Our History
Coventry Youth Soccer (CSA) was started in the late 70’s by Nick Della Cioppa and was played on the same town fields as baseball and football. In 1980 help was requested from PAL (Police Athletic League) to assist in the organizational & financial aspect of keeping Coventry Youth Soccer alive.
In 1980 Dave Beaudry from PAL took over the league and named it Coventry PAL Soccer. At the end of the soccer season a tournament was held and the winner of the tournament would then represent Coventry in the America’s Cup (State Recreational Tournament). PAL decided to name the tournament at the end of the season, the Della Cioppa Tournament in honor of the man who had started Soccer in Coventry.
In 1990 PAL wanted someone else to step forward and manage youth soccer in Coventry, so a group of Individuals organized themselves as a board to manage youth soccer in Coventry. They named the program Coventry Youth Soccer Association. The group consisted of Ron Fotuna (CSA President), John Arrigan (VP), Kevin Fraser (Secretary), Abby Casselli (Treasuer), Tom Vanasse (Director of Coaches) and Joanne Mickett (Registrar).
In 1993 plans were in process to move Coventry Youth Soccer from the town fields to their own location by leasing land from the Water Resources board on Fish Hill Road. Kevin Fraser headed up the committee and signed the lease which would allow Coventry Soccer to develop and maintain their own fields for regular season games. In 1995 the fields were ready to play on and the Joe Strauss Tournament was the first to use the fields. Over the next 5 years, Kevin Fraser, Stu Cohen & Steve Marmas completed the initial development and expansion of the Fish Hill Soccer Complex. The Fish Hill Soccer Complex has continued to grow and develop by adding more fields, stone to the parking lot, as well as adding more fencing and gates to the complex for security and to reduce field damage by vandals.
CSA raises the funds through Sponsorships and Donations to keep the fields maintained annually.
There have been many dedicated people involved on the board of CSA which has made this all possible and to make CSA what it is today. The people that have managed the various boards as CSA presidents are as follows:
| From | To | President |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Present | Mark Esposito |
| 2017 | 2023 | Chris DeVerna |
| 2013 | 2017 | Lou Ciummo |
| 2010 | 2013 | Jay Hudson |
| 2008 | 2010 | Art Yarumian |
| 2006 | 2008 | Tim Paterson |
| 2003 | 2006 | Ray Vigneau |
| 2002 | 2003 | Kim Sturdahl |
| 2000 | 2002 | Art Yarumian |
| 1998 | 2000 | Steve Marmas |
| 1996 | 1998 | Stu Cohen |
| 1993 | 1996 | Kevin Fraser |
| 1991 | 1993 | John Arrigan |
| 1990 | 1991 | Ron Fotuna |