By Jeff Lipton
Ralph Sorbara, a defender on the 2006 VS South county championship team, has made the final cut and will showcase his skills at the prestigious tournament, known as the mini-Olympics, which will be held in Westchester County from July 25-29.
The Empire State is a multi-sport event for amateur athletes patterned after the Olympics, and is divided into six regions, with Long Island being one of them. Every high school sport, except for football, is played at the games.
Sorbara, who will be a VS South senior in the fall, has been selected from among hundreds who tried out to represent the boys' soccer team from the Long Island region.
"Ralph is a defender who does an outstanding job, and he's tenacious on the 50/50 balls," said Richard Boyd, boys' varsity soccer coach at VS South, referring to the balls that are up for grabs. "And he has great field vision and has a great first touch. He was a key reason the boys' varsity soccer team at Valley Stream South won the Nassau County Class A Championship in the fall, 2006."
Last year, Boyd sent two soccer players to the Empire State Games to play for the Long Island team, and a total of five in his 12 years as soccer coach. Boyd said he encouraged Sorbara to try out for the Empire State team because he knew he had a great chance to make it.
Sorbara said he was surprised when he received word that he was one of the 16 players to make the Long Island squad. "It's an honor to make this team," said the 17-year-old who lives in Lynbrook. "Hopefully, we'll do good in the games.
"I think we have a good chance to win," he added. "We have a pretty good team this year."
As a defender, Sorbara's job is to move the ball to his midfielders to set up a play to score a goal. That's exactly what he did so adeptly for his VS South team in the 3-2 overtime win against Jericho last fall to capture the county championship. He did the same in a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Islip in the Long Island championship game.
"Ralph played excellent [in those games]," said Boyd. "Throughout the whole playoffs he was a major factor."
In the Empire State Games, the teams from each of the six regions play a minimum of three games, and if they win those, they will advance for two final playoff games to determine the overall champion. Just like the Olympics, gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded to the top three teams in the competition.
The Long Island team, made up of Nassau and Suffolk counties' best players, began practicing about three weeks ago, getting together every Tuesday and Thursday at the Molloy College field in Rockville Centre so they could get accustomed to their teammates' style of play.
Sorbara said he will have somewhat of a comfort level when he takes the field with his new team - since he's familiar with at least two of his teammates, with whom he plays on the Lynbrook-East Rockaway Gators travel team.
"We're very happy and excited that he got selected to the Empire State Games," said Sorbara's mother, Mary. "I know he's talented and he's going against so many young boys who are comparable in their skills.
"It's been a very exciting year for us. I will definitely be at all of the [Empire State Games]," she said, including attending opening ceremonies on July 25.
Sorbara said he quickly took an interest in soccer at the age of seven, when his father, Pat, took him to a soccer field to play. He has played ever since, working his way up to become a starting defender for his high school team the past three years.
"I've always tried my best when I'm out there on the field," Sorbara said.
Comments about this story? Jlipton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
