The world’s largest sporting event has arrived in Glen Cove. An estimated 500 people gathered in Morgan Park last Friday for the first of three FIFA World Cup watch parties organized by the Glen Cove Junior Soccer League, transforming the waterfront park into a community celebration of soccer complete with food, raffles, music and a giant outdoor screen.
Now organizers are preparing for two more free watch parties, including a June 27 screening of Portugal-vs.-Colombia, at Pascucci Field, and a July 19 championship watch party in Village Square.
For Brett Newman, the league’s second vice president, the series began with a simple goal: giving back to the community that supports youth soccer in Glen Cove.
“It’s really a way to give back to the families in the community as a thank-you for supporting the league and always signing their kids up,” Newman said.
The Junior Soccer League serves 700 to 800 players each season, with 250 to 300 playing on travel teams and the remainder competing in intramural programs. Children as young as 3 play, while travel teams include players through their late teens.
The World Cup, Newman said, offers a unique opportunity to bring families together around a sport that is part of the fabric of the city. “The World Cup comes around every four years,” he said. “To be a part of it in this country, who knows when we’ll see that again?”
The first watch party drew people from across Glen Cove, despite rainy weather that delayed the start of festivities. Once the rain passed, children filled the playground and open fields while volunteers prepared for the evening’s broad cast of matches during the World Cup on a large screen.
“We had the barbecues going, we had raffles — a lot of families set up in the grass while they were putting the screen up,” Newman recounted. “There were kids all over on the playground, kicking soccer balls around. We had the FIFA World Cup soundtrack playing over the speakers. It was a real family-style event.”
Among those enjoying the festivities was Newman’s daughter, Sariah, 10. “It was really fun,” she said. “There were a lot of people — there were tickets and prizes.”
Sariah spent part of the evening playing soccer with friends before settling in to watch the match.
“I hope people come to more [watch parties],” she said. “I just want a lot of my friends to be there, so we can all watch it together.”
League President James M. Greenberg credited Newman with helping turn the idea into reality. “I said it was a great idea, and let’s figure out how to put it together,” Greenberg said.
The effort became a partnership among the soccer league, the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation and the Long Island Motion Picture Arts Center and Museum, which is providing the projection screen.
Parks and Recreation Director Spiro Tsirkas said the city has helped with promotion, staffing and logistical support. “We’re helping advertise it,” Tsirkas said. “We’re providing the labor and helping with whatever junior soccer needs to have successful events.”
While the city has hosted movies in local parks, the watch parties, Tsirkas said, represent something new. “A live sporting event is the first time that I can think of that it has been done,” he said. “I think it’s good camaraderie for the community, getting everyone out and everyone just being together for happy times.”
The June 27 gathering will begin with the league’s annual coaches game before the telecast of Portugal taking on Colombia in a group stage match.
Organizers expect a large crowd for the final watch party, in Village Square, and report that several downtown businesses plan to participate with special offerings for attendees.
For Newman, the events are about more than soccer. “This is the biggest sport in the entire world,” he said. “We have so many different people from so many different countries in Glen Cove. This is an event where people can really root for their country.”
Organizers hope word of mouth continues to build excitement about the watch parties throughout the city. “Anywhere you go in Glen Cove, there’s always kids playing soccer,” Newman said. “We wanted to do something a little different — bring everyone together and have everyone enjoy it.”
