region I last Saturday. (Photo courtesy of ENYYSA)
Burt Wilkes had a pretty good weekend.
He was inducted into the Region I Soccer Hall of Fame and received the organization’s administrator award at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. Saturday.
Region I encompasses youth soccer from Maine to Virginia and West Virginia.
Wilkes also inducted into the Eastern New York Hall of Fame in 2012 as well as the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League Hall of Fame a year later.
“Youth soccer volunteers know that if you need something done, you call on Burt Wilkes so I am delighted that he has been inducted into his third Hall of Fame for always being there to help others,” Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association president Richard Christiano said.
Wilkes became involved with the CJSL’s Silver Lake Soccer Club in 1991 and served the club as president, vice president and trustee. He was the assistant coach and team administrator of the Silver Lake Rams, who won two State Cup championships at Boys Under-17 and U-19 while losing the U-18 final.
While with Silver Lake, the Rossville, Staten Island resident became part of the CJSL board of directors before volunteering for six years as CJSL president. He was the driving force behind the CJSL opening a full-time office, negotiated partnerships with corporations and was instrumental in CJSL girls teams playing in other Eastern New York leagues as guest teams while the CJSL accepted guest teams from other leagues.
Wilkes also was the first, second, third and fourth vice president of Eastern New York as well as a trustee. After volunteering for Region I for the past three years, we were delighted to welcome him back to ENY board, Wilkes returned as the organization’s fourth vice president, serving as State Cup chairperson and on the committees for arbitration and the Eastern New York Hall of Fame.
He became the second person from Eastern New York to be inducted into the Region I Hall of Fame, joining former ENYYSA president Peter Masotto, who was inducted in 2013.
