A bat held across home plate by a youngster at a Little League baseball field. November 2024.
© Mark Hughes Cobb/The Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
(New York, NY) – There’s a buzz around baseball right now in the Big Apple. For one thing, megastar Juan Soto just signed a huge deal with the New York Mets. And that was after a successful one-year stint in the Bronx with the Yankees. Of course, the bombers won the AL pennant and fell short in the World Series, while the Mets were defeated in the NLCS by the eventual champion Dodgers. But despite that excitement, there’s an icy, artic blast punishing New York with winter temperatures — not exactly baseball weather.
Yet in Washington Heights, it’s always baseball weather, now. The city’s first indoor baseball center was just opened as part of the Saturday Night Lights recreational program. Located at 216 Fort Washington Avenue, it includes a fully-turfed field, batting cages, and state-of-the-art equipment. SNL or Saturday Night Lights provides kids with rec activities on Saturday nights over the summer — free of charge. This weekend, Mayor Eric Adams was at the renovated center to celebrate its opening.
In a statement, the mayor said: “Saturday Night Lights brings joy and positivity to our kids through sport — and gives our young people an alternative at the times when crimes are most likely to be committed. Every young person should have an opportunity to thrive, and through programs like Saturday Night Lights, our Summer Youth Employment Programs, the Mentorship and Advocacy Program, and more, we are helping give our kids alternatives and opportunities. Programs like this on nights and weekends keep our young people in safe places and away from gun violence, and builds trust between police, community, and our youth. Saturday Night Lights is about giving young people another choice and about keeping the city safe. Together, we can do better for our young people.”
Adams was joined by US Congressman Adriano Espaillat, the representative for New York’s 13 district. The mayor and Espaillat threw out a “ceremonial first pitch” from the indoor pitching mound. Adams explained he and other officials hope programs like this keep kids away from a life of crime. As he said, if kids are holding a baseball bat and glove they aren’t holding a gun.
The facility also features a full gym and golf simulators, in addition to its baseball facility capabilities. Renovation on the space got underway a year ago, backed by a donation from the Police Athletic League. Funds taken from criminal asset forfeiture also helped pay for the project.
