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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Erycka Montoya, City Council Candidate for District 21
1:58:46
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129 sec
Erycka Montoya, a City Council candidate for District 21, testified in support of Intro 566 and Intro 643, emphasizing the need for more recreational space and access to sports for children in densely populated working-class areas. She shared personal experiences and highlighted the benefits of youth sports participation.
- Montoya stressed the importance of creative solutions to address the shortage of recreational space, given the limitations on building new facilities.
- She emphasized the need for affordable and accessible after-school sports programs for all children, not just as a matter of luck.
- Montoya pointed out how indoor court availability could alleviate issues caused by inclement weather for youth sports schedules.
Erycka Montoya
1:58:46
Good afternoon.
1:58:47
Thank you Park chair Christian and the rest of the committee for holding this hearing.
1:58:53
My name is Erica Montoya.
1:58:55
I'm a candidate for a city council for District 21 to represent Corona, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and Leprecha City.
1:59:02
But today, I come to you as a mom of a first grader and a fifth grader who attend public school and to express my support of intros five sixty six and six forty three.
1:59:14
I live in a densely populated working class district that is desperate for more recreational space for young kids.
1:59:20
We also know that there are some limits to simply building more space, so it is imperative that we get creative and resourceful about addressing this shortage.
1:59:28
We know the value of recreation and movement for kids.
1:59:31
We can't continue to tout the benefits of engaging in sports such as developing healthy physical and nutritional habits, learning how to be part of a team, lowering anxiety, building self confidence, and then not invest in the very resources that make these pathways possible and accessible.
1:59:46
This increase in access is critical for working parents and students alike.
1:59:50
As a kid, I didn't have access to playing sports on
Gale A. Brewer
1:59:52
a regular basis until I was
Erycka Montoya
1:59:53
in high school, and it was a game changer.
1:59:55
Paying out of pocket for my mom was not a cost she could afford for my sister and me.
1:59:59
And decades later, it is a cost I struggle with for my two kids.
2:00:02
In fact, what made it possible for them to participate consistently was that during the winter months, there was a program at their school, so it was within walking distance.
2:00:11
I got lucky this time around.
2:00:12
But it shouldn't be a matter of luck.
2:00:14
Access to after school sports should be available for all kids and free of not low cost.
2:00:18
While these bills don't get us quite there, they begin to open the door to what is what is possible.
2:00:23
Like many other parents, also know the struggle of accommodating the weekend schedule to attend a game or a tournament that probably only got posted twenty four, thirty hours ago only to then have plans completely changed because of inclement weather.
2:00:35
Now these kids are stuck at home, unable to get that energy out, and making these indoor courts available would alleviate this.
2:00:41
We know that youth sports stress, lower stress levels, gives children greater self confidence and self esteem, and it leads to improved cognitive performance and creativity.
2:00:51
So we need to make this up.
2:00:52
Has expired.
2:00:54
Thank you.