The New York Yankees concluded their third annual Summer Night Lights program with championship baseball and softball games on Wednesday, Aug. 27, at Elston Gene Howard Field, across the street from Yankee Stadium.
More than 500 kids and teens between the ages of 12 and 18 from across the Bronx took part in this year’s program. The Summer Night Lights program is intended to keep Bronx youths engaged in recreation and character-promoting activities during the evenings of the summer, with the nighttime schedule on Tuesdays and Wednesdays meant to supplement the limited number of organized evening activities available to these kids at this time of year.
“The Yankees have been our partners in this since its inception. This is a genuine collaboration. We built this from the ground up together,” DYCD Director of Sports and Wellness Lorena Muñoz said. “Our goal is always to expand. This is year three. We’ve learned what works and we’ve learned what doesn’t. We’ve always hoped to grow. This is a program not only designed to keep our young people safe, but also to give them a safe space to come and practice. Some of the kids out here playing, this is the only opportunity they have to play all year long.”
During this season’s championships, Castle Hill won the middle school softball division, the Lady Belles won the high school softball division and team Grand Slam won the high school baseball division.
“[Summer Night Lights] has been really fun. Way more fun than I imagined,” Lady Belles player Danielle Santos said.
“I feel like it’s such an opportunity for us to really go out there and play where the Yankees used to play,” Melody Zuniga, also of the Lady Belles, said. “It’s such an amazing feeling. It’s just so cool. Sometimes, after or before games, people who are going to Yankee Stadium watch us here too.”
“It gives everyone an opportunity to be who they want to be. This is my first year playing softball. I’ve actually played baseball for ten years. I had to make the switch, but when I found out that they were making a baseball league for women, I got excited,” Lady Belles player Sophie Chaifetz said. “We had our ups and downs, but I think this tournament has brought us closer.”
“It feels like we’re here every day. Every day that we’re not here, it’s like ‘When’s the next game?’ It’s a great feeling,” Lady Belles player Kamili Mukulu said. “Playing here and being as one team is great. It’s the highlight of my summer.”
The Yankees put together this initiative in partnership with the NYPD’s Blue Chips Program, NYC Parks, the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), The Players Alliance, SCAN-Harbor and LG. In addition to providing youths of the borough with a time and place to play the game, the Summer Night Lights program also shatters artificial and territorial boundaries by bringing together kids from all across the Bronx.
“It’s amazing to watch the progress from when we started and kicked off this effort and were shaping its concept,” Yankees Senior Vice President of Corporate/Community Relations Brian Smith said. “We started with around 280 kids. Last year, we grew to north of 300. This year, 500 kids started the program and 500 kids finished the program.”
Smith noted that the increased interest in the program from the partners has helped it grow. After a large increase in kids participating from 2024 to 2025, he is optimistic about that number continuing to climb in 2026. Planning on how to improve the program next year is already underway.
“It’s not about wins and losses. It’s about memories, competition, going back to school and saying, ‘Man, I had a good time at Summer Night Lights,”‘ Yankees Senior Director of Corporate/Community Relations Kenny Leandry said.
“This league has evolved into something that’s creating more demand and it’s becoming more structured and more competitive,” DYCD Deputy Director of Partnerships and Program Analysis Emily Campos said. “To see kids from all over the Bronx represented, it really touches our hearts. This is a dream come true for a lot of kids.”
Campos also noted that the program is also enjoyable for the kids’ families, with many of them coming to loudly cheer them on. Some even bring food and music to add to the fun.
