Starting July 8, the city of Hartford will provide six gym facilities and four pools for youth to engage in sports this summer.
“We need to provide them with good opportunities, the chance to make good choices, before we criticize them for making bad choices,” said Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam.
The program will run from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. through Aug. 16 and will offer youth the chance to participate in a variety of sports such as soccer, basketball, double Dutch and volleyball. Students can also participate in a mix of recreational teams and clinics for no cost.
“I’m just so excited,” said Hartford Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez. “I hope our young people and our families can take advantage of it.”
Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.
The mayor said this partnership between the city and Hartford Public Schools has been in works for months leading to the creation of Hartford’s Sports and Recreations Department, which is being led by acting director Brian Gallagher.
“This was the first thing that I tasked him with,” said Mayor Arulampalam. “Trying to develop a summer full of activities that would engage our kids throughout the year and activities that were in every neighborhood in our city.”
Local
This is the first year Hartford is running this program, but he said they plan to keep it around.
“Our goal going forward is to engage our kids after school, during the school year and then all summer long,” said Arulampalam.
Below is the full list of programming and locations:
Night gyms available Monday through Friday, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Weaver High School
- Hartford Public High School
- Achievement First
- Sports and Medical Science Academy
- Arroyo Center
- Parker Memorial
Summer Aquatic Programming:
- Colt Park Pool
- Keney Park Pool
- Goodwin Park Pool
- Pope Park
Visit the Sports & Recreation Department website for further pool scheduling.
