The East Islip Soccer Club was formed in the Fall of 1979, serving the children of the East Islip, Islip, Islip Terrace and Great River communities. Our initial affiliation was with the PAL organization. We were admitted to the Long Island Junior Soccer League the following year (Fall 1980). Linda Bohlsen was our first President and certainly a driving force in establishing the goals and objectives that the Club has operated under since its inception. Jack McAuley set up our entire soccer education program. Jack was truly the role model for the ideals of sportsmanship and fair play that is a big part of our organizational theory and mission. In 1983 the Club established an award in Jack’s name to be given each year to an active non-board member of our Club who has given a great deal of time and energy to the youth of our community to promote sportsmanship and fair play. This award is looked upon as a great honor. Our most recent recipient was Carl Vik, who has spent years doing everything imaginable.
The registration for our first season was 464 players. Boys and girls played together in all age groups. We were initially an intramural club with no travel teams. Over the years, our club grew in size to our current approximately 1,600 players. It has always been our philosophy to keep our intramural program strong.
Our first travel teams were formed in the Fall of 1980 and was limited to a few teams over age nine. Since then our involvement in the travel program has expanded and we currently have 35 travel teams. However, we keep a watchful eye that our travel program not be expanded at the expense of the strength of our intramural program. We also have rather stringent limits that prevent these teams from recruiting from outside our area, therefore continuing to keep it a program primarily for the specific service area youth. We have enjoyed many divisional championships, Chase/Waldbaum’s Cup winners, tournament champions, State Championships, including three "Triple Crown" winners.
In October of 1983, the Club held its first intramural tournament, then known as the "ARBY CUP", sponsored by ARBY’S. We had a total enrollment of 54 teams and played all the games at Heckscher State Park. This tournament has been held every year since on the Columbus Day weekend. The name has since been changed to the EAST ISLIP FALL CLASSIC and has grown to approximately 210 teams, coming from all over Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn and even the Bronx.
The Club also began hosting an Indoor tournament, which has grown to approximately 100 teams per year. The proceeds from this tournament primarily are used to fund a Scholarship fund for graduating seniors. Over the years, more than $250,000 in scholarship money has been awarded to students who have played for the club.
To list the names of all of those who have contributed, and currently contribute, to the success of this Club would be entirely too long. Suffice it to say that we have always been and hope to continue to be an organization that is blessed with people who are willing to sacrifice time and energy for the development of the youth of our community, and the cooperation of the Town of Islip Department of Parks and Recreation, The NY State Department of Parks and Recreation and the East Islip and Islip School Districts.