New York City Insider: Media Release: New York City Is One Step Closer To Establishing The Mayor's Office Of Sports And Recreation.

 

THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY 

OF NEW YORK

 

OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER

YDANIS RODRIGUEZ

  

CITY HALL

NEW YORK, NY 10007

 

 Monday, February 22nd, 2021

 

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: **MEDIA ADVISORY** 

Contact: Tomas Garita | TGarita@Council.nyc.gov

New York City Is One Step Closer To Establishing The Mayor's Office Of Sports And Recreation.

New York, NY-- Today, February 22nd, the Committee on Parks and Recreations Chaired by Council Member Peter Koo will be holding an oversight hearing examining the Parks Department's permitting process for the use of athletic fields at parks. The Committee will also be discussing Intro. 1959, sponsored by Council Member Ydanis Rodrigeuz.  

Intro. 1959 would establish The Mayor's Office of Sports and Recreation. The Office would be responsible for creating strategies and initiatives to support sports activities throughout the city of New York and to create a pipeline for disadvantaged children to be placed in competitive sports programs and competitions. The bill will help the city centralize what they are already doing around sports with DOE, DYCD, and the Parks Department. We will increase and exceed the current number of youth that are connected with competitive sports opportunities. They will receive the support and the strategy needed to continue expanding their skills. The Mayor's office of sports and recreation will also create the opportunity for sports institutions, like the Yankee Stadium, The MET, and Barclays Center to be an integral part of this initiative. 

The Mayor's Office of Sports and Recreation would provide sports-related opportunities for students while also promoting the role of sports in education and recreation. Additionally, the office would "consult with the city's official marketing, tourism and partnership organization to promote the city as a base for professional sports teams, make recommendations for the growth of professional, amateur and scholastic sports recreation and coordinate sports initiatives with other city agencies, including but not limited to the Department of Education and the Department of Parks and Recreation.". 

During the Hearing Council Member Rodriguez will be addressing the importance of increase sports equity and accessibility in low-income underserved communities. The Committee will be hearing testimonies from various advocates and professionals athletes. One of the testimonies will be from Olympic Bronze Medalist Nzingha Prescod. She had been a fierce advocate for the passage of Intro 1959. 

Who: Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, Council Member Peter Koo, Chairman of the Parks and Recreations Committee, Committee Members, Olympic Bronze Medalist, Nzingha Prescod, Rachel Cytron, Executive Director of Row New York, Rita Finkel, Co-President of the Armory, Peter Westbrook, The Peter Westbrook Foundation, Adam Fraser, Chief Executive of Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, Ken Podziba, President and CEO for Bike New York, Mara Mazza, Kings County Tennis League, David Ludwig, Senior Director of Community Programs at Asphalt Green, and Jenny Veloz, Community Organizer for The Environmental Justice Program. Among some of the participants today will be Rico Pena, Baseball Coach of Luperon Highschool.

 

https://council.nyc.gov/livestream/

 

When: Monday, February 22nd; 1:00PM