The field behind Stotzky Park — or “La Bomba” as most Latinos in Riverhead know it because of the water tower there — is home to one of the oldest and most prestigious soccer leagues on the East End. A yearly ritual for many, dozens of players flock to the field every Sunday from early April to late November, to battle for the top prize. The games allow them to forget about nationalities, or any issues they may be facing, and just go to play and do the best for their team.
Edgardo Villafranco, the organizer of the Riverhead Soccer League for the last 10 years, said that for the Latino community, soccer is a sacred experience, something that unites everybody across borders and helps youth to stay out of trouble.
“After a week of hard work, there is nothing better than to come to the field with your family and enjoy each other through soccer and sports. It’s a healthy experience and everyone benefits,” he said.
Villafranco, a former player, said that he took over the league 10 years ago after a lapse of three years where “nobody was in charge” and the league had disbanded leaving everyone “with nothing to do.” The Riverhead Soccer League has been active for at least the last 20 years he said.
Every year Villafranco applies to the Town of Riverhead’s Parks and Recreation Department around December, pays for the application fee, gets the insurance needed and waits for the teams to start signing up, he said. He also said has to pay an additional $275 fee to the town for maintenance, but they make sure they leave the field as clean as possible.
“There’s always 10 to 16 teams that sign up, teams that come back season after season, and they care about the field. It is the best field in the area and we take care of it,” he said.
Each Sunday around 500 to 1,000 people show up to watch the games, he said, sometimes even more if it’s one of the final games of the season.
“People are very passionate about the games and their teams. There are true fans,” he said.
The nine teams competing in this current season are mostly comprised of local Riverhead and East End players, Villafranco said.
Luis Armando, the trainer for ‘Deportivo Juvenil,’ a team whose players are all graduates of Riverhead High School or currently still in high school, said that they have been playing together for a year.
“We all love soccer, we knew each other from school and we decided to play together as a team for the league,” Armando said. “We want other youth to see how positive and motivating soccer can be and we also want to keep this tradition alive,” he said.
Marcos Pirir, the trainer for ‘Los Veteranos,’ a team that has been playing together for the last three years said that promoting good habits and exercise was also important for them.
“Soccer is not only entertaining, it also helps us exercise and show our families and kids about keeping fit and sportsmanship,” he said.
This year’s tournament started on April 14 and will last until the end of July. Each Sunday eight teams play and one rests. Games start at 10:30 a.m. and finish around 5 p.m.
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The winner will receive a prize of $4,000, second place $3,500, third place $500 and there are also other trophies and plaques that will be distributed. Prizes are funded through team subscriptions. Each team has to pay a $1,000 one-time fee per season.
The second yearly tournament will start at the beginning of August and will end Thanksgiving week.
These are the results for Sunday April 21, the second Sunday playing:
* Veteranos vs. Deportivo Juvenil: 0-0
* Vuelta Grande vs. Nueva Generación: 1-1
* Deportivo Chiquín Junior vs. Torito Chapín: 3-2
* Honduras vs. Deportivo Central: 0-0
* San Antonio was off for the day
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