Resident receives Soccer Football League 2012 President’s Award

The Long Island Soccer Football League (LISFL) honored its champions at an annual awards dinner last month, which included East Meadow resident and former East Meadow Soccer Club youth player Gabriel Marques.

LISFL President Gus Xikis, who’s involvement with the sport reaches as high as the United States Adult Soccer Association, presented Marques with the inaugural President’s Award for 2012, citing his off-the-field contributions to the game of soccer.

“Gabriel has a unique passion and vision for the soccer community here on Long Island, we are glad to honor him,” said Xikis. Marques has been heavily involved in the Mineola Portuguese Soccer Club over the past few years, most notably for being part of the 2011 team that brought the amateur state title back to Long Island after more than a decade.

“I was deeply honored to receive this award,” said Marques, whose contributions rise above club-level. He was credited in a recent soccer documentary by a local university student for his work in compiling historical records about the sports history on Long Island, and for his use of social media to help many players find teams to play for.

Additionally, Marques worked with local government officials to increase the awareness of adult amateur soccer on Long Island and is one of the co-founders of the annual Nassau County Executive Cup. Most notably, according to Xikis, were Marques’ contributions in helping the LISFL bring its centerpiece game, the Cangero Cup, back to Mitchel Field.

In his speech, Marques thanked the board and the League’s members for the award saying, there is still more he intends to do to improve the experience of the more than “100,000 registered children and adults who play soccer every weekend here on L.I. and New York City.”