DOC'S e-CORNER

A Letter To My Friend, Franco Legovich

Dear Franco:

First of all, let me congratulate you on being inducted into the “Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League Hall of Fame.” It is a title that you have earned throughout many years of hard work and dedication to the development of youth soccer.

It is my privilege to have known you since the Silver Lake Soccer Club joined the Cosmopolitan League. At that time, you where coaching Istria SC., and later you were the coach of a Westchester team.

In 1986, you moved with your family to Staten Island and that is when our friendship and cooperation in soccer began. The Silver Lake Soccer Club was at that time in its era of full growth and development. Soccer on Staten Island was becoming increasingly popular, and knowledgeable soccer coaches were in high demand.

I was happy to see you join our club. Since we shared the same philosophy you volunteered to coach the Silver Lake Kickers for two years. It was your goal to form a team with very young players so that you could develop their full potential through their teen years. This is how the Silver Lake Tasos team was formed and how it came to be one of the most rewarding teams a coach could ask for. In the course of 9 years the Tasos won four New York State Cups and made it to two finals. They also brought home many trophies from out-of-state competitions.

It is difficult to summarize your numerous achievements. I am thinking of the Olympic Developmental Program that you coached for 5 years with winning teams and also how you excelled in developing the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League Select Program.

Monsignor Farrell High School had the privilege of having you as the soccer coach of the Lions for 11 years. Your hard work and your teams' efforts brought back five New York Archdiocese titles as well as one New York Catholic School Championship and two finals in the New York State Soccer Scholastic Cup.

Although you are, like me, advancing in age, your love for the sport cannot keep you away from teaching the game of soccer. Your dedication to your players does not only stop at developing their skills but also includes helping them find their way in life.

I remember your great sadness when one of your players tragically passed away and how you decided to give his name (Taso) to your team in his honor. You are equally adept at creating a bond between players and their coach. The many pasta dinners at your house the night before a big game was also emblematic of how you prepared your teams both physically and emotionally. In addition, outside of soccer, you went out of your way to help many young men find employment. You always showed your caring nature.

The volunteering spirit that guided you and me has, unfortunately, faded away. With a few notable exceptions, coaching nowadays is impersonal and without heart. We have to live with our fond memories and hope the best for the younger generations.

Dear Franco, to close this letter, I wish you all the best in the years to come. Good health to you and your family, and lots of good times on the soccer pitch….

Your friend,
Dr. Gabriel Nigrin (DOC)
Founder, Silver Lake Soccer

Here's a Silver Lake photo album with examples of Franco Legovich's commitment to youth soccer