{"id":35292,"date":"2024-12-16T13:07:06","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T13:07:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/?p=35292"},"modified":"2024-12-16T13:07:06","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T13:07:06","slug":"mayor-adams-announces-opening-of-first-indoor-baseball-center-in-washington-heights-for-free-year-round-youth-programming-as-public-safety-week-continues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/archives\/35292","title":{"rendered":"Mayor Adams announces opening of first indoor Baseball center in Washington Heights for free year-round youth programming as “Public Safety Week” continues"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEWUYORK: New York City Mayor Eric Adams today continued \u201cpublic safety week\u201d with Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Chauncey Parker, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives Ana Almanzar, New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) Commissioner Keith Howard, and New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) Commissioner Sue Donoghue, New York City Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, community partners, and young athletes as they celebrated the grand opening of the first indoor baseball center in Washington Heights, which will be open year-round to young people at no cost as part of the city\u2019s Saturday Night Lights program.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cSaturday Night Lights brings joy and positivity to our kids through sport \u2014 and gives our young people an alternative at the times when crimes are most likely to be committed,\u201d said\u00a0Mayor Adams.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery young person should have an opportunity to thrive, and through programs like Saturday Night Lights, our Summer Youth Employment Programs, the Mentorship and Advocacy Program, and more, we are helping give our kids alternatives and opportunities. Programs like this on nights and weekends keep our young people in safe places and away from gun violence, and builds trust between police, community, and our youth. Saturday Night Lights is about giving young people another choice and about keeping the city safe. Together, we can do better for our young people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSaturday Night Lights is a shining example of how we can keep our communities safe with the lightest touch possible,\u201d said\u00a0Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Parker.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis center, like all of our Saturday Night Lights locations, is more than just a place for young people to play sports; it\u2019s a pathway to greater opportunities and brighter futures. Every investment in spaces like this is an investment in our kids\u2019 safety and potential. I\u2019m grateful to all of our partners who helped turn this vision into reality and continue to make our communities safer and stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 4,500-square-foot facility, located at the Police Athletic League Armory Center at 216 Fort Washington Avenue, features a fully-turfed versatile gym space, batting cages, and state-of-the-art equipment, including baseball and golf simulators. The $382,000 renovation of the center, which began in January 2024, was funded with $300,000 in asset forfeiture funds and $82,000 from the Police Athletic League.<\/p>\n

Equipment for the center was funded by The DICK\u2019s Sporting Goods Foundation and Local Initiatives Support Corporation\u2019s \u201cGame On-Community Places to Play\u201d initiative, which awards grants to non-profit community-based organizations leading renovation projects of indoor and outdoor athletic spaces that serve young athletes, particularly in under-resourced communities.<\/p>\n

The center honors Washington Heights\u2019 significance in the history of baseball as it is located one block from the former site of Hilltop Park, the original home of the New York Yankees when they were known as the New York Highlanders.<\/p>\n

DYCD Commissioner Howard today also announced the launch of a new Saturday night lights website\u00a0with online and in-person registration options and an updated map of locations to better connect families with programming in their neighborhoods.<\/p>\n

Saturday Night Lights is a citywide partnership that offers free, high-quality sports programming for youth, ages 11 to 18, at nearly 140 locations across the city from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM on Saturday nights \u2014 a time of the week when crime historically spikes.<\/p>\n

The program is led by DYCD in conjunction with the NYPD, New York City Public Schools, NYC Parks, the city\u2019s five district attorney\u2019s offices, and more than 50 community partners. Saturday Night Lights aims to engage young people, build trust between law enforcement and communities, and enable youth to develop the skills, knowledge, and meaningful relationships necessary to reach their fullest potential.<\/p>\n

Saturday Night Lights was launched at a single Harlem gym in 2011 and expanded citywide in 2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday marks a grand slam for Washington Heights and our young athletes. This new indoor baseball center is not just an investment in our community; it’s a home run for our youth, offering them a safe space to grow, learn, and thrive. This facility goes beyond keeping kids active\u2014it\u2019s about engaging them in the work of building brighter futures through sports,\u201d said\u00a0New York State Senator Robert Jackson.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe message is clear: every child deserves the chance to excel, and today, New York City is making sure that opportunity is within their reach. It\u2019s a commitment to our youth, a declaration that their dreams matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we bask in the good news of the Mets signing Juan Soto, New York baseball fans now have even more to celebrate,\u201d said\u00a0New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter a $382,000 renovation through a commonsense public-private partnership, we are opening the first-ever indoor baseball facility in Washington Heights, steps away from the former site of the Yankees\u2019 Hilltop Park. Thanks to free programming from our Saturday Night Lights program, children in Upper Manhattan and across the city have the opportunity to play America\u2019s national pastime year-round. This will keep children off the streets, foster goodwill with law enforcement, and allow youth to develop physically and socially. It is a home run for public safety, our children, and our communities. I only hope program participants remember their roots once they are MLB All Stars.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a home run for young baseball lovers. Saturday Night Lights is a great resource for tweens and teens, giving them a safe place to hang out every weekend, get to know other sports fans their age, and build community,\u201d said\u00a0Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you to the PAL Armory Center for adding an indoor baseball center to the SNL roster and to all of the community partners who make SNL possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes a village to ensure our kids\u2019 safe and successful future,\u201d said\u00a0New York City\u00a0Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/strong>Funding after-school initiatives, mentorship programming, and athletic opportunities for our youth have always been a priority. I look forward to continued collaboration for youth programming.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am thrilled to see the opening of this incredible indoor baseball center in Washington Heights. Access to safe, engaging spaces like this is essential for our young people and their families,\u201d\u00a0said New York City Councilmember Althea Stevens, chair. Committee on Children and Youth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we invest in our youth, we are investing in the future of our city. Every child deserves the chance to thrive in an environment that supports their growth and potential, and I am excited about the opportunities this center will provide for our communities year-round.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NEWUYORK: New York City Mayor Eric Adams today continued \u201cpublic safety week\u201d with Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Chauncey Parker, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives Ana Almanzar, New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) Commissioner Keith Howard, and New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch, New York City Department of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":35293,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1469,31,1378],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-york","category-news","category-us"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35292"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35294,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35292\/revisions\/35294"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}