City Announces Two New Soccer Fields for Harlem Lane Park, P.S. 83

HARLEM, NY — Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday that Harlem will be receiving two brand-new soccer fields — one at Harlem Lane Park and the other at Public School 83 Luis Munoz Rivera. The fields will be coming to Harlem as part of the New York City Soccer Initiative, a public-private partnership between the Mayor’s Fund to Advance NYC, the U.S. Soccer Foundation, the New York City Football Club and Adidas, according to a press release sent to Patch.

The New York City Soccer Initiative will invest $3 million to build and maintain 50 soccer fields in underserved neighborhoods across over the next five years, according to the press release. On Tuesday, de Blasio announced eight of the new field locations, including the ones at Harlem Lane Park and P.S. 83.

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“These new soccer fields will be essential in keeping our young New Yorkers safe, active and connected with the community. With this partnership, we are tackling inequalities in all its forms – including in our parks and outdoor spaces,” de Blasio said. “In the city of immigrants, with so many different languages and cultures, the New York City Soccer Initiative will be one of the great tools we use to unify young New Yorkers. My thanks to the Mayor’s Fund, the U.S. Soccer Foundation, New York City Football Club and Adidas for coming together and building a meaningful program.”

De Blasio was joined by New York City FC stars David Villa, Frank Lampard and Jason Hernandez during the Tuesday morning announcement. The program will help expand the reach of Soccer for Success — which won the White House’s 2011 Social Innovation Fund Award — in New York. The initiative is targeting underutilized locations in neighborhoods emphasized in the Building Healthy Communities Initiative, the Parks Department’s Community Parks Initiative or the Young Men’s Initiative for new fields.

The launch of the New York Soccer Initiative was praised by Harlem representatives to local and national government, as well as a handful of bureaucrats and community figures.

“I applaud Mayor de Blasio for fostering this public-private partnership through the New York City Soccer Initiative that will serve youths in our congressional district after the last bell – at Harlem Lane Playground and at P.S. 83 Luis Munoz Rivera School," Congressman Charles Rangel said in the press release. "The Soccer for Success program will provide consistent mentorship, exercise and recreation to our children who will learn not only to play a sport, but also be part of a team.”

Melissa Mark-Viverito also praised the decision to select Harlem as a recipient of the new soccer fields.

“When we can make space for children to play in, we’re saying that we’re invested in their long term health and wellbeing,” Mark-Viverito said, according to the press release. “The City Soccer Initiative will open the doors to a whole new world for kids who may otherwise not have access to these programs. Healthy kids grow up to be productive adults, and I thank the administration, the New York City Football Club, adidas and the U.S. Soccer Foundation for giving South Bronx and East Harlem children the opportunity to experience the exciting world of soccer.”

Here's a full list of the first 8 New York Soccer Initiative fields:

1. J.H.S. 166 George Gershwin – Brooklyn, DOE
2. Cypress Hills Houses, Brooklyn, NYCHA
3. Irwin Altman Middle School 172, Queens, DOE
4. South Jamaica Houses, Queens, NYCHA
5. Millbrook Playground, Bronx, Parks
6. Eagle Academy For Young Men Of Staten Island, Staten Island, DOE
7. Harlem Lane Playground, Manhattan, Parks
8. P.S. 083 Luis Munoz Rivera, Manhattan, DOE

[Photo: Sam Howzit via flickr]