Getting Their Kicks on Memorial Day

A time-honored tradition dating back to the '7os will take place this weekend as hundreds of youth soccer teams will descend upon the area for the Massapequa Soccer Club’s annual Memorial Day tournament.

 It’s just as much a part of Memorial Day in the Massapequas as parades, backyard barbecues, and the beach. It may not be the World Cup, but it will surely be of interest to those who want to see the Peles, Maradonas, and Mia Hamms of the future.

Along with the thousands of youngsters that will be participating, there will also be many Soccer moms and dads on hand. One of those Soccer dads has a special connection to the tournament.

His name is Lincoln Page. And he began his involvement with the game circa 1979 when he signed up his daughter to play at the club. Little did he know just how big a part soccer would play in his life.

At the time, he club needed a coach and he signed up. Although he had been exposed to soccer at Hartwick College years earlier, he had never played the game  so he consulted books from the library to learn more about the sport.

Ultimately, his efforts turned out to be very rewarding. He ended up serving the club not only as a coach, but as its registrar, its president, and as the tournament’s director and treasurer.

His years of dedication and hard work for the club were rewarded. He is now a member of the Long  Island Junior Soccer League’s Hall of Fame and the Eastern New York Soccer Hall of Fame.

Additionally, the tournament he was involved with for so many years now bears his name.

Although he is still involved with the tournament in an auxiliary role, Page has more recently made way for people like Tournament Director Richard Guinness, who himself grew up playing soccer at the club.

Page’s daughter, Lorraine Brucato, whose participation in the game as a youth prompted her father’s involvement in soccer, now serves as Assistant Tournament Director.

The tournament itself, now in its 32nd year, began Friday night and will run through  Sunday.

There will be just under 300 boys’ and girls’ teams participating in age   groups ranging from Under-9 to Under-17.

Besides featuring local teams from Long Island and New York City, teams from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts will also participate.

While Massapequa will indeed host part of the event at the and,at , teams will also play at the Long Island Soccer Park in Plainview,

Brentwood State Park, Bethpage State Park Polo Fields, Hofstra University inHempstead, Triangle Park in Hicksville, and Robbins Lane Community Park in Syosset.

For more information on the tournament, visit the Massapequa Soccer Club’s website.