Yankees host opening day for Summer Night Lights program

One player throws a ball from third base on opening day on July, 9 at Elston Gene Howard Field.
One player throws a ball from third base on opening day on July, 9 at Elston Gene Howard Field.
Photo courtesy New York Yankees.

The New York Yankees, in partnership with the New York City Police Department’s (NYPD) Blue Chips Program, NYC Parks, the New York City Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD), The Players Alliance, SCAN-Harbor and Poland Spring Spring Water, held opening day for the Summer Night Lights Program on July, 9 at Elston Gene Howard Field across the street from Yankee Stadium.

Summer Night Lights is a collective effort to encourage engagement in baseball-related activities, which can serve as an outlet for recreation, social responsibility, and healthy competition. More than 300 Bronx children and teenagers will have the opportunity to take part in tournament-style, co-ed baseball, and softball games at Elston Gene Howard Field throughout the summer every Tuesday and Wednesday night. 

The evening schedule was chosen to supplement the limited number of organized evening activities available to Bronx youth from ages 12 to 18 during the summer.

Players gather during opening speeches at Elston Gene Howard Field. Photo courtesy New York Yankees

“I really believe that it takes a village to raise a child, so the more of us are together, we have the same idea, right? We want to provide for the kids in our community,”  said NYPD Det. Darnell Gatling, co-founder of NYPD Blue Chips. “We want to give them the best experience, and the best way to do that is coming together as one, working as one, and just producing the best that we can do.”

Following a successful inaugural season in 2023, Summer Night Lights is returning this summer in conjunction with Major League Baseball’s PLAY BALL initiative.

Keith Howard, New York City Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD) commissioner, said that this season, the majority of players are young ladies. He said it’s “awesome” that a women-forward campaign can “highlight all the achievements and create opportunities for young ladies.”

More than 54% of the players participating in Summer Night Lights are young women. Photo courtesy New York Yankees

On opening day, players took the field to play catch and gear up for the start of their season. The daily programming is organized by the NYPD Blue Chips Program and the NYC DYCD. 

“We have to make sure that the young people stay engaged,” Howard said. “They’re less likely to be in trouble. They are getting as much support and health, discipline, physical activity, that’s important, and that’s important to us, and everyone who I mentioned in our partnership know that it’s important to them as well, physical fitness, mental health and an opportunity to play on a big stage like Yankee Stadium.”


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