New York will have its first Office of Sports, Wellness and Recreation, which will create strategies and initiatives with a view to making the city a major competitor in the United States and the world, after the Council approved the initiative on Thursday.
The project, which has the support of various sports leaders and institutions, belongs to the Dominican councilor Ydanis Rodríguez, who stressed that it will benefit young people in disadvantaged communities to develop their skills.
The Office will support competitive sports by creating avenues through which children will be able to count on resources, especially those with limited resources, such as Latinos, who have many dreams but parents cannot afford a private coach or put them in classes, ” he said. to Efe Rodríguez.
‘We need to make sure that students from underserved communities can learn and expand their skills in all sports. It’s about fairness, ‘he said.
He stressed that during the health crisis due to the covid-19 pandemic, the disparities that impacted communities of color came to light.
“Those underserved communities suffered the highest rates of asthma, heart disease and obesity, and became the most vulnerable because they lacked many of the resources and opportunities available to other neighborhoods,” he said.
As part of the creation of the new office, the establishment of a 17-member advisory board is required to analyze demographic and investment data to ensure that the city’s resources and initiatives are equitably distributed, among other duties. and responsibilities.
Those members will come from the public, private and non-profit sectors, as well as from higher education and sports institutions located in the city, and some will be appointed by the mayor.
“By providing student-athletes with the right programs and initiatives, we will help them regardless of their socio-economic background to reach their full potential in sports,” the councilor said.
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