By COLlive reporter
Young yeshiva students in Crown Heights have been playing baseball, basketball and soccer in Hamilton Metz – Lefferts Park each Friday afternoon for decades.
The young boys attend local Yeshivas, which have a rigorous daily schedule beginning early in the day and ending late in the afternoon, and Friday afternoon is one of their only opportunities each week to enjoy outdoor sports and activities. The park also provides a crucial outlet for local public school children who play there on Fridays as well.
In the past few weeks, the boys were shocked to have been asked to leave the field at 4 PM, after the Park Slope United Soccer Club arrived to play.
The soccer club, based in the nearby neighborhood of Park Slope and which includes members from Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, and Brownsville, had recently applied for and received a permit to play on the field every Friday from 4 – 6 PM through the spring and summer.
With the children disappointed about losing their beloved Friday games, and concerned about escalating disputes, Crown Heights Shomrim volunteers brought their plight to the attention of community activist Yaacov Behrman, director of Operation Survival and member of Community Board 9.
Behrman reached out to Park Slope United, and explained that Friday is the only day the kids can play each week.
When the staff at Park Slope United heard about the conflict in schedule, they agreed to help out.
They agreed to move their games to 5 PM, giving the boys an extra hour to play. In an incredibly kind gesture, they also offered that their coach, Shaquile Mcletchie, a coach at Park Slope United will coach the Yeshiva students for free for an hour one weekend a month.
“I’m happy to help the kids of the community, and work with you guys to help the children and families,” Mcletchie told COLlive. “Our motto is ‘Community, integrity, and excellence,’ and so we are happy to push back our schedule to give the kids this time slot. We strive to do whatever it takes to help out in the community.”
“This is a beautiful example of the community working together, side by side for the benefit of our youth,” Yaacov Behrman told COLlive. “We appreciate that Park Slope United is giving us this courtesy and working to accommodate us.”
Behrman has also arranged for a community permit for the hours of 1 PM-4:45 PM, so the park is blocked off for community time. He asks the community to respect the Soccer Club’s permit when they come at 4:45 PM.
“We also thank the NYC Parks Department and the offices of Laurie Cumbo and Alieka Samuels and Geoffrey A. Davis for their assistance,” he said.
I still don’t understand why Park Slope has to come to Crown Heights. Let them play in Park Slope and let our kids play here… there are too few resources here.
Why don’t they play in park slope or in prospect park to begin with ? This is the only local park . Or let them go play in Rochester park . Our children can’t plant their unattended ( lets be honest here ) . They are with supervised coaches . This doesn’t seem like such an amazing bargain.
Great newsworthy story. Kol hakavod!
You did the right thing, and got results!
Yaakov great work and a termendous Kiddush Hashem!
Now, can you PLEASE get the playground updated? The kids in our neighberhood play on a 90’s era playground with so few items…. This project will benefit the thousands of children who frequent the lefferts Park Playground.
If more space is needed, how about converting the handball court to a playground area? Almost noone ever uses it ( see for yourself)
Thank you!
Agreed
If you want the playground updated this is a project for the Elected Official, (City Council Member), whose jurisdiction the park is in i.e. Council Member Alicka Samuels. It comes out of their Capital funding budget and now is the time this can be put in, although it may be too late. Budget requests start after January. Their office number is 718 953.3097 and ask for the budget director. Please keep in mind Park renovations are very costly so they have to also partner with other electeds whose district the Park is in. Although you may not live in her… Read more »
Feel good story
Have their own stadium or place where to play
At least not to ask people to leave when
they are playing too…
If the organization has a permit they have a permit. I am sure they exhausted their own nearby parks but they are free to request a permit. Mr Berman did a great job of working within the system, ie the Parks Department and the elected officials, and using smart diplomacy to work with the other group to get what was a very kind compromise which they did not have to do.
The idea goes that the permit by itself shoul be more fixed to the priorities of the local community itself (and perhaps) limited to a certain range of hours that the place should be open publicly so the reservation permit (whichever) will be relegated to a specific time slot. This idea, if it wasnt before, could be useful for the future regardless of the diplomacy in this specific case.
heartwarming to see the coach give back as well ♥
Great outcome, and kudos to YB.
To those who post here “why don’t they play in park slope” – come on. Do you know all the facts? Can you not assume and understand that there must be a logical reason? It’s not like people from park slope want to have to travel to crown heights if they don’t have to…
The only reason that all the lawns on and around park slope area were booked, and sports on demand because no public schools or camps are fully open. That’s why they came here. It’s nice that they at least moved one hour later, but CH kids – don’t have any place at all / we don’t have any school with a stadium or place for sport or playground that can be used at least on Fridays. Sadly but our local community never stand up to build up a place where community can relax, do sports and have nice playgrounds. Lefferts… Read more »
Exactly
Nice story, but it’s a real shame the schools in CH can’t arrange organized sports leagues, and have to take a donation of one hour a month!?!
Good idea…..
Whose game?
At least open affordable kids sport club for all 1-4:30? Kids are desperate
Seeds in the Middle is offering soccer programs at Hamilton Metz or Lefferts Park on Saturdays and Sundays. We are seeking community members to have their children play with us and the Jewish community has had children play in the past. If you want to keep your fields for the community, you have to use them and register for programs – We have soccer now on Sundays 4-6 pm and we are willing to do adult Soccer for Harmony games when the kids are done at 7 pm. See bit.ly/springsoccersignup Please take part in our programs or talk with us… Read more »