Announcing the Synagogue Soccer League

The JCC of Mid-Westchester and Backyard Sports will partner in the launch of a new Synagogue Indoor Soccer League (SISL) for boys and girls, grades 4-8, this spring. "The premise of this new league is similar to the Jewish Basketball League (JBL) where teams are comprised of kids from surrounding synagogues", said Danny Bernstein, Founder and Owner of Backyard Sports. "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 season will begin on Thursday, April 19 and will consist of 6 weeks of regular season play followed by playoffs . Game will be played between 7 and 9pm. All games are 6v6 including goalie and all games are officiated by trained, adult referees. The league is being promoted to area synagogues to encourage them to form their own teams, though independent teams are also welcome. Organizers hope to have ## teams involved this first season.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with Backyard Sports on this new program", said John O'Brien, Director of Sports & 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 (the JCC) 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, Backyard Sports has been the leading provider of community team sports programs in Westchester County. Their unique approach combines the highest level of instruction with equal emphasis on human development skills.

The Jewish Community Center of Mid-Westchester, a proud beneficiary of UJA-Federation of New York, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the community by 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, Sports & Fitness/Facilities and the JCC of Mid-Westchester 472-3300, x329, obrienj@jccmw.org.