TAMPA, Fla. – The Super Y League announced Thursday that the Long Island Junior Soccer League Academy has joined for the 2020 season. LIJSL Academy teams will start competing this summer in the North Atlantic Division.

The LIJSL is based in Ronkonkoma, N.Y., and will add to a strong contingent of Super Y clubs in the greater New York City region.

“The Super Y League provides us the competition that we need on a weekly basis,” LIJSL Academy director Ronan Wiseman said. “Our teams are ready to take on higher competition and we believe that the Super Y League offers that.”

The addition of Super Y competition to the LIJSL calendar follows the league announcing its transition to LIJSL Academy from the former Player Development Program.

The LIJSL Academy’s revamped philosophy emphasizes expanded commitment to elite-level training and increased participation in the country’s most competitive youth leagues, and the club sees joining Super Y League as a major step toward both these objectives.

“Participation in Super Y League this summer is an integral part of our newly-announced direction for player development and growth in our LIJSL Academy,” LIJSL managing director Steve Padaetz said. “The higher level provided by the footprint of this national competition is a perfect complement to our programs’ elite-level training.”

“We’re excited to provide the platform for LIJSL to embark on this new era of programming,” USL manager of youth league growth and development Dominic Colarusso said. “The LIJSL Academy’s vision to elevate player development efforts will be enhanced through competing in Super Y League, while giving their players the chance of qualifying for our national championship.”

The LIJSL Academy will hold tryouts in the coming months, which will be announced at a later date.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.