Anthony Maresco and Andrew Seabury (Photo courtesy of LISJL)
Long Island Junior Soccer League president Anthony Maresco announced his retirement from soccer to club presidents during the League’s recent virtual general meeting Dec. 8.
Andrew Seabury will succeed Maresco as league president.
“I take this opportunity to advise you that I have retired from soccer,” Maresco said to the club presidents. “The board and I have put together a succession plan to ensure a smooth transition. I am pleased to announce that Andrew Seabury will assume the president’s position. I am confident that Andrew and the board will continue to move the league forward. I want to thank all of you for the support of the league. I also want to personally thank the board of directors, the office staff and my family for all of their support.”
Maresco, who will step down from the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association board of directors, had a 28-year volunteer career. He compiled an impressive resume at the club, league and state levels. His efforts were recognized by his induction into the LIJSL Hall of Fame in 2010 and the ENYYSA Hall in 2018.
The South Setauket, N.Y. resident began volunteering for the Terryville Soccer Club in 1993. He went on to serve on the club’s executive board for 15 years as president from 2000 through 2009. In 2007, he was an assistant coach on the Terryville Fire, winners of the U.S. Youth Soccer Boys Under-18 national championship.
After volunteering at the league level, including league games chairperson, Long Island Cup girls chairperson, as well as serving on the supervisory, rules and arbitration committees, Maresco joined the LIJSL board as a Trustee in 2010. He then was elected treasurer, first vice president before becoming president in 2015.
It was Maresco’s role as LIJSL president in which he left his most indelible mark, Seabury said.
“He’s been a really calm voice amongst the loud noise in our game of soccer,” he added. “Leader on our board, state board, most importantly for the whole soccer community on LI on a whole. Under his leadership we’ve seen LIJ move from an organization, to be fair that didn’t understand the modern game and its needs, to a league that now looks to lead and provide solutions and flexibility to our membership.”
Added LIJSL managing director Steve Padaetz: “Anthony was successful in fostering a much more customer-centric culture, while also creating a greater level of transparency to our membership. His eagerness to promote ‘pilot programs’, as well as to facilitate rule changes, benefited our membership infinitely.
Maresco’s departue did not come by overnight. He had discussed it with the board last spring. But after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down sports, including most of youth soccer in March, he decided to continue in his role as president.
“They say the measure of a person is in his or her actions, not their words. Anthony had looked to retire and discussed leaving the board maybe by the spring and wanted to create a plan to begin a transition,” Seabury said. “However, faced with obviously the most difficult time our league and membership has encountered, instead of just walking away, he choose to stay alongside the board, providing the leadership so that collectively we as a soccer community could survive and get through these times.”
