Asphalt Green impacts the lives of thousands of New Yorkers every year. The people who walk through our doors come from different backgrounds, but they have one thing in common: the desire to improve their lives through the power of sports and fitness. We are committed to providing access to athletics for all New Yorkers, from the first-time swimmer who is afraid of the water to an athlete with hopes of competing at the Olympics.
Asphalt Green is a unique nonprofit that encompasses New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds. We take great pride in our high-quality sports, fitness, and aquatics programs and free opportunities for children and seniors at our campuses and throughout the five boroughs.
Our programs make a difference every day of the year. Students’ grades and behavior improve after participating in our active recess program, a child shows sportsmanship by giving the opposing a team a high five in our Community Sports Leagues, or a Waterproofing student learns how to swim and feels more confident inside and outside of the pool. Asphalt Green’s community programs teach the values of leadership, sportsmanship, and self-esteem while encouraging a love of sports.
This report highlights the accomplishments of our organization during the 2018–2019 fiscal year. Our free programs continued to thrive and expand, and turnout for our public events hit record numbers — over 3,500 people attended Asphalt Screams! At the elite level, I am proud to report that three athletes on our competitive swim team have qualified for the 2020 US Olympic Trials, and we cannot wait to cheer them on.
On behalf of all of us at Asphalt Green, thank you. Your generosity makes what we do possible, and we hope this report will inspire you to continue to support Asphalt Green.
Sincerely,
Maggy Siegel executive director
P.S. Our cover star plays in our free soccer program at Roberto Clemente State Park.
IMAGINE A NEW YORK WITH A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD.
A sphalt Green creates positive change in the lives of New Yorkers through the power of sports and fitness.
OUR IMPACT IN THE PAST DECADE
WATERPROOFING:
35,000
second-graders learned to swim.
COMMUNITY SPORTS LEAGUES:
20,000 middle school students had the opportunity to play team sports.
RECESS ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM (REP):
300,000
kids found joy in physical activity during the school day.
SCHOLARSHIPS:
Asphalt Green awarded over
$4 million in athletic and camp scholarships.
SENIOR FITNESS:
3,500
older adults improved their mobility and reduced fall risk.
WATERPROOFING
New York is surrounded by water, but many New Yorkers from low-income neighborhoods do not have access to swim lessons. Waterproofing makes learning to swim part of the school day. The 35-week program gives New York City public school students free swim and water safety instruction weekly at our campuses and at our partner pools in Manhattan and the Bronx.
WHY WE SWIM:
Swimming is a life-saving skill.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the second-leading cause of accidental death in children ages 1-14.
Teachers report a correlation between Waterproofing and better grades and behavior in the classroom.
PARENT SEES TRANSFORMATION IN CHILD THROUGH WATERPROOFING
When Frank’s* son, Jeff*, started Waterproofing, he didn’t know how to swim. Initially, Jeff was shy near water. He stayed in the shallow end of the pool and was scared. Slowly, his swimming improved and he gained confidence in his skills. Jeff started looking forward to going to the pool, and the class was a motivator for good behavior poor behavior resulted in sitting out of Waterproofing.
Frank has noticed a difference in his son’s academic performance and physical fitness. Most importantly, his mind is at ease knowing his child is equipped to swim.
“Now, my son knows how to swim, so the ocean feels accessible to him,” Frank says. “He’s comfortable in the pool and looks forward to water activities more than he ever has.”
*NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED.
My son knows how to swim, so the ocean feels accessible to him. He’s comfortable in the pool and looks forward to water activities more than he ever has.
WATERPROOFING PARENT P.S. 140M
3,050 second-graders learned swim and water safety skills this past year.
COMMUNITY SPORTS LEAGUES
Kids who do not have access to sports in school have the opportunity to get in the game through Asphalt Green’s Community Sports Leagues. Our free flag football, basketball, and soccer leagues for middle school students help kids excel on the field and beyond.
WHY WE PLAY:
2.6 million fewer kids play sports today than five years ago.
ASPEN INSTITUTE
Kids learn how to balance academics and athletics.
Community Sports Leagues teach lifelong lessons in leadership, self-esteem, teamwork, time management, and confidence.
FROM PLAYER TO COACH: COMMUNITY SPORTS LEAGUES COME FULL
CIRCLE FOR SEAN MEDINA
Sean Medina, a high school senior at The Facing History School, got his start in organized athletics through Asphalt Green’s Community Sports Leagues. He shined in basketball and flag football. When he aged out of the league, he continued to play in high school and is now the captain of the basketball team.
