Following a surge in participation this spring, the City Parks Foundation is expanding its free Foundation PLAY soccer program to more parks across Queens this summer. The program’s Tuesday afternoon sessions at Roy Wilkins Park in St. Albans have drawn more than 40 kids each week, well above initial expectations.
Foundation PLAY offers free, structured sports programming for children, giving them a chance to stay active, build skills, and have fun with their peers. The no-cost model makes it especially appealing to families who may not be able to afford private sports programs.
The Roy Wilkins Park soccer sessions, designed for children ages 7 to 12, have become so popular that a waiting list was created due to staffing limitations. City Parks Foundation officials say they are seeking additional volunteers to help accommodate the demand.
“The turnout went way above our expectations,” Foundation PLAY soccer program director Emma Linton said. “We were expecting something different, especially because we were new in that location. There’s a lot of kids who want to play soccer.”
A new feature of Foundation PLAY that has helped attract so many kids is a new girls’ program, the Girls Forward Initiative, which runs from 5-6 p.m. for girls aged 13-16. This program, sponsored by Nike, has helped get girls interested in playing soccer.
Through Foundation PLAY’s soccer program, participating kids participate in fun exercises that teach them how to pass, dribble, and kick. In addition to the drills, the kids play a game with each other. The program concludes with a one-day tournament.
The children are divided into age groups and participate in one-hour sessions. The children between six and eight usually play for the first hour before the older children, aged nine to 12, play during the second hour.
“We gave the kids the opportunity to learn about the sport,” Linton said. “The program is for all skill levels. It focuses on basic soccer skills, information and instruction. We welcome kids, whether they know how to play or don’t have any experience, to come and participate. Our coaches focus on showing them different skills, like passing and dribbling, and to give them a love for the sport.”
While the spring Foundation PLAY program will be coming to an end on June 17, the summer program will be starting up not long after. The summer program will have three locations in Queens: one in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, another at the Triborough Bridge Playground of Astoria Park, and a third at the Beach 30th Street Playground. Registration is now open for the summer program on the City Parks Foundation’s website. Those interested in applying for or learning more about the program can also email sports@cityparksfoundation.org.
The summer programs at Flushing Meadows Corona Park and the Beach 30th Street Playground will each run from Thursday, July 3, through Friday, Aug. 8. The program at Astoria Park will run from Friday, July 11, to Friday, Aug. 8. All three locations welcome kids between 6 and 12 years of age.
As in the spring program, the summer soccer program will divide the kids into the same two age groups: 6-8 years and 9-12 years.
The City Parks Foundation’s summer Foundation PLAY program is sponsored by Nike, with private support also provided in part by L+M Development Partners, the Dicks Sporting Goods Foundation and the Venable Foundation.
