There are more sports for youth in the City of Syracuse thanks to a state grant. Soccer fields and basketball courts across the city will be humming with the help of a $200,000 cash injection.
The importance of youth sports can’t be underestimated, according to officials announcing the grant. At-risk kids need to learn more than how to kick a ball, or make a basket, according to Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon.
"This is investing in our kids in a way that teaches them teamwork skills, leadership skills, also health skills, keeps them healthy and keeps them engaged," McMahon said.
Among those winning grants, are the YWCA of Syracuse and Onondaga County. Executive Director Fanny Villarreal said the athletic leagues are used as a hook to get kids into other programs at the Y.
"And then once they're with us, then we teach them about leadership skills, and we teach them about STEM, we teach them about the importance of being a team member, and a lot of other things, healthy eating for example," Villarreal said.
The city’s refugee community is a target of some of the grants. Haji Adan, Executive Director of RISE, a refugee support group, said soccer in particular is a draw for children from other countries — the worry is without that distraction, they could end up on the streets.
"Summer is long," Adan said. "They are three months or so at home and they cannot just stay at home throughout. And what will happen is depending on where they live. Some of the kids might go back to the street and all of that. And this is a way to engage them so that they don't go back to the street and being connected to a wrong person."
For kids like 11-year-old Mohamed, it’s another chance to get out on a soccer field with his friends.
"I like to play it," Mohamed said. "And as a kid when I started playing I noticed that I had a talent and I started to play more, and I joined RISE."
Other not-for-profits receiving funds include the North Area Athletic Club, Tillie’s Touch Soccer League, and the Youth Enrichment Outreach Program Basketball League.