Sean says, “I knew I wanted to pursue sports since sixth grade. [Community Sports Leagues] allowed me the opportunity to demonstrate my talent and feel confident.”
When his former teacher at Bea Fuller Rodgers School, Kelly Finlaw, took over Asphalt Green’s Community Sports Leagues at his middle school, she needed a coach. Sean got the call.
His answer was easy: yes.
“I felt this was a great opportunity for me to show my leadership,” Sean says. “I wanted to show that I could lead a team of student-athletes and be a student-athlete myself.”
Bea Fuller Rodgers School would not have had a team without Sean’s help. Sean is proud to give back to a league that propelled his passion for sports.
“[Asphalt Green] has given me the opportunity to play sports,” Sean says. “Not everyone can afford cleats and uniforms. [Community Sports Leagues] provide for those who need it most.”
[Asphalt Green] has given me the opportunity to play sports. Not everyone can afford cleats and uniforms. [Community Sports Leagues] provide for those who need it most.
IMPACT:
750 kids played in an Asphalt Green Community Sports League in the 2018-2019 school year.
SEAN MEDINA Community Sports League coach
RECESS ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM (REP)
REP brings organization and physical activity to the most underutilized part of the school day — recess. Asphalt Green sees recess as an opportunity for kids to develop healthy exercise habits and social skills. We train play coaches to run over 150 organized games that decrease conflict and increase self-esteem, safety, and fun.
WHY WE GET ACTIVE:
Approximately 40 percent of US schools have either eliminated or reduced recess.
Students at schools with REP are 52 percent more active than those who attend non-REP schools.
Active kids score up to 40 percent higher on test scores and are more likely to go to college.
Recess at P.S. 161 in the Bronx used to be hectic. Poor behavior, bullying, and fights on the playground were common. When Principal Eliamarie Soto heard about REP, she had a hunch that it would bring structure to the playground.
“I wanted [children] to understand that there are ways to move and still have fun,” Eliamarie says.
Today, recess at P.S. 161X is more structured, focused, and enjoyable for the students and teachers.
“REP provides the opportunity for students to express themselves in a positive, thoughtful way,” Eliamarie says. “The kids look forward to recess. They benefit from the structured games the coach provides.”
Eliamarie believes REP has been a crucial component to the environment she wants to build at the school. Kids return to the classroom energized and ready to learn.
REP PROVIDES STRUCTURE AT P.S. 161X
“[REP] builds a healthy mind-body connection from a young age, which positively contributes to the school climate,” Eliamarie says.
The kids look forward to structured playtime. Take it from fifth-grader Ethan.*
Ethan says, “I feel excited. I do my happy dance.”
*NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED.
REP provides the opportunity for students to express themselves in a positive, thoughtful way.
42,000 elementary school students participated in REP in the 2018-2019 school year.
ELIAMARIE SOTO Principal, P.S. 161X
SENIOR FITNESS
Asphalt Green facilitates physical activity programs for older adults that address the nation’s growing problem of fall-related injuries. We run our innovative fall prevention course, Skills in Motion, at our campuses and partner locations. Our vision is to research the effectiveness of the program and expand it to a larger audience. We also offer reduced-priced memberships and free programs for seniors in low-income housing.
WHY WE STAY ACTIVE AS WE AGE:
One in four Americans ages 65+ falls each year.
CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
Seniors who exercise 30 minutes a day live five years longer than those who don’t exercise at all.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF SPORTS MEDICINE
Exercising as a senior may delay or prevent diseases like diabetes, cancer, stroke, heart disease, and osteoporosis.
INSTITUTE ON AGING
SYLVIA GAINS MOBILITY, INDEPENDENCE FROM SKILLS IN MOTION
Sylvia Liff sat outside Asphalt Green’s Upper East Side fitness studio with a smile beaming from her face. She exclaims, “Today, I was on the floor, and I was able to get up!”
In September 2019, getting up from the ground would not have been possible. Sylvia is in her mid-80s and has osteoarthritis in her knee. Motivated to maintain her independence, she started attending Skills in Motion classes at Asphalt Green in October 2019.
“I didn’t want to lose my mobility,” Silvia says. “If you live in the city and don’t have mobility, you’re in trouble.”
Sylvia has not missed a Skills in Motion class since she signed up in mid-October. She grew up in the city, and she has always been a big walker. However, committing to exercise twice per week is a first for Sylvia. She feels comfortable because the class is small and moves at an appropriate pace.
