Why Our Kids Need a Safe Place to Play

“We really want to play football...” and baseball, soccer, and lacrosse.

This is a quote from a letter written by the children of City Springs Elementary/Middle School to their principal. These same children can be seen very early every morning playing the sport they love, but it breaks our hearts to see that their only option is to play on a blacktop playground.

Despite our best efforts to keep it clean, the City Springs playground is unsafe and littered with broken glass, discarded needles, and other debris. Play options are correspondingly limited. This prompted the children to present us one morning with a signed petition. Our goal is to get them what they requested, and what they deserve. Together we can transform this neglected park into a vibrant community athletic complex.

Our children need a safe place to play

• City Springs students and students from neighboring schools need a safe place to exercise and play sports in order to improve health, school attendance and academic achievement
  
• The athletic complex is critical to addressing the growing need for additional day school and after-school athletic opportunities.

The Community Athletic Complex will include:

• A multi-purpose artificial turf field for football, baseball, soccer, and lacrosse;
• Running/walking track;
• Playground;
• Fence with key-card access for community members;
• A concession building, security camera system, field goal nets, and lighting.

Scholar-Athletes

The complex is part of a larger Scholar-Athlete School vision that will capitalize on the strength of
the coach/athlete mentoring relationship in order to change student attitudes about healthy living,
school attendance, and academic success.

How You Can Help
With the full support of Baltimore City Public Schools, to meet our mission, and transform our
neighborhood, we need to raise an additional $1 million to build the City Springs Community Athletic Complex.

To learn more and make a contribution visit www.baltimorecp.org/athleticfield or contact
BCP Executive Vice President Larry Schugam at 410-675-7000 x17 or lschugam@baltimorecp.org.