by Uppereast.com Staff
Community, Camaraderie and Competition – those are the three pillars of Yorkville Youth Athletic Association, and the pillars which hold up to the test of time in the real world. “We use sports to teach kids life lessons,” explains Arlene Virga, Executive Director of the Yorkville Youth Athletic Association (YYAA), a not-for-profit organization whose history has spanned over 40 years and brought team sports and extracurricular programs to the area.
YYAA brings sports and activities to both children and families on the Upper East Side. Offering a wide range of sports including basketball, baseball, tennis, flag football, tackle football, roller hockey and theater and acting workshops, children from ages 6-18 can participate in structured and organized games and leagues. “The community spirit which is a vibrant part of suburban life isn’t readily available to city kids. But YYAA gives city kids the same opportunity, a place to grow through teamwork, sportsmanship, respect and hard work all while having fun,” Virga notes. “It makes a big city feel more like a small town.”
Lifelong friendships are forged on the playing fields – not only for the children but for the parents as well. With the highest retention rates of any organized sports association in the area, both players and parents return year after year. “We also organize outings to Mets games and Yankee games so the kids and parents can socialize off the field,” Virga says. YYAA brings together a diverse group of public, private and parochial school students who might not otherwise cross paths in this metropolis. “Children have the opportunity to meet new people and develop bonds with other children who they don’t go to school with,” adds Virga.
It has been proven that participation in sports for children serves to make them more well-adjusted and better adept at handling life’s challenges. YYAA delivers this opportunity at an affordable price. The programs are designed to allow all children the opportunity to play, improve their skills and understand the value of teamwork and tenacity, but more competitive travel teams and “Next Level” programs bring a more competitive edge for those who are interested in that type of playing environment. “The travel teams have been difficult to start,” Virga says, “but they have been a huge success. We have teams in different sports traveling all over, from Long Island to New Jersey and even to Maryland and Florida.”
The values which YYAA teaches the youth of New York City are invaluable. It’s not just the sports and the activities, but what the children take away from it – a heightened level of self-confidence, dedication, sportsmanship and the obvious, just plain good old-fashion fun.