Best Buddy: Mendham Teen Honored by NJ Youth Sports for Volunteerism

Emily Saliterman is a buddy to many, especially those she plays soccer with.

But the 2013 Mendham High School graduate brought new meaning to the term, who recently was named New Jersey Youth Soccer (NJYS) organization’s Buddy of the Year.

Saliterman, who helped create TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer) in 2009 with her brother as part of the West Morris Soccer Club.

For the past four seasons, Saliterman ran all aspects of the TOPSoccer program, which is a community-based training and team placement program for young athletes with disabilities.

The program has some 20 players and 30 volunteers, and is broken into teams for the athletes to compete against each other.

Saliterman was honored recently by receiving the Buddy of the Year award at a banquet for the NJYS. She is currently a student at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. She, of course, plays on the soccer team there.