By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
September 1, 2022-As the Metrokids Youth Soccer League hosted their Champions Cup at Frank Principe Park in Maspeth on Saturday, August 27, the park was crowded with activity as the Metrokids were playing on one field and there were pick-up soccer games on the other field.
One mile away at another Metrokids field, Big Bush Park in Woodside, that park was very quiet with one child in the playground with his mother and two men talking while sitting on a bench. The soccer field had no activity, organized or pick-up, as the field is badly in need of repairs.
New York City Parks & Recreation’s website describes the park as a “hub of recreation for Woodside families, and a delightful play space for kids. The park features a large synthetic turf ballfield for soccer and other sports.”
The turf field at Big Bush Park is not the state-of-the-art Field Turf and Sprinturf that has been the most popular forms of turf for the past two decades since it resembles natural grass. Big Bush’s surface is Astroturf. When the many repairs needed to be made to the surface during the past few years, the field was patched up. Unfortunately, the surface is now very worn and the remaining turf has divots, a danger to the players who run up and down on the field.
The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is again calling on New York City government to put in a new turf surface. Without help from the government so far, Metrokids has a Go Fund Me page to raise $50,000 to help repair the field so everyone can safely play there:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-renovate-big-bush-soccer-field
With approximately 100,000 youth soccer players––both boys and girls––and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with 10 leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered––from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Children With Special Needs. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and United States Youth Soccer. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/