In just three months, everyday activities have become easier. She can bend down to turn the radiator on in her apartment, get in and out of cars to visit her kids in the suburbs, and take public transportation.
“[Skills in Motion] makes you more conscious of your movement,” Sylvia says. “I have a bad back, and walking hurts sometimes. Then, like I learned in the class, I started to lift my legs up and [it alleviates some of the pain.]”
Skills in Motion is a priority for Sylvia, and she hopes to continue to improve.
“For me, mobility is independence,” Sylvia says. “I’m still able to get around the city, which is why I’m doing [the class].”
For me, mobility is independence. I’m still able to get around the city, which is why I’m doing [the class].
SYLVIA LIFF Skills in Motion participant
SCHOLARSHIPS
Children reach their athletic potential and learn life skills in our organized sports programs. We provide scholarships for kids in need to participate in our Summer Day Camp program and for talented young athletes to play on our competitive teams.
WHY WE CREATE OPPORTUNITIES:
94 percent of women executives are former athletes.
ERNST AND YOUNG RESEARCH
Ahletes are more likely than non-athletes to attend college and earn degrees.
ASPEN INSTITUTE
Student athletes cope better with stress and are less likely to suffer from depression than non-athletes.
NEXT COLLEGE STUDENT ATHLETE
SCHOLARSHIP ATHLETE ALYSE RIVERA HAS SIGHTS SET ON COLLEGE SOCCER
I can’t imagine my life without soccer. Without the scholarship, I wouldn’t be here.
ALYSE RIVERA Asphalt Green Soccer Club scholarship athlete
Alyse Rivera always scores in style. When she was 5 years old, she would slide on the ground to kick the ball in the goal. The more dramatic, the better.
Though she has fine-tuned her goal-scoring technique since, Alyse, now 15, has the same fiery passion for soccer (and a knack for finding the back of the net). Now in her second season on a full scholarship playing for the Asphalt Green Soccer Club, she has her sights set on playing in college.
Asphalt Green Soccer Club coaches discovered Alyse through our free community sports leagues. A coach was impressed by her talent and asked her to try out for the club team.
Alyse says, “At first I was nervous, but I knew I needed a new challenge. It takes time to get comfortable, but
I made friends quickly. I’m happy that I chose to come to [Asphalt Green].”
Alyse balances training and school. She trains three to four times per week and plays on her high school team. She believes she does better in school because she plays soccer.
“Soccer helps alleviate the stress of school,” Alyse says. “The sport has always been an outlet for me to forget everything and do something that I’m passionate about.”
Alyse’s hard work is paying off, and she wants to continue to improve to earn a spot on a college team. She has learned the value of patience, hard work, humility, and constructive criticism.
“I can’t imagine my life without soccer,” Alyse says. “Without the scholarship, I wouldn’t be here.”
Asphalt Green awarded $671,000 in scholarships in 2018-2019.
FISCAL YEAR 2019
THE YEAR IN PICTURES
FISCAL YEAR 2019 FINANCIALS
WITH GRATITUDE TO ALL OF OUR SUPPORTERS…
Asphalt Green gratefully acknowledges the City of New York Department of Parks and Recreation, the New York City Council, and the Office of the Manhattan Borough President for their support of our free community programs and capital projects.
Gifts made July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019
$500,000 +
George E. and Annette Cross Murphy
Charitable Fund
Michelle and Howard Swarzman / The Litwin Foundation
$100,000+
Gray Foundation
The Harris Family Charitable Foundation
Darcy Miller and Andrew J. Nussbaum
Ronald O. Perelman / MacAndrews & Forbes Incorporated
FJC - A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
Barrie and Albert Zesiger
$50,000+
Anonymous
Nealy and Stewart Clifford
Justin Derfner / Charitable Lead
Annuity Trust
UNDER THE WILL OF LOUIS FEIL
Sandy and Burton Freeman
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP
Caroline Hribar and Mallon FitzPatrick
IAC
Jeanne and Samuel Jemal
Amanda and Thomas Lister
Amanda and Ned Offit
Wendy and Ian Sacks
Anna and Eugene Schneur / Omni New York LLC
$25,000+
Stacey and Michael Bennett
Christa D’Alimonte and Flint Hobart
Goldman Sachs & Co.
Rebecca Mai and David Mitnick
Jennifer and David Millstone
Bernard Nussbaum
Caryn Siedman-Becker and Marc Becker
Anthony Selwyn Tabatznik
Locky and Scott Trachsel
Two Trees
$15,000+
Anonymous
Jesse Berland / Safety Facility
Services Inc.
