Case Studies

In 2002, there were two groups of Boys Under 10 year-old teams in the town of Port Washington, which began to play soccer at the travel level, the Fury and the Predators. The Predators were the "B" team and had to start at the bottom of the Long Island Junior Soccer League BU10 division.

During the first year, the Predators, finished with losing seasons (0-8-1 the first season, 2-7-0 the second season, 3-4-2 the third). On top of this, for the first 2 years, several of the top soccer players had exercised their right to try out for the Fury, but were turned down. Despite the losing records, the trainer (Dean Moraitis) continued to emphasize the importance of conditioning and tactics, and convinced the Head Coach that if patient, the team would begin to progress. By the 3rd season, the team began to achieve their main goal, which was to have winning seasons, and progress to higher Divisions.

The Predators started in the last Division of the Long Island Junior Soccer League. By the end of the Fall 2009 Season, the Predators finished in second place in the 3rd Division, will probably be moving up to the 2nd Division, and have already claimed three Division titles along the way. The also won the LIJSL Waldbum's Cup in the Spring of 2009, have entered 2 Premier Soccer Tournaments, winning one, and reaching the final of the other, have scrimmaged successfully higher division teams and older teams, and will be going to several college showcase tournaments around the country, this while maintaining the core players that originally started with the team. Now, the Port Washington Predators next goal is to move to Division 1 and battle for the State Cup.

EASA's theory is simple: if soccer players want to acheive goals of high expectations, are willing to be taught the game the correct way, and are willing to work hard towards these goals, amazing things can be accomplished.

The Predators are EASA's and Dean Moraitis pride and joy.

In the past 20 years, all of the older teams that are associated with the European American Soccer Academy have participated in various College Showcases throughout the country. This year the oldest boys soccer team age group that EASA trains for in the town of Port Washington are 15 year olds. The trainers of the two older teams in Port Washington (Boys U19, and Boys U17), for various reasons, made no plans to have the two teams showcased, despite the fact that several players from both teams wanted the opportunity to be seen by college soccer recruiters and college soccer scouts. With the support of Mike Tucker, the President of the Port Washington Soccer Club, EASA decided to volunteer to put together a team and have this group compete in the MSSL Fort Dix College Soccer Showcase in New Jersey, considered by many to be the second largest soccer showcase in the country (over 300 college coaches attend this showcase).

Teams that usually compete in these type of tournaments are of Premier quality, which have played together as a team from anywhere from 2 to 5 years, and most of the teams are either Nationally or Regionally ranked.

We decided to take players from 3 age groups (Boys Under 19, 17, and 16), all from the Port Washington Soccer Club, and decided to name the team, UNITED. Most of the boys had not played together as a unit, and the biggest task was to make the boys understand our philosophies and tactical style of play, so they could quickly compete at this level. The problem was that we only had 3 weeks to prepare for this tournament. Training sessions included one classroom session, so as to discuss tactics, two outdoor training sessions, two indoor training sessions, and one scrimmage, in which the boys won 5-0.

The basis of the training was to explain the way that EASA teams play defense as a team, and how EASA teams develop attacks, again, as a team. The end result was that, after competing against four quality teams, three of whom which were top 30 regionally ranked, UNITED finished undefeated with a record of one win and three ties and, most importantly, the team finished with the best defense in their division. Two of the seniors that played with UNITED have already been approached from Farliegh Dickinson University (NJ) and Alfred University (NY), and we have already received e-mails from several educational institutions in regards to the future of several of the players on this soccer team.

The experience for the boys and their parents was overwhelmingly positive. EASA considered this experience a successful demonstration of our soccer training methods.

The Girls Varsity Soccer program at Baldwin High had not had much success in the last 20 years, and often failed to make the playoffs. When they did, most of the time the team would fail to reach the second round. Coach Lee Rogers came in in 2008-2009, as the assistant coach to the team. Within one season, and under his direction, the girls play improved immensely, and for the first time reached the County Final in over 25 years, defeating East Meadow on their way to the final, one of the favorites to win the Title that year, finally losing to a strong Massapequa team in the final.

By 1994, the boys soccer program at Oceanside High had suffered on various levels. The team was not playing well, the previous coach failed to galvanize its players and was asked to resign, and although the Oceanside United Soccer Club was at that point one of the stronger "feeding" programs, there was little interest for boys to play scholastic soccer.

When Dean Moraitis took over as the head coach of the program, only 23 boys came out to the tryouts for both varsity and junior varsity soccer "I literally had to roam the hallways and ask...no, beg boys to come out and try out for the team!" That year, the team made the playoffs (in those years, only 7, out of the 10 teams in the conference, made the playoffs), and lost a tight game to East Meadow, by the score of 1-2. By 1995, over 100 boys came to the tryouts, and by 1996, over 150. The team won its first County Championship under Dean Moraitis, received its first national Ranking from the NSCAA, and continued to compete as one of the stronger programs for the next few years.

By the time Coach Moraitis moved to coach the men's soccer program at Farmingdale State College, his team, in a 6 year period, went 79-22-12, and won 2 County Titles and 2 Conference Titles. He was also awarded coach of the Year twice. while at Oceanside, he also coached several teams for the OUSC, and took one of his teams, the Oceanside Flames, to the Dallas Cup, considered to be the best youth soccer tournament in the world. It should be noted that by 2000, over 250 boys came out to the tryouts for the Varsity Programs. It should also be noted that Oceanside has not won a County Title since Dean left the program.

Dean Moraitis has worked as a trainer for the Port Washington Soccer Club for the past 9 years. During that period, he has trained over ten travel teams, from the ages of 9 year olds, to 19 year olds. During this period, Dean has had tremendous success, helping teams reach goals that only players could have dreamed of. Here are some examples...

Arsenal: Took the team as an under 15 year old boys team, Division 4. By the time they reached U19, they played in Division 1, had won several Conference Titles, and played in several College Showcases around the Eastern Coast of the United States, including Jacksonville, Florida, and Fort Dix, New Jersey. Presently, 8 players are playing college ball.

Predators: (See Above) Took the team as the B team of the "BU9" in Port Washington. Today, they are a Division 3 team, and have already defeated the BU17 year old team in Port (as an U15 year old team), have won 2 Division Titles, have won 1 Waldbums Cup and have won 1 Premier Tournament, in Massachusetts, and compete regularly against Division 1 teams.

Thunder: Took the team as the BU15 year old team, Division 5. Finished competing in Division 1, won Division 2, and finished second 2 years in a row in a Premier Tournament in Massachusetts. Presently, 4 players are playing college ball.

Blue Knights: Took the team in January, of 2008, after the team (BU14) finished 0-9. By the end of the Spring Season, the team finished a respectful 5-3-1, and moved up a division, as well as played up to the Quarter Finals of the Waldbum's Cup with the same players on the roster.

It should also be noted that Dean has helped several teams win Divisions, and soccer tournaments around the region. Dan Zuvich, the head Coach of the Boys Varsity Soccer team in Port Washington has supported Dean Moraitis and EASA, and has stated that for the past few seasons "...the players that are trained by Dean are always ready to compete at a scholastic level."