New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announces $5 million initiative to build soccer pitches all over the state
Gov. Kathy Hochul tapped into World Cup mania on Wednesday, announcing a multimillion-dollar program to build soccer pitches all over New York state.
The initiative, called New York Kicks, is geared towards building fields in disadvantaged communities. And for a politician running for reelection, it's was what soccer pros would call a "top bin," an unstoppable shot into the net.
Soccer mom Hochul talks life skills the sport provides
Hochul walked through a high-five tunnel, a common way for soccer teams to welcome an honored guest, as she met on the pitch with teams competing for the championship at Community School District 15 in Brooklyn.
Before announcing the new $5 million program to expand access to soccer in disadvantaged communities throughout the state, she drew on her experience as a real soccer mom -- two of her children played -- to extol the virtues of the game.
"My children learn the thrill of victory, but also how to handle defeat, and those are life skills that they carry with them as adults and passing them on to their own children, because life can be challenging sometimes. But when you have teammates who are at your side, who go through the same experience, it creates a bond," Hochul said.
In addition to money for new soccer fields, there will also be another $1 million to pay for uniforms, shin guards, soccer balls, and even coaches.
A needed alternative to screen time, gov says
For Hochul, the event was a two-fer -- a tie-in to the upcoming World Cup and to her efforts to ban cellphones in schools and get kids off-line.
"They are so isolated because of the availability of screens and iPads and their cellphones that many go home after school and they don't go to a soccer practice or have a game at night. They're devolving into their own isolated world, and that is what I'm trying to break," Hochul said.
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Pronoy Nath is a 21-year-old soccer coach in Queens.
"Without access to a sport I love, I may have never become a community coach," Nath said. "Every day, children from different cultures, backgrounds, and neighborhoods come together on these pitches. They learn how to communicate, collaborate, and support one another despite their differences. Those interactions build confidence, empathy, and social skills."
And for those keeping score at home, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani apparently doesn't have the corner on the market on offering affordable World Cup tickets. Hochul said she'll soon have her own ticket announcement.
