How Long Island's new minor-league soccer team could impact the high school game

The announcement of a new professional minor-league soccer team and stadium in Nassau County on Tuesday brought a mix of excitement and concern among Long Island high school sports coaches and administrators. While some see it as a great opportunity to grow the game, others are concerned that top Long Island players may decide not to play for their high school teams.

The Island F.C., a member of the MLS Next Pro men's developmental league, is expected to debut at its new 2,500-seat stadium in Uniondale’s Mitchel Athletic Complex in March 2027. 

MLS Next is the youth development program that is a pipeline to MLS Next Pro teams. Some active players in the MLS Next program are not allowed to play soccer on any level at public schools. Players at private schools can apply for a waiver to play at the high school level.

“I think [MLS Next is] a positive thing, but one of the problems we’re having right now, these academy teams are telling kids they shouldn’t play high school soccer,” said Pat Pizzarelli, the executive director of Nassau's governing body of scholastic sports. “Kids need to play school ball. It’s good for them. The academy is something extra, and it’s fun and good for the kids. But I don’t see a reason why they can’t play both.”

South Side boys varsity soccer coach Pat Corvetti agreed players should have the option to do both.

"A lot of these guys want to play for the high school,” Corvetti said. “They want to play in front of their girlfriend and with their friends. They want to play MLS Next, too . . .  It’s not, ‘Play one or another,’ it’s ‘Play a combination of both.' ”

Bethpage boys varsity soccer coach Dan Kramer said playing high school soccer is an important experience.

“It’s taking away from high school soccer which, as a high school coach, I feel is taking away some of these kids’ youth experience,” Kramer said.

Mitchell Rechler, the team’s principal owner, said that the youth development programs are a key to success at the pro level.

“Our goal is to create training facilities from Western Nassau straight through the spine of Long Island … and ultimately Eastern Suffolk,” Rechler said earlier this week. “We are super excited to grow the youth development to a very large scale over the next several years.”

The soccer complex will serve as a year-round training facility for boys and girls from age 5 through high school, college and the professional level. The plan also includes the eventual launch of a women’s pro team.

Massapequa girls soccer coach Bruce Stegner said he hopes the new team and stadium help grow the game among girls.

“Anything that can help promote soccer in New York, on Long Island, in the country, is a good thing,” Stegner said. “Hopefully, it filters down to the girls side at some point.”

Stegner said losing high school players to MLS Next is a problem in boys soccer but not girls soccer because MLS Next does not have any girls teams.

“On the girls side, it’s not an issue. On the boys side, it’s already an issue,” Stegner said. “The high school experience is a very valuable piece of playing sports. I don’t really see the downside to playing high school sports as opposed to club ball. I don’t think it’ll deter from their development, I think it’ll actually enhance it [for girls].”

Kramer said there are definitely benefits to the MLS Next Pro league, especially for college players.

"I feel like a lot of young, American college kids, especially DII and DIII kids, who are really good but maybe just need somewhere to develop [would benefit]," Kramer said.

Another potential advantage of having a new soccer venue on Long Island is that it could host high school championships.

“I think that will definitely be an option,” Pizzarelli said.

Newsday's Ben Dickson contributed to this story

By Michael Sicoli

michael.sicoli@newsday.com

Michael Sicoli covers high school sports for Newsday. He graduated from Quinnipiac in 2022 and left with a master’s degree in sports journalism in 2023.