West Side Rag
  • TOP NEWS
  • OPEN/CLOSED
  • FOOD
  • SCHOOLS
  • OUTDOORS
  • REAL ESTATE
  • ART & CULTURE
  • POLITICS
  • COLUMNS
  • CRIME
  • HISTORY
  • ABSURDITY
  • ABOUT US
    • OUR STORY
    • CONTRIBUTORS
    • CONTACT
West Side Rag
No Result
View All Result
SUPPORT THE RAG

Search the site

No Result
View All Result
Get WSR FREE in your inbox
SUPPORT THE RAG

Live From New York: Saturday Night Basketball Comes to the Frederick Douglass Houses

September 21, 2023 | 11:19 AM
in NEWS
2
A flyer posted outside the Frederick Douglass Community Center this week. Photographs by Daniel Katzive.

By Daniel Katzive

Saturday Night Live is on extended hiatus due to the writers’ strike, but a different SNL goes live this weekend at the Frederick Douglass Community Center. That’s when Saturday Night Lights, a youth sports program, kicks off its drop-in basketball program.

“It’s an opportunity for the young people to have an outlet on a Saturday night when maybe there’s not a whole lot going on for them,” said  Vito Interante, youth division deputy director for the Children’s Aid Society, which manages the Frederick Douglass center at 885 Columbus Avenue. The goal is to help them “stay off the streets, stay out of trouble and do something positive for themselves.”

The program, funded by the city’s Department of Youth and Community Development in partnership with the NYPD and the city’s District Attorney’s office, is open to boys and girls ages 11 to 18. Sessions for children 11-14 will run from 5 pm to 7 pm, while 15- to 18-year-olds will be on the floor from 7 pm to 9 pm. There is no fee to participate, and while the program will focus on basketball, there will also be table games on offer. Volleyball may be introduced in the future, depending on interests of the participants.

Pizza and other refreshments will be available to those who come this Saturday, and Interante told WSR that some local elected officials are scheduled to attend the kickoff. So are officers from the NYPD’s PSA6 command, which patrols the development. “It’s great to set up that kind of relationship,” said Interante. “Having that positive relationship and that energy together is just so crucial.”

Interante said the Children’s Aid Society – which has run the Frederick Douglass center since the 1950s — had a Saturday basketball program in the past, but funding for it ran out.

Basketball programs at the center are remembered fondly by Keith Harris, who grew up playing and coaching summer camps there and has been keen to see basketball return to the facility. He now runs afterschool sports programs at nearby schools and the Ai2 Aviators basketball program, which the WSR profiled in February. Harris told WSR that the Frederick Douglass Community Center has a “strong legacy” of basketball programs, and a number of high-level players began their careers here.

The community center’s gym is ready for action.
Share this article:
SUPPORT THE RAG
guest

guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

2 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Sarah
Sarah
1 year ago

So important to give young people fun and positive things to do with their time!

4
Reply
Betty
Betty
1 year ago
Reply to  Sarah

Can neighbors attend? I don’t see any seats! Any ventilation?
The “room” looks kinda strange, or is it just a really weird photo?

0
Reply

YOU MIGHT LIKE...

Recreational Boats Could Return to UWS In 2028: Update on 79th Street Marina Project
NEWS

Recreational Boats Could Return to UWS In 2028: Update on 79th Street Marina Project

May 21, 2025 | 1:24 PM
COLUMNS

Openings & Closings: The Throwback; Fellini; 2nd Street; Vuori; Bagel Talk; Strand Books

May 21, 2025 | 8:52 AM
Previous Post

The Story of West Park Church as Never Told Before (With an Ending!)

Next Post

Beloved Procession of Animals and Blessing of Pets Returns to UWS Cathedral On October 1

this week's events image
Next Post
Beloved Procession of Animals and Blessing of Pets Returns to UWS Cathedral On October 1

Beloved Procession of Animals and Blessing of Pets Returns to UWS Cathedral On October 1

Openings and Closings: Le Pain Quotidien; La Caridad; Rampoldi; QQ Nails & Spa; Amorino Gelato; Per Se

Openings and Closings: Le Pain Quotidien; La Caridad; Rampoldi; QQ Nails & Spa; Amorino Gelato; Per Se

Venezuelan Migrants in NYC Cheer TPS, Though Wait Remains for Work Permits

Venezuelan Migrants in NYC Cheer TPS, Though Wait Remains for Work Permits

  • ABOUT US
  • CONTACT US
  • NEWSLETTER
  • WSR MERCH!
  • ADVERTISE
  • EVENTS
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS OF USE
  • SITE MAP
Site design by RLDGROUP

© 2025 West Side Rag | All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • TOP NEWS
  • THIS WEEK’S EVENTS
  • OPEN/CLOSED
  • FOOD
  • SCHOOLS
  • OUTDOORS
  • REAL ESTATE
  • ART & CULTURE
  • POLITICS
  • COLUMNS
  • CRIME
  • HISTORY
  • ABSURDITY
  • ABOUT
    • OUR STORY
    • CONTRIBUTORS
    • CONTACT US
  • WSR SHOP

© 2025 West Side Rag | All rights reserved.