Gregory Blatt
Kirsten J. Feldman and Hugh Frater
Tommy Gallagher
Samantha and Thomas Newman
Patricia and Paul Saunders
Tory Burch, LLC
Elisabeth and Gareth Turner
TYR
$10,000+
Anonymous
Apollo Global Management
The Arthur Loeb Foundation
Sara and Jonathan Banner
The Barker Welfare Foundation
Sara and Geoffrey Bible
Anne and James Bodnar
Donya and Scott Bommer
Centerview Partners, LLC
The Donald A. Pels Charitable Trust
Stephen Fishbein
Elizabeth and Mark Gormley
Susanna Hong
Hospital for Special Surgery
Lori and David Moore
Abigail and Jonathan Moses
Peter and Gloria Nussbaum
Emily and Damon Pazzaglini
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Frances and Thomas Qualter
Rose M. Badgeley Residuary
Charitable Trust
William Savitt
Jennifer M. Shotwell
Jackie and Bippy Siegal
David Silk
Stew Leonard III Children’s Charities
Merry Sui Yuan and Robert L. Wu
Zog Sports
$5,000+
Adidas
Audrie Bann and Jerry Wen
Heather Bellini and Kevin Neznek
Sandye Berger/ Sol and Margaret
Berger Foundation
Elise and Andrew Brownstein
James F. Capalino / Capalino+Company
Susan and Alexander Casdin
The Chapin School
Karen and Samuel Choi
Kim and Thomas Cole
Con Edison
Cozen O’Connor
Credit Suisse Americas Foundation
Susan Domcheck and Bob Vonderheide
Natalia and Peter Feigin
Jeanne Donovan Fisher
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP
Gail and Roy Geronemus
J.A. Faccibene & Associates
Michal and David Kahan
Susan and Michael Katzke
Seema and Somesh Khanna
Kings Point Capital Management LLC
Arthur Koenig
Andrew S. Koerner
Stacy and Thomas Kuhn
Nina and Ralph Levene
Wan Li and Bruce MacLennan
Christine and Kenneth Martin
Daniela Mattos-Turcinov and Marko Turcinov
Dennis Mehiel
Metro Team Sports
Madge and Martin Miller
Pamela and Gifford Miller
Ruth and Theodore Mirvis
Nelson Air Device Corp
Jeannemarie O’Brien and Yves A.Casimir
Paula J. Olsiewski and John Healey
Perella Weinberg Partners
Shari Pire
PJT Partners
Alexandra and John Porges
Jodi Schwartz and David Blechman
Joan Solotar
Anne Marjolein Steenbergen
William Stern
Jennifer and Geoff Symonds
Andrea and Paul Vizcarrondo, Jr.
Cecilia and Mark Vonderheid
Pam Wasserstein and Adam Shapiro
Jacqui and Peter Weidman
Erika Weinberg and Matthew H. Nord
Peter Weinberg
Elizabeth and Michael Zuppone
$1,000+
Jan Aronson
Salvatore Barbieri
Yael and Alp Benadrete
Anna Luciana Bertoni
Blue Smoke
Mark F. Bonner
Jennifer N. Brazil
The Brearley School
Butter Beans, Inc.
Charina Endowment Fund
Judy Chen and Kevin Yao
Gabrielle and Stephen Cornick
Kelly and Sean Corridon / Chubb Charitable
Marcio Cyrillo
Elizabeth “Stella” Dellamora
Ann Brookman Dey
Trinh Doan
Maralène Downs
William S. Eakins, Jr.
Early Family Foundation
Deborah and Eric Edell
EisnerAmper LLP
Nandini Ektare
Ming Fang
John Finley
Marie Fisher
Hope and Michael Fitzgerald
Polly and Bob Flanigan
Flexis Capital
Fernando Fontenla
Paul Ford, Jr.
Antoinette and Trevor Freeman
Nancy Greenbaum
Sharon and David Greenberg
Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks, P.C.
Christina and Matthew Guerreiro
Maura Hanlon-Grossi and Eugene Grossi
Christopher Harris
Joan E. Heath
David Helpern
Jonathan Horowitz
Robert L. Horton III
Houlihan Parnes Realtors
Sharon and Richard Hurowitz
Sari and Steven Irgang
Anne Keating
Janine Keuskamp
Carol Kim and Tim Chin
Jessica and Tim Kisling
Sua and Lane Krevitt
Kim and Simon Krinsky
Steven Laduzinski
Alexander M. Laughlin
Jenna Levine
Wendy and Garbis Mahmouzian
Sara and John Marks
Carolyn and Stephen McCandless
Mount Sinai Medical Center
Wendy and Gregory Myers
National Environmental Chemical Corp.
