Neighborhood celebrates official opening of Gilligan Memorial Field at PS 94

Kids and their families kicked off a day of soccer last weekend in celebration of the official opening of the Ed Gilligan Memorial Field at PS 94 on 51st Street. For many, it was the first time they were able to step onto the new Street Soccer USA field since it was completed in late August.

The Gilligan family attended the ceremony, joining Street Soccer staff, school leaders, and more than 80 children for the ribbon cutting.

American Express executive Ed Gilligan, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 55, grew up on 16th Street and spent his childhood playing soccer in South Brooklyn. He believed the sport was “the great equalizer,” a game where anyone could connect no matter who they were or where they came from, according to his children.

A fan of the old NY Cosmos, one of Gilligan’s formative memories was Pelé’s final match, where he played one half for the Cosmos and the other for Santos FC, his first professional team, according to Gilligan’s oldest son, Kevin. The Gilligans lived in London for a time and are devoted Chelsea fans. Chelsea’s blue, along with the blue, green, and yellow of the old Cosmos, are integrated into the new field’s design.

“We wanted to do something in honor of our dad,” said Kevin, who described soccer as his father’s first love. “This was a great opportunity to sponsor a field in an area where there was a want and need. It’s great to see the kids out here, everyone smiling.”

The Gilligan family, along with Street Soccer staff and leadership and the kids, gathered for a ribbon cutting at Ed Gilligan Memorial Field in early November.

Kevin and his siblings inherited their father’s love of the sport, enlisting friends and Street Soccer staff for a five-a-side adult tournament after the ribbon cutting ceremony. The morning, however, was all about the kids, who played eight twenty-minute matches starting at 9:30 on the field’s two pitches.

For families, the new grounds fill a crucial gap in local athletic space. Violeta, who has lived in Sunset Park since 2012 and whose son Silvestre has been in the free Street Soccer program for six years, said, “It’s really good to have another space because they need it. We need more spaces to play.” She added that the Sunset Park field “gets so much use,” making the new turf especially important.

Silvestre, now 11 and in middle school, hadn’t been able to make it to Street Soccer practice this fall, and the celebration marked his first time playing in an older age group — an experience he found exciting and a little scary. “I get to play with other people of different ages,” he said, adding that he liked the new field. “It’s very green and it looks soft.”

The new field stands in stark contrast to the grounds at Sunset Park, where the turf is balding in many places and suffers from large puddles of standing water when it rains.

“The field over in Sunset Park needs much attention and care,” said Councilmember Alexa Avilés’ district director, Rob Aguilar, who was on hand for the celebration. While Avilés’ office continues to fight for additional city funding for park repairs, the new field offered an opportunity to use private dollars to upgrade a school playground in need of renovations and secure more recreational space for the Sunset Park community.

“One of the things that this district lacks is green space for a community to congregate, for children to play, and we’re grateful to everyone that made this possible that we’re here today,” said Aguilar. He added that a new clubhouse will offer programming in coaching, leadership, marketing, social media, and digital creation, turning the facility into a wider educational hub for the neighborhood.

Street Soccer USA had hoped to begin practices on the field in September, but insurance and permitting delays meant most kids had to wait until the ribbon cutting. Program director Fernand Grisales said finally seeing the kids play made the long process worth it. “It feels amazing to give all these kids a safe space to play and access to the game,” he said. “A lot of the coaches here have been in our program. It’s great to see the years of progression.”

The next step is to secure lighting for the field so that it can be used in the late afternoon, after the early sunsets of winter. In the meantime, PS 94 will continue to make full use of the new space. Principal Cristina Gonzalez said the old blacktop and half-broken playground long needed an upgrade. “This is actually a dream come true for my community,” she said, noting that soccer is in the neighborhood’s DNA. “We use it as a green space, for recess, for parents during coffee with the principal. The kids love it.”

It was easy to see how quickly a field can become a center for community. Parent of two Street Soccer kids Juana Jiménez brought coolers filled with hot arroz con leche all the way from her home at 18th Avenue and 73rd Street to warm up spectators and players on the chilly, wet day.

“It’s something I like to give, to share with anyone who wants some,” said Juana, who appreciates the Street Soccer program not only because it’s offered free of charge, but because it affords her children other opportunities like meeting international players. Over the summer her 14-year-old daughter, Joseline, had the chance to meet players from Manchester United during a friendly game at MetLife Stadium.

Other parents say they appreciate the way the program builds character, focusing not only on the fundamentals of being a good player, but a good person.

“They show them that you can play fair and it’s better than playing for yourself,” said Marisol, whose son Alejandro has been in Street Soccer for four years. “They help each kid be focused and help others. They show that you can be a good player and also a good friend.”

The opportunity for character development was a major factor for Ed Gilligan’s widow, Lisa, when she and her children considered making the $300,000 donation that made the field a reality. “I just thought it was a great way to keep kids out of trouble and to keep them in school, and I’m just really excited about it,” said Lisa, citing research showing that kids with a history of absenteeism often show dramatic improvements once they join a soccer team.

Coincidentally, the field is located across the street from where her father’s family settled after immigrating from Scotland in the 1930s. Lisa’s cousin, Sheila Loggie-Zider, was also at the ceremony and remembered watching the children from PS 94 play during recess when she was a preschooler.

“That was my door right there,” said Sheila, pointing at a house just across the street. She said Ed would have loved to see the field in action. “He’d be so pleased. Ed would have given you the shirt off his back. That’s just the kind of person he was, and just to see his success passed on beyond his own kids, just something the kids can be really excited about. He’d be thrilled.”