Falling for Fall Frenzy 2019!
The poems were prepared, the cones were laid out, and the poet-athletes were ready--this could only mean one thing: our annual Fall Frenzy!
Almost 400 poet-athletes joined us at Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park in Harlem on Saturday, November 2nd for our mid-season celebration of soccer and poetry performances, highlighted with a community art project.
At 1pm, the bleachers were filled with families, coaches, and poet-athletes from 12 different schools across three boroughs -- PS 66 and PS 386 from the Bronx, PS 139 and PS 249 from Brooklyn, and PS 98, PS 4, PS 125, PS 153, PS 192, PS 161, PS 173, and Dos Puentes from Upper Manhattan.
Executive Director Shannon Schneeman kicked off the day with an exciting introduction, emphasizing the most important aspect of our program--the involvement of our young people! She then introduced our guest Talal Alhajri from the New York Consulate of the Embassy of Qatar, who reiterated the importance of sport for physical and mental joy, and the value of investing in our communities.
The Embassy of Qatar is among three of our top supporters that have will help us in the launch of our 2030 Vision strategy, mapping out the next ten years with the goal of becoming NYC’s leader in sport, self-expression and community. They have been an incredible supporter of ASNY throughout the last year, and we’re excited to have them join us as we head into 2020 with their support of $100,000 for our school partners in the Bronx and Harlem!
After a rousing speech from Program Director Zachary Gomes and a run through of the day from Director of Soccer Programs Chloe Wheeler, the festivities began! Chloe, joined by our incredible volunteers from RBC and Oppenheimer, refereed the first set of games for the girls' teams while poetry and art projects were well-underway alongside the track. Halfway through the day, the groups switched, providing each team with three action-packed soccer games and ample time to write their poems (over 250 were written!)
Overall, this year's Fall Frenzy was an amazing day centered around fair play, community, and self-expression! A massive thank you, as always, to our team of dedicated volunteers, our fantastic photographers (Luis Fonseca, Sam Katz, and Thomas Callela), and our incredible sponsors-- RBC, the Embassy of the State of Qatar, and Subway!
Our amazing crew of volunteers!
Stay tuned for additional photos!
