By 
Police Commissioner Bratton joined approximately 200 youth and their volunteer coaches, umpires, as well as NYPD officers at Flushing Meadow Park in Queens to open the 2015 NYPD Youth Cricket and Soccer season.
The league, comprised of young men ages 14 to 19, began its eighth season with players each who registered through the NYPD Community Affairs Bureau to compete in the program.
The youth cricket and soccer leagues were formed in 2008 after outreach conducted by the Department’s New Immigrant Outreach Unit found that predominantly Muslim and South Asian communities tended not to participate in traditional after-school programs and Police Athletic League sports. Now in their eighth seasons, player registration has grown and a dozen teams are selected by lottery. There is no cost to register and player uniforms – hat, pants and jersey in colors selected by the teams to resemble professional cricket – and equipment are purchased with funds from the New York City Police Foundation.