ARTICLE:
NYC's sports facility crisis leaves cricket players without training spaces
A new report finds a shortage of courts, fields and swimming pools in some New York City neighborhoods.
Now, New Yorkers living in so-called "recreation deserts" are asking for a level playing field.
What the report says
A new report from the Center for an Urban Future points to a shrinking city budget for recreation and uneven access across neighborhoods.
"We're living in a time now where New Yorkers are moving less than they were even a decade ago, where social isolation and loneliness have reached epidemic proportions, and in so many ways, the cure for a lot of what ails us is recreation," co-author Eli Dvorkin said. "But what our report shows is that, A, recreation as a share of the city's parks budget has steadily slipped over not just years but decades, and, B, that there are neighborhoods across New York City that have far less access to public recreation than the citywide average."
Areas the report identifies as "recreation deserts" include Queens Community Board 9, which spans Woodhaven, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill and Kew Gardens.
"In CB9, for example, our report shows there's not a single lighted field," Dvorkin said. "So if you want to play a sport in the evenings or at night, you're out of luck."
The report finds shortages in parks staffing and activities in all five boroughs.
"Group programming, communal programming is so important," co-author John Surico said.
He says the 1980s and '90s saw the rise of private gyms across the city.
"We feel like we have a lot of these things near us, but they usually come with a price tag," he said.
NYC Parks responds
The report argues in favor of renewed investment in free parks services, as well as strengthening partnerships with nonprofits such as Sunnyside Community Services, which collaborates with the city on some of its senior programming.
"New York City needs a citywide recreation master plan that would look at putting the 'rec' back in 'parks and rec' across all five boroughs," Dvorkin said.
The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation told our News New York:
"NYC Parks is committed to delivering high-quality recreation amenities for all New Yorkers, especially in areas that have typically been underserved.
"As Parks is the agency of affordability, our recreation centers and programming are an essential component of that. Our rec center memberships are the best deal in the city, free for anyone 24 and under, and we're proud to be building four new centers and renovating two others across the city. Parks also offers over 20,000 free public programs annually to engage New Yorkers with the natural and recreational assets of our city, improving health, social connection and quality of life for New Yorkers."
NYC Parks adds that in Queens Community Board 9, active capital projects include a $3.38 million investment in the Forest Park Greenhouse and $3.75 million in the Paul Rizzuto Park Sports Courts and Adult Fitness Area. Offerings such as Movies Under the Stars, nature workshops, and Kids Week programs are expected to continue throughout the year.
While the Parks budget under the Mamdani administration stands at just over half a percent, City Hall told our News New York:
"The mayor remains committed to achieving the 1% for parks pledge by the end of his mayoralty to fund the Parks Department because affordability is about more than rent and groceries. It's about whether working people have beautiful, safe, well-funded places to gather and rest without having to spend a dollar. While working families are asked to tighten their belts, the wealthiest New Yorkers and the largest corporations continue to reap extraordinary gains. Mayor Mamdani believes we must tax the wealthiest among us, ensure corporations pay their fair share, and end the drain on our city's resources, so we can invest in the services that make New York livable for everyone."
"You're very, very limited"
For many players in South Jamaica, Queens, cricket is more than a pastime.
"Primarily, we are all from the Caribbean," Gupchand Badri said. "This is our only sport. Nothing else exists."
But some say access to adequate facilities has not kept up with demand. The Richmond Hill Liberty Cricket Club travels to other neighborhoods just to find space to practice.
"It's hard to get parks for ourselves to play cricket, especially because it's a public place, and everybody's there," Bhumesh Warnaraine said.
Advocates say cricket isn't the only sport suffering.
"When you're trying to do activities, you're very, very limited, like cricket or volleyball, pickleball, or swimming and other things," Indo-Caribbean Alliance board member Richard David said.
