Q&A
NYCFC's community programs in Queens
2:46:29
·
3 min
Council Member Francisco P. Moya inquires about the New York City Football Club's community programs in Queens. Jennifer O'Sullivan, Chief Operating Officer of NYCFC, details the club's extensive community involvement, including free soccer programs, the Saturday Night Lights initiative, and mini pitch constructions.
- 30,000 kids across New York have received free soccer programming over the last 10 years
- NYCFC has constructed over 50 mini pitches and aims to provide 26 more before the 2026 World Cup
- The club offers programs like 'Healthy Hat Trick' in Queens, focusing on healthy eating for kids
Francisco P. Moya
2:46:29
Can the football Club just discussed a little bit about the community programs that you've already implemented in New York City, but especially in the borough of Queens.
2:46:42
For a lot of people here in New York know that when sports franchises come in, it's very minimal that gets done with the community.
2:46:50
Get a couple of tickets to a couple of schools and, you know, throughout the years.
2:46:54
But you guys have been doing some things, and I think it's important that you share that publicly.
2:47:00
Thank you.
Jennifer O'Sullivan
2:47:00
Yeah.
2:47:01
Thank you very much for the opportunity to discuss our community programming, and I think it's the one thing that we're probably the proudest of.
2:47:07
You know, it's not much what we do on the pitch, but but but off the pitch as well.
2:47:11
And our community team, I always say I would put them up against anyone else.
2:47:15
They are a a force to be reckoned with, and their passion and dedication is unmatched.
2:47:21
30,000 kids across the fibras in New York over the last 10 years have received free soccer programming is a direct result of the work that our city and the community team does.
2:47:32
The Saturday night lights initiative, which I as I mentioned, opens up safe and accessible places for kids to play on Friday Saturday nights in conjunction with the DA's office and the NYPD.
2:47:43
And in Queens, specifically, we have a number of programs, including a couple in your district that are a healthy hat trick, which is healthy eating for kids.
2:47:55
We've constructed over 50 mini pitches, as I said, across the communities in the last 10 years.
2:48:00
With another goal to provide 26 more before the 26 World Cup comes.
2:48:06
So I I think when you look at the the reach that city and the community has.
2:48:11
There is not another professional football club that does what our what our team does on the ground.
2:48:18
Ensuring that kids have safe accessible places to play, that they have access to a sport, that intercity children are often excluded from and and and not part of.
2:48:32
And so for us, it is all about ensuring that that this game is accessible to all you never know where the next Messi or Ronaldo's gonna come from till you put a ball at their feet.
Francisco P. Moya
2:48:41
Let's omit the second name that you mentioned from the record, please, if we could.
2:48:46
Mister chair.
2:48:48
How many how many Saturday night look programs do you have right now?
2:48:51
You just currently 8.
2:48:55
K.
2:48:55
And I think 2 more coming down 2 more.
2:48:57
2 more coming down the line.
2:48:58
I wanna commend the the the city football group for doing work in schools like mine that have one of the highest number of migrant children and providing free clinics for them.
2:49:11
And really, you know, it is a universal language for a lot of these children that are newly arrived here.
2:49:17
The one thing that they do know and love is football.
2:49:21
And you all have been very, very good in making sure that we made those young kids feel very, very comfortable in the new community and in the new setting that they're at.
2:49:32
So I I really wanna applaud you for for the great work and partnership there.