Tyler Arnone played in the LISFL with Mineola Portuguese and now is playing at the University of Michigan. Read more

Photo provided by University of Michigan Athletics

Article originally appeared in Soccer Long Island Magazine.

By David Harris

Soccer may or may not get much better then on Long Island, but they certainly don’t get much better than Tyler Arnone. Hicksville High School, Albertson SC, ENY ODP, Long Island Rough Riders, LISFL’s Mineola Portuguese, the list of Long Island teams that Tyler has played with goes on and on. Coming off his sophomore season at Michigan, Tyler is preparing to solidify his status as one of the best young players, not only from Long Island, but in the entire country. The future holds great things for Tyler, and we were fortunate enough to catch up with him to see where he’s at and look back a bit on how he’s gotten there.

SLI: How did the recent season with Michigan go and what are your thoughts so far on your college career?

TA: This past season I had with Michigan was probably the best season I’ve performed on an individual level and it happened to be the most successful team I’ve been on thus far in my college career. I was fortunate enough to stay healthy throughout a season that has many games in such a short period of time, which I am very grateful for. We ended up having one of the hardest strength of schedules in the country, which ultimately pushed me to be better and allowed me to compete against the best. This also challenged our team in many ways as it taught us how to deal and flourish from adversity, making us a more complete team in the end.  

My thoughts on my college career so far is that I’m simply happy, but not satisfied. I’ve had many different experiences throughout my college career so far and I’ve learned a lot about myself as a soccer player and an individual. I was fortunate enough to earn All-Big Ten 1st team honors and recently got named captain of next year’s team. I have high expectations for my future in college soccer, hopefully being able to play in the College Cup and win a Big Ten Championship before it’s over.

SLI: What was your experience like playing for the Long Island Rough Riders and are you looking to playing in the PDL again?

TA: I love the Rough Riders and I appreciate everything that has contributed to my soccer career. The Rough Riders organization conducts themselves in the utmost professional manner and that’s why they are really appealing for the top talent in New York. I also think the PDL is a great league for college players to play in over the summer. It’s filled with top talent and very competitive. I will be playing PDL again this summer with the Long Island Rough Riders and I’m looking forward to having another successful season with them.

SLI: What was it like for you to play for Mineola Portuguese in the LISFL?

TA: I am truly grateful for the short time I had with the Mineola Portuguese in the LISFL because they took me in when I was going through my transferring process from St. John’s University to Michigan. I owe a lot to the organization because they were there for me when I needed it the most because the transferring process is very stressful and left me without a team for a few months. I guess that’s the type of relationships you build in the soccer community on Long Island. It’s a tight nit community and everyone looks out for one another and wants nothing but the best for each other.

SLI: Can you tell us a bit about how your experiences playing for the Albertson SC Academy, ODP, and Hicksville helped you to develop as a player?

TA: I devote everything I stand for today to the experiences I had from the clubs I’ve played for growing up on Long Island. I have had many people come up to me and say “you play like you’re from New York” usually recognizing my work ethic, strong tackling/defending ability, and creativeness going forward. I play with a lot of passion, intensity, and a mentality of refusing to lose; and I get that from being in that kind of environment my entire life. 

SLI: Looking back, what are some of your fondest memories from playing soccer on Long Island?

TA: This is a tough question to answer because I truly cherish all memories I’ve had through soccer. I think they really define me as a person and there are many that I hold close to my heart. Winning State Cups, playing in the Long Island Championship, playing for the Rough Riders, playing in the academy, are just few of many experiences that I will never forget.

SLI: What do you think about soccer on Long Island in terms of the good aspects and the areas where it can be improved?

TA: Long Island/New York are a primary area for top talent when it comes to soccer. Two areas in which I think it can improve on are Long Island needs a professional MLS club like the New York Red Bulls because Long Island and its players deserve one. Another area in which it can improve is to make it more affordable to play the sport. I’m not sure how the youth game is now, but I remember when I was young it was pretty expensive to play soccer, and there are some areas on Long Island that produce great soccer players that have huge potential, but some of those players might not have the financial background to pay for elite academy programs. But honestly it doesn’t get much better than the soccer opportunities on Long Island. From the clubs, coaches, to the players; it’s just the best place to be for youth soccer. 

SLI: What advice would you give to a young person from Long Island who is interested in playing the game and wants to become a better player?

TA: The advice I would give to a young person from Long Island who is interested in playing the game and wants to become a better player is most importantly have fun and enjoy playing every day! I remember having so much fun as a youth soccer player and it translates to my play on the field. Other than that I would say try to learn something new every day. Long Island has great soccer coaches that really understand the game beyond just the basics. I was fortunate to have very soccer intelligent coaches throughout my youth career and I remember as a kid I would try to learn a new thing at training every day and eventually build it to where I am today; and I’m still learning about the game! And I’ll end this question with get better every training session. Know and play to your strengths, but hide and develop your weaknesses.