This is an excerpt from our February update to members. Click to read the full text.
Here’s an update as to where we are with parks. I took the advice of several of our law firms and for the last nine months I have flooded both parks at its highest level and the city council and their president with request to meet with softball and baseball organizers in order to better understand their plans for our community.
During the past several years, the Parks Department has been systematically denying some leagues access to ball fields for softball denying permits to hundreds of softball players for no good reason and keeping some fields idle. In addition, their recent practices (e.g. locking the restrooms during YSA permit slots this Fall season and reopening them right after our season ended) clearly rise to the level of harassment. We are demanding complete transparency and the end to the harassment and bias.
At this point, our only open avenue of recourse is to the courts. As mentioned above, we have pursued all other options, appealing for the past 9 months directly to parks commissioners and the City Council with no response. Please ask your players to sign our petition and help with a donation. The city council responds to numbers.
The softball baseball community is not going anywhere. The law and park rules are on our side and it's simply time to stop the harassment, bring the recent illegal practices to light, demand complete transparency and a return to an ethical process.
Sign our petition to Preserve Access to NYC Parks for Baseball and Softball Players
The following softball and baseball organizations are active members of the United Athletic Association and are committed to the interests of the baseball and softball players in NYC:
If you can help, please email advocacy@uaasports.org
Getting the involvement of city officials is one of the most important strategies to Save NYC Softball!
Contact List of City Officials
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