Bessie Lamonica named Personality of the Month by the Eastern NY Soccer Association

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The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association has named Bessie Lamonica, a longtime figure in the Oceanside soccer community, June’s Personality of the Month.

Lamonica has been involved in Oceanside United’s soccer programs since 1962 when her son Rudy played on the inaugural team. Rudy would go on to play for Oceanside High School, scoring over half of the Sailor’s goals during their back-to-back championship seasons in 1968 and 1969. Rudy was diagnosed with bone cancer in 1970 and died at age 17.

“Losing a child is the worst thing that can happen to you,” Bessie explained. “My son lived a short life, but he lived a full life, every moment, and his spirit stuck to me because he wanted to promote soccer in this country.”

In 1972 Bessie and her husband Phil started the Oceanside United girls soccer program. They coached their daughter Donna on the first team, the Oceanside Gumbies.

After Rudy’s death, a recently formed local youth indoor soccer tournament was renamed after him. It is now the oldest soccer competition of its kind in the United States. Early this year the Rudy Lamonica Indoor Tournament celebrated its 50th anniversary and Bessie, now 90, was on hand to award the trophies.

Bessie, born in West Virgina but raised in Italy, immigrated to Oceanside in 1948. Bessie and Phil were inducted into the Eastern New York Soccer hall of fame in 2001 for their years of service.

Two yearly scholarships are given out in Rudy’s name, funded through the tournament, as well as money raised by Bessie in honor of her son. The most valuable players of the boys and girls high school soccer teams, voted on by their peers, are awarded the Rudy Lamonica Memorial M.V.P. Scholarship every June.

Steve Padaetz, the Long Island Junior Soccer League director of marketing and member services, has known Bessie for more than 25 years. He commented, “Hundreds of players, coaches, administrators and the greater Oceanside community owe a great deal of gratitude to Bessie and her family for all they have done for soccer.”