The East Stroudsburg Youth Association (ESYA) was founded in 1973 by Frank Nicoletti and Walt Knowles (deceased). It started out as a conversation in Frank’s Barber Shop and has developed into what it is today. Frank Nicoletti is the Chairman of the Board.

ESYA has been providing athletic programs for the youth in the East Stroudsburg Area School District Community for 40 years. The community encompasses 214 square miles and includes one borough and 4 townships.

Beginning in 1973 with a handful of volunteers and a small group of children, the first program was football with a budget of approximately $2,200. In 1974 Wrestling was added and in 1975 Basketball. Over 40 years later; we find ourselves not only providing the above 3 sports, but we have also added Flag Football, T-Ball, and Cheerleading. Over 20,000 children have gone through our programs since the organization was founded. We started out with 8 coaches and we now have approximately 50 or more coaches with an approximate budget today of approx. $50,000 which is all raised by registration fees and donations from the community. ESYA also had Soccer, Girls Softball and in the past sponsored a Little League Team.

ESYA has also sponsored “Dare to Dream”, a clinic for drug and alcohol awareness for the East Stroudsburg Area School District Children.

Our meetings were held in Nicoletti’s Barber Shop until 1991 when our Clubhouse located at Dansbury Park was constructed with approximately $25,000 of donations and many hours of time and materials donated by local contractors and volunteers.

ESYA partnered with Smithfield Township in working towards the creation of a 22 acre athletic complex on River Road in Minisink Hills. It is called Minisink Park and the fields are the Frank Nicoletti Fields. ESYA, through the generous donations from the community raised approximately $70,000 towards these fields which was used for a matching grant from the State of Pennsylvania through Smithfield Township.

The Concession/Equipment and Facility at the Frank Nicoletti Fields belongs to ESYA. This was built through generous donations from the Community and ESSA Bank.