By: Renee DeLorenzo
Qns.com
The Bronx defeated Manhattan in the 2026 edition of the CityParks Play “Battle of the Boroughs” summer soccer tournament, taking the trophy in the under-12 category. On the other hand, Staten Island defeated Queens North in a penalty shootout in the under-9 category.
The annual contest brought together 142 children between the ages of 6 and 12 from the city’s five boroughs to compete on the Flushing Meadows Corona Park playing field in Corona. The kids trained twice a week all summer, picking up the pace with each practice before taking on their peers from other districts in this friendly competition.
Girls Forward, a soccer program exclusively for girls ages 13 to 16 in New York, held its own exhibition during the tournament, showing off its skills in a hotly contested match. The players were part of teams that represented three parks in the different boroughs: Flushing Meadows in Queens, Thomas Jefferson Park in Manhattan and Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx.
Throughout the four-hour event, teams took turns sharing two fields and playing a total of 41 matches of 12 minutes each. Between meetings, they took brief breaks to play games like Jenga and Twister, cool off at the hydration station, take photos with their families and take turns coloring a large mural that captured emblematic elements of the 5 districts on the same canvas.
CityParks Play, a program sponsored by Nike, invites children ages 6 to 12 each year to participate in its free summer, fall and spring activities. The summer program attracted more than 1,000 participants in 11 city parks, a number that far exceeded previous years, according to Jonathan Gamberg, director of CityParks Play.
“I want to congratulate all of our athletes for being here,” Gamberg told the children before the tournament. “They have worked hard all summer, learned new skills, improved themselves and, most importantly, had a lot of fun.”
She credited the children’s parents, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, and CityParks staff and coaches—including program director Ximena Linton, athletic program manager Corey Greenspan, Girls Forward program manager Elli Lewis, and special projects director Mike Silverman—for providing the young athletes with the support and encouragement needed to succeed.
Noah Soto, 12, a player from Queens who has been participating in the soccer program for a few years, said he has a lot of fun learning and playing. He explained that his coach, Phillip Tusinean, is not too strict with him and makes the experience more fun.
«I don’t like most coaches; Actually, I only like Coach Phillip,” he said with a laugh. “But the good thing about coaches is that, at the end of the day, they just let you play football.”
Most of his teammates return each year, Noah continued, giving them the opportunity to grow and play in the tournament together as a team. Queens has had good luck in previous tournaments, he noted, which has made the experience even more enjoyable. “If I win, I feel happy,” he said. “Winning is always fun.”
The only thing he would like to see change is for the program to be expanded to include participants ages 13 and up. Since he is 12 years old, this was the last year he was able to participate. “I need it,” he emphasized.
Ximena Linton, program director for the past several years, said expanding the program is certainly a goal of CityParks Play, although many more resources would be needed to accommodate more children.
“They need these programs,” Linton explained. “We work with a lot of low-income parents who don’t have places to take their kids to play. It is important because children need to keep their minds busy. I always say, ‘A busy mind is a healthy mind.'”
Unfortunately, many of the fields at Flushing Meadows are often reserved by other organizations with more funds, often leaving out families who cannot afford to send their children to expensive summer programs.
Linton noted that when CityParks Play is unable to secure a field, they sometimes play on grassy areas of the park with uneven surfaces that are not suitable for the sport.
In addition, he indicated that there are not enough facilities to accommodate more children. He highlighted that in Queens, the largest borough of New York City, there are only 2 locations – Flushing and Far Rockaway – where children can attend training.
“We do everything possible to accommodate as many children as possible,” Linton stressed. “I think to expand the program, we need more sponsors and volunteers.”
He said that while some elected officials have provided grants to fund the program, he would appreciate any help from the Parks Department and the New York City Council.
Boosting the role and confidence of women in sport
Rachel Ford, a Girls Forward coach for 2 years, described the experience as “wonderful.” As a mother of two daughters who also play soccer, she finds Girls Forward’s mission important, as many girls are not encouraged to continue playing sports once they reach adolescence; an issue she believes is addressed through this girls-only program.
“It’s about social-emotional development and leadership for girls through sports,” Ford explained. “There is a curriculum structured around strengthening girls’ self-esteem.”
She and other members of the Girls Forward team noted that parents are more likely to enroll their daughters in art classes than in sports, leading to a notable decline in female participation as they approach high school.
According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), boys make up 57% of sports participants, while girls make up only 43%. On the other hand, a research article published in ScienceDirect indicates that more than 35% of girls participate in artistic activities, compared to only 16% of boys.
“Developmentally, girls seek meaningful friendships,” Ford continued. “It’s not just about football.”
That’s why Girls Forward rotates leaders each week, giving each girl on the team the opportunity to lead her peers and have an active voice in the group.
Ford herself stated that she aspires to be the coach that her daughters deserve. “For me, as a mother, it’s important,” she said. «It is essential that girls have coaches who understand that, for them, this goes beyond football… I have had good coaches and toxic ones. “I want my daughters to have the former, not the latter.”
Molly Cohen, 20, said this was her first year working as a coach for Girls Forward in Queens. As soon as he read about the organization’s mission, he knew it would be a great opportunity.
“As an athlete who played with boys, I love the idea of an exclusive space for girls,” she said. «It is important that women have their place in this. “They deserve the opportunity to shine.”
Cohen recalled frustrating experiences playing on teams with boys during his childhood; She recalled how they did not want to pass the ball to her and blamed her for the defeats. She stated that, therefore, the program represents a great opportunity to offer other girls a higher quality experience that she did not always have.
“Women have the same talent, and that is something that should not be denied to us,” she declared. «It is an incredible opportunity; “I really enjoyed coaching these girls.”
Valerie Zuluaga, 14, commented that she has been part of “Girls Forward” and “Battle of the Boroughs” since last year; He initially joined to practice soccer before tryouts for his school’s team. This year he decided to return because the experience was fun and gave him the support he needed.
“I feel like if I practice with other people and with coaches who have a lot of experience, I will continue to improve,” he said.
Valerie added that it is important for girls to find spaces to develop hobbies and interests that are usually dominated by men, as this allows them to connect with other people with whom they identify.
“I am very grateful for this experience,” she said. «I love how everyone here supported us; “I feel great about it.”
For more information on “CityParks Play,” “Girls Forward,” and “Battle of the Boroughs,” visit CityParksFoundation.org/Play.
