ACTIVE CITY USED SPORTS TO KEEP 1,430 HARTFORD YOUTH SAFE & ENGAGED THIS SUMMER
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF HARTFORD AND HARTFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Photographer: Dominic Cassarino
Before iPads replaced playgrounds, kids had no choice but to play outside. With limited options for entertainment, we had to “get up, get out and get active” to make the summer days go by, but in today’s world, younger generations have fewer, safe outlets to stay active and engaged. Without the structure and resources that come along with school, the summer months are a critical time when some children are at their most vulnerable and bored.
Thankfully, Active City, a youth sports and recreation organization based in Hartford, partnered with the City of Hartford Sports & Recreation Department, Hartford Public Schools and 15 local youth sports and activity providers to bring back Summer Nights for a second year. The program ran from July 7 to August 15, initiating an outdoor basketball league and open nights at public school gyms, offering kids a safe environment to play, whether its volleyball, double dutch or just kicking a ball around with their new friends.
“Summer can be a time when too many young people face a lack of safe, affordable options for recreation. With Summer Nights, we are working hand-in-hand with partners to ensure kids have fun, stay active and experience the power of community. This program isn’t just about sports — it’s about providing safe, welcoming spaces where our youth can thrive,” Melissa Yennie, Executive Director of Active City shares.
This summer, 1,430 youth participated. The program was spread out throughout the whole city, with open Night Gyms at four school locations across Hartford — Weaver High School, Achievement First, SMSA and Naylor School, while the Outdoor Basketball League was activated in parks across the city.
Brian Gallagher, the Director of Sports and Recreation for the City of Hartford shares with Cafeteria, “This past summer, we ran two amazing programs. Kids had the opportunity to play a wide variety of sports in the gyms and basketball out in the parks to keep busy this summer. Over 1000 youth signed up in total. This is a great opportunity not only to keep the youth active, but to also showcase a lot of great programs in Hartford for youth. It is so important to have programs like these to keep our kids active and safe in the summer.”
The Summer Nights initiative was also able to work with the youth at a deeper level, thanks to community collaboration, including support from the Hartford Communities That Care (HCTC), Full Citizens Coalition and LoveJoy Associates. Together, the Summer Nights partners implemented the SAFETY Framework (Safe and Friendly Environments Transform Youth), a prevention and intervention approach designed to ensure that every space is not only active but also safe and nurturing.
Active City has been working in Hartford for over a decade. Central to its mission is to work with community stakeholders to make Hartford the most physically active city for children, ensuring all youth have equitable access to affordable physically active programs that nurture their spirit, mind and body while building positive community connections. The organization has been growing over the past few years to partner with city and local sports and recreation organizations so that collectively and collaboratively, more Hartford youth have opportunities to participate and get involved in sports and recreation in their community. That work has led to the creation of the “Hartford Youth Sports Collaborative,” a round table effort of more than a dozen youth sports providers in Hartford that have come together to collaborate, and to expand and improve programs. Collaboration can often feel like a hot potato in Hartford, but we at Cafeteria hope youth sports leaders will keep showing us the benefits of playing on the same team.
All imagery courtesy of Dominic Cassarino