HYDE PARK - During the last 10 years, the Hyde Park soccer league, with a membership of 500, has expanded its facilities to a complex of four fields on Creek Road and expanded to more than 40 teams. The whole soccer community has two words for Ed Komar, the man who made it all possible: thank you.
    "He's gonna be a hard act to follow," said. Maggie Schimmelpfennig, who takes over as president with Komar's departure.
    Having been on the job for several months, Schimmelpfennig has already gotten a glimpse of the responsiblities and chores Komar has handled for the last decade, many of which go without notice by people involved in the soccer league.
    She said there are regular meetings with the East Hudson soccer league in Fishkill, of which Hyde Park soccer is affiliated, as well as monthly meetings of the Hyde Park board, dealing with budgetary issues and disseminating information.
    There are other more basic issues people take for granted.
    "Many things people don't even think of, like who's going to man the concession stand," Schimmelpfennig said. "Now it dawns on me how many times I saw Ed (Komar) down there coordinating things."
    Austin Profeta, vice-president of the soccer league, echoed Schimmelpfennig's appreciation. "As president, Ed (Komar) preferred to remain behind the scenes, working on behalf of the children and never seeking the spotlight for himself," Profeta said.
    Unlike many parents, Komar remained on the soccer board after his last child had gone on to college. He continued as president and then secretary, as well as coaching an inter-town team when there was a shortage of coaches.
    The fruits of Komar's labor are visible and noticed by all visitors to the Creek road fields.
    "It's a beautiful complex and it's well kept. All the time, when people from the other teams come to play us, they say how nice the fields are," said Schimmelpfennig, who credited Komar with being one of the key coordinators in the development and maintenance of the complex.
    The soccer league is an all-volunteer organization. Children as young as 5 and as old as 18 are welcome to play. Recently the league has added a team for players over 40 years old. There are seven travel teams and 31 inhouse teams.
    Profeta and Schimmelpfennig thanked both Komar and his wife Nancy for their unselfish work to promote soccer in Hyde Park.
    To find out more about the Hyde Park soccer league, visit their Web site at www.hydeparksoccer.org.