'Summer Night Lights' youth baseball program returns to the Bronx

THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) -- Do you have a teenager at home who needs something constructive to do over the summer?

The NYC Department of Youth and Community Development is taking applications until this weekend for children 12 to 18 years old who want to play baseball and softball for free.

The Summer Night Lights program is back for a second year starting in July. Games will be played at Elston Gene Howard Field in the Bronx across from Yankee Stadium every Tuesday and Wednesday evening from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. from July 9 through the end of August.

"We want our young people to stay safe, stay off of the streets. This is an opportunity to be physically fit and meet some friends," Jeremy Syrop with the DYCD told PIX11 News.

Uniforms and equipment are provided free of charge. Summer Night Lights is a partnership of DYCD, New York Yankees, New York Police Department (NYPD)/NYPD Blue Chips, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, and SCAN-Harbor.

"You know how summer is when you have nothing to do," Anthony Vargas, who played last year on the NYPD's team said.

"It allows us to bridge the gap between policing and the community and allowing them to understand there's a safe space for the community," NYPD Officer Meisue Francis said.

"Its an opportunity to do something they wouldn't normally do, play under the lights, and feel like they're playing a professional game," Detective Darnell Gatling told PIX11 News.

You can apply here.