Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association announced Tuesday that Matthew Power has receivied a Livio D’Arpino Scholarship.

The award is based on success in high school as well as community service.

The East Northport, N.Y. resident was a member of the National Honor Society and Business Honor Society while having an average in the high nineties before his graduation from Northport High School in June.

Power is that rare individual who has played for only one travel team, the Northport/Cow Harbor Wolverines of the Long Island Junior Soccer League, from Boys Under-9 to U-20. In his essay, Power said that “soccer has provided many highs and lows over the years. I remember when my team had won two tournaments when I was 13 and I felt like our team could play and win the World Cup. But there are times when we would get crushed and it can really hurt and make you feel miserable about the sport. I enjoy soccer so much that I became a referee and it allows me to enjoy my favorite sport from an additional perspective.”

Besides being Wolverines team captain, Power’s leadership abilities are evident as he was the Business Honor Society vice president, Spanish Club secretary, Northport High School store manager, the Anti-Defamation League’s peer educator and Rotary Youth Leadership Association senior leader.

Power is slated to attend the UMass Amherst this fall.

The scholarship’s namesake was an Eastern New York vice president who seemingly was involved in every level of local soccer before his passing in 2002, the year that Power was born.

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.