Ted Niedermayer
David Oliver
Katherine and Jordan Orange
Marcie and Jordan Pantzer
Deborah L. Paul
Geoffrey Pitt
Betsy and Robert Pitts
Vanessa and Fred Rosado
Marc Rowan
Anthony Scaccia
Eleanor and Eugene Schloss
Amy Sherman
Alexandra and Michael Shuman
Maggy Siegel
Ellen and Daniel Sigg
Natalie and Eiko Stange
Kristen and Matthew Stein
Judy and Michael Steinhardt
Nancy Ann Stern and Samuel Karetsky
Martha Stewart
Wayne Talsky
Kathryn and Ronald Tenpas
Jimmy Tse
Carol Tweedy and Joseph Antonuccio
Lee and Raymond Wareham
Anne Waterman Bassin and Darin Bassin
Gloria Weissberg
Wesley Weissberg and David Goldberg
Andrea and Evan Hollander
Matthew Williamson
Karen Wimmer
$500+
Julie Ader
Ahmed Alali
Jessica and Scott Bieker
Nancy and Robert S. Blank Foundation
Marcia and Thomas Borger
Amy Cohen
Hayley Cort
Jeanne Duffy
Maria Fisher-Timson and Kevin Timson
John Frawley
Courtney Goldsmith
Lynn Grande / Pfizer Foundation
Valoree Celona Hall
Lishia Horton-Simmons and Edward Simmons
Erika and Mohammad Imam
Judith Itkin and Tony Benton
Olivia and Max Kamhi
Catherine and John Kayola
Denise and Paul Lachman
Christie Lee
Keryn M. Limmer
Helen MacFarlane and Kenneth Linge
Rebecca Marzen and Anthony Dimarco
Susan and Tom McInerney
Irene Joyce Melchior
Martha Murray
Nicole and Bruce Paisner
Gregory Plotko
Alex Price
Dyanne Rosado
Sam Schwartz Engineering
Kathleen B. Sarg
Paul C. Saunders, MD
Sean Coakley Plumbing and Heating
Evangeline Shih and David Decima
Brynja Sigurdardottir and Gudmundur Kristjansson
Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center, Inc.
Benjamin F. Stapleton III
Leesa and Michael Suzman
Laura Wolff
Alice Wong
Janet G. Zinn
In Kind ($1,000+)
Cosmos Communications, Inc.
Cynthia Oh and Chris Rhee
Emily Roman
Benny Vanhulle
In Honorarium
AGUA Seniors - Class of 2019
Katie Duffy
Truman Edell
Asphalt Green Sports Programs
Andrew J. Nussbaum
Joey Ravikoff
Patricia A. Saunders
Alegra Teixidor-Salerno
Robert L. Wu
In Memoriam
Nicholas Celona
Cyril Charles
Patricia D. Eastman
Andrew Fisher
Doug Irgang
Ruth Kardish
Bernard Nussbaum
Community Partners
P.S. 125M
M.S. 363X
P.S. 70X
New Settlement Community Center
BronxWorks Carolyn McLaughlin
Community Center
The Brearley School
The Equity Project Charter School
New York City of Education, Office of School Wellness Programs
New York City Department of Health Center for Health Equity and Community Wellness
Hospital for Special Surgery
Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center
East Harlem Tutorial Program
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Caroline Hribar
CO-CHAIRPERSON
Barrie R. Zesiger
CO-CHAIRPERSON
Locky Trachsel
VICE-CHAIR
Robert L. Wu
TREASURER
Andrea Wenner Hollander
SECRETARY
Jon Banner
Christa D’Alimonte
Justin Derfner
William S. Eakins
Kirsten J. Feldman
Rowdy Gaines
Samuel J. Jemal
James Kinderknecht, M.D.
David Mitnick
Thomas Newman
Andrew J. Nussbaum
Ned Offit
Damon Pazzaglini
Travis Rundlet
Wendy Sacks
Patricia A. Saunders
Albert L. Zesiger
HONORARY BOARD
Robert R. Cross
FOUNDERS
Annette C. Murphy
George E. Murphy, M.D.
EXECUTIVE STAFF
Maggy Siegel
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Sarah Bennett
CHIEF MARKETING & STRATEGY OFFICER
Marcus Farny
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Asphalt Green creates positive change in the lives of New Yorkers through the power of sports and fitness.
