Every Sunday a group of ballers meet to play a game, a game they grew up loving, a game that hasn’t changed as much as their lives did. Basketball is something really embedded in NYC culture, even more so in certain neighborhoods. The court however, is horrible. There are cracks on the floor, the paint is old and the surrounding area isn’t maintained well.
Growing up in Brooklyn means growing up with basketball. A lot of kids use the sport like any other as an escape from everyday life whether it be a hard knock one or a normal one.
In most boroughs you won’t have to travel a long distance to find a court where you can play basketball at. “There use to be a basketball court down the block from where I live. I grew up playing there, I’ve been balling since I was 9-years-old,” said local resident Sammy Parea.
According to Parea, as you get older the opportunity to play the sport or any sport for that matter decreases because of responsibilities like work or family life. Unless you’re a professional athlete the chance of you playing basketball with your buddies the way you did when you were growing up are low.
“Playing basketball was a way for most of us to stay out of trouble and for some of us it was a way to escape our everyday lives. A lot of people around here didn’t grow up rich,” said Parea.
Across the street from the court is an award winning hospital. Next to the court there is a playground where children play and is in fairly good shape. The court has been in bad condition for years. Every time the ball hits one of the cracks it’s liable to go out of bounds and that decreases the quality of the game.
According to local resident Paul Ruiz, the court has had cracks with grass sprouting out for about 10-years. “It’s been like this for about a decade, they’ve been cleaning up parks around Brooklyn and they’re probably getting to this one next.” The cracks in the court are not only eye sores but are dangerous. Anyone playing on the courts, especially smaller children, can get hurt.
During the 1970’s, playground safety became especially important and that’s when NYC started to see new changes. Concrete structures started becoming more colorful and more visible so parents can watch their children carefully. If NYC has adopted methods of bringing safety to playgrounds shouldn’t all playgrounds be safe? In the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website, a study in New York City found that playgrounds in low-income areas had more maintenance-related hazards than playgrounds in high-income areas. For example, playgrounds in low-income areas had significantly more trash, rusty play equipment, and damaged fall surfaces.
The questions are, if there is a parks commissioner handling city parks are there parks that get excluded from certain rebuilding or renovation? If you go to certain basketball courts around the city they are in great condition. Why isn’t every court up to par? Ruiz is blindly optimistic about the playground.
I recently wrote an email to the press office of the NYC Parks department. Below is the letter I wrote following their response.
I am working on an article regarding a specific park in Brooklyn. It’s a playground called Martin Luther Playground in Sunset Park Brooklyn 55st and 2nd avenue. It is located right across the street from Lutheran Hospital. There are cracks all over the basketball courts and the park is not maintained properly. I spoke to local residents and they claim that the playground has been in this condition for about a decade. I have some general questions regarding the issue. It seems that there are a number of playground around NYC that are in great condition. Why aren’t all parks maintained in the same fashion? Is it a lack of funding? How does funding get issued for playground maintenance? Is it through taxes? Which parks receive priority? Are all parks treated equally? Is it possible that the city will recognize and take action with this specific issue? These questions are regarding all parks in general but are specific to playgrounds and basketball courts around NYC and Brooklyn for that matter.
If I can get statements and answers regarding the matter that would be great.
Thank you,
Rafael Lacayo
This was the corresponding email I received.
Hi Rafael,
There are no funded capital projects in Martin Luther Playground at this time.
Meghan Lalor Press Officer
According to the NYC Parks website, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has committed $111 million dollars in capital funding for playground improvements and according to Press Officer Lalor, Martin Luther Playground isn’t on the list
A well maintained court is especially important for the quality of life for residents around the area. In NYC, people play basketball in the middle of January or when it is pouring outside. Throughout the boroughs you can find kids playing competitively in all types of conditions.
Playing every Sunday becomes especially important for the “grown up kids” who just need a break from the weekly routine.
“Throughout the week I basically sit at a desk. I don’t get much physical activity in there. I have a son and he takes up most of my time, playing basketball once a week at least gets me to burn some calories and gives me the chance to get out of my house,” said David Molina who plays at the court every week and who grew up in the neighborhood.
Ruiz believes that basketball courts are very important for the neighborhood and can decrease violent acts of crime. “When I was young the courts were open all night long so we would eat breakfast lunch and dinner and be at the courts. You have these young kids killing younger kids with stray bullets because they really have nothing to do.” Ruiz isn’t alone in his beliefs. According to The Playground and Recreation Association, “Much crime and most juvenile delinquency are undoubtedly the results of perverted play and recreation.”
Funding for playgrounds doesn’t always stem from capital funding. In some cases park maintainenace comes from private entities. The Prospect Park Alliance is a group that helps get the funding for restoriation and maintanace. According to http://www.prospectpark.org/about/alliance, …. “by supplementing the Park’s basic operating budget with private funds, the Alliance has initiated a large array of capital projects and community programs. The Alliance has boosted public awareness of the crucial role parks play in the urban environment, while gaining support from donors and volunteers for the restoration projects that have brought Prospect Park back to prominence.”
Much has been done in Prospect Park, through private and public funding. Martin Luther Playground is a different story. Although it is not a large or well known park like Prospect Park it is still part of the City’s Park system. It is clear that there isn’t any current capital funding for Martin Luther Playground, the answer seems to be in private funding or in public awareness. Prospect Park wasn’t always a beautiful park and funding has made a significant impact on its appearance and maintenance.
Funding however shouldn’t be used in specific parks but rather in all parks in the city so that the quality of life for its residents increases. In the case of Prospect Park there is a perfect example of a coalition working together and getting things done for the better of the community. From this example and from knowing that capital funding won’t cover every playground in the city, certain neighborhoods have to take it into their own hands in order to start seeing improvement.
