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SCARSDALE, N.Y. No tryouts, no grinding practice, plenty of fun: that's what the Jewish Community Center of Mid-Westchester (JCC) and Backyard Sports, founded by a Scarsdale resident, are promising their new youth soccer league will be all about.
The two groups are partnering to launch a new Synagogue Indoor Soccer League (SISL) for boys and girls, grades four through eight, this spring.
"The premise of this new league is similar to the Jewish Basketball League, where teams are comprised of kids from surrounding synagogues," said Backyard Sports founder and owner Danny Bernstein. "This new league will give kids a chance to play soccer with their friends without the stress of tryouts and intense practice schedules."
The teams will be divided by grade and gender and all games will be played indoors at Purchase College. The six-week regular season will begin Thursday, April 19, with playoffs to follow. All games will be played between 7 and 9 p.m. Teams will each field six players at a time, including the goalie and all games will be officiated by referees.
The league is being promoted to area synagogues to encourage them to form their own teams, though independent teams are also welcome.
"We are thrilled to be partnering with Backyard Sports on this new program," said John O'Brien, director of sports and fitness at the JCC. "Our two organizations complement each other well. Backyard Sports was able to secure the indoor facilities at Purchase College and also has a network of referees already in place. In addition, Danny is well-connected to the local sports community through Backyard Sports. We are marketing and administering the program, and together we will be reaching out to synagogues for them to get involved by forming teams and participating in the league," O'Brien added.
Backyard Sports was founded in 2005 by Danny Bernstein of Scarsdale. Since then, the company has been a provider of community team sports programs in Westchester County.
The Jewish Community Center of Mid-Westchester, is a nonprofit organization providing cultural, social, educational and recreational/fitness programs, human services and Jewish identity-building opportunities to people of all ages and backgrounds.
For more information contact John O'Brien, director of sports and fitness, 472-3300, ext. 329, obrienj@jccmw.org.
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