Luis Montoya has been elected as a life member of Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association.
Montoya was given the honor at the organization’s Annual General Meeting last month.
Life Member is ENYYSA’s version of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Montoya founded the Big Apple Youth Soccer League in 1997 to serve the growing number of soccer families who recently arrived in New York City. He was the only president the BAYSL had known until Carlos Vergara succeeded him earlier this year.
He served as a member of the diversity committee for U.S. Soccer under four presidents – Alan Rothenberg, Dr. Bob Contiguglia, Sunil Gulati and Carlos Cordeiro.
The Astoria, N.Y. resident had two tours of duty as an ENYYSA trustee, under the presidencies of Barry Salter and Richard Christiano. With ENYYSA, Montoya chaired the Soccer Start/inner city committee and volunteered as a member on the appeals, tournament control and publicity committees.
Montoya has also volunteered as games chairperson for the Hellenic-American Soccer League and was on the league’s board of directors for seven years as well as serving as trustee for a few years in the Eastern New York State Soccer Association.
For nearly two decades Montoya promoted and coordinated C, D, E and F coaching courses in New York City with Alfonso Mondelo, Arnold Ramirez, John Ramirez, Howard Rubenstein and Nick Zlatar.
The BAYSL also has named its annual tournament after Montoya.
