Amistad and Celantano play a hard game, finally won by Amistad 2-1.
New Haven Youth Soccer’s Annie Harper sent in these photos and this write-up about the middle school soccer championships this past weekend.
Soccer is alive, well and growing in New Haven. Last Saturday morning, the soccer fields at Ella Grasso Boulevard were filled with families watching their children play in the two championship games of the New Haven Youth Soccer’s Elm City Middle School League – one game for each of the two divisions. Saturday’s games were the culmination of a season of weekly games that have taken place every Saturday morning during the fall – and will begin in again in the spring.
The final scores were: Franco Canadience 1 vs. Marquense 0 in the Division A final, and Amistad 3 vs. Celentano 2 in the Division B final.
Division A teams Marquense and Franco Canadience shake hands and swap shirts after the game, which Franco Canadience won 2-1.
This was the first ever championship for the Elm City Middle School League, which was started only a year ago, and has already brought together some 150 kids playing in 12 teams from all over New Haven. Schools represented include John C. Daniels, Edgewood, Worthington Hooker, Celentano, and Amistad Academy. The league also features independent teams, such as Franco Canadience, Marquense, Barcelona U.S.A., St Rose and the Chicanitos. There are also two “New Haven” teams for players who sign up without being attached to a specific team.
The Elm City Middle School League provides an opportunity for all New Haven kids to play soccer, regardless of their ability to pay, and brings together kids from across the city; the Saturday morning games are a rich mix of the city’s diverse ethnicities and languages. The New Haven school system lacks the funds or resources to organize school soccer teams, but the Elm City Middle School League, administered by New Haven Youth Soccer and run almost entirely by volunteers, has provided a space and structure for those teams to form.
The teams listen to the speeches before medals and trophies are handed out.
Elm City organizer and Celentano coach hands out medals and trophies to the teams.
Exon Amaya, the original force behind the creation of the Elm City league, talks to the players before medals and trophies are handed out.
Amaya.
Great coverage of New Haven youth - lots of good stories out there! Exon Amaya is an incredible story himself. When he was a middle schooler he loved playing soccer and was always the ultimate positive role model to other kids his age besides being a really good soccer player. His determination to do great things and make a significant contribution to other young people in his community makes me feel so proud to know him.