Youth sports and community unity was at its finest last month when ten families from four separate communities competing on five different soccer teams displayed the ultimate in team sportsmanship. These sixth grade boys put forth a tremendous competitive effort and garnered the championship in the daylong Disney/MLS sponsored JETIX Kids Cup at Hofstra University on a beautiful June Saturday.

The young men included members of the Mineola Storm (Tommy Breslin, Tyler Kapela, Paul Sandoval and Tommy Satalino), Albertson Ablaze (Jonny Kashine, Bobby Kelly and Michael Pollack), Albertson Aston Villa (Eli Rousso), New Hyde Park Bengals (Greg Arpino) and Valley Stream Forest (Ryan Winters) - all competitive Under 12 Boys travel teams playing in various divisions of the Long Island Junior Soccer League. Nicknamed Black & Blue (representing the common colors of their respective organizations), they battled structured teams from West Babylon and Stony Brook in a round robin single elimination tournament. Their inspiration was their love for the game of soccer. They had no group practices nor were many even familiar with their partners. Despite this disadvantage, their natural talents shone as these competitors from Mineola, Manhasset, Williston Park and Roslyn showed how will and determination could outwit experience and season long training.

The initial contest was against a split squad from Stony Brook and the B&Bs executed to perfection. Michael Pollack netted two scores and Jonny Kashine one to lead the locals to a 3-2 victory. The five on five short field arrangement presented enormous challenges for the defense. Coach Tom Winters elected to use familiarity to the team's benefit and coupled the Storm crew of Tyler Kapela and Tommy Breslin and the Ablaze duo of Bobby Kelly and Kashine on the back line. Eli Rousso was the stopper in the net.

The second match pitted the Nassau team against the opposite number from Stony Brook. Leading early on a Ryan Winters cross to Kashine, the boys settled for a 2-2 tie - their only blemish of the day. Pollack converted a long bomb from his neighbor Rousso for the tying tally. Storm trackers Tommy Satalino and Paul Sandoval combined for multiple chances at striker while Greg Arpino showed his utility by filling in where needed.

Needing a win against a bigger, dominant and undefeated West Babylon team for psychological warfare, the Black & Blue were inspired in the final divisional game. The BB's fired early and often achieving a halftime lead. Knowing the two teams had automatically byes to the finals, Coach Winters played coy with his match-ups. Choosing not to give away strategy that could later be used against him, lines went helter skelter. While the ploy may have backfired before game's end, the Black and the Blue rallied to come away with a 2-1 victory as the only team without a loss.

The final was a classic. The Black took an early lead only to see it wilt. Coach Winters moved to a three-man zone defense in error and took all the blame upon himself. The boys would bail him out, however. With spectators spiritedly yelling in his ear, players braving through injuries and clock management an issue, the game marathoned through two scoreless five minute overtimes and into a tension-filled shootout. The Blue knew they had the secret weapon in Keeper Rousso who foiled his last three penalty kicks of the season (one against the Storm in a Waldbaum's cup match earlier this season). Kelly, Kashine and Pollack nailed the net without error on their penalty kicks. West Babylon sailed their second shot wide for the difference.

The boys were examples to all coming together as friends by the end of the day. Playing against teams who were used to their companions, no one would have anticipated the final result. Families were equally vocal on the sidelines and lined up like ducks to root on their newfound mates. Each of the boys received a JETIX medal and souvenir soccer balls while awaiting the Disney Channel telecast in August. The next time these young lads take the field, they will be competitors once again but for one day they banded together as valiant compatriots. Congratulations to the winners and their families for a job well done!