CROWN HEIGHTS — There are few more touching images than the sight of two kids from opposite sides of the fence kicking a soccer ball together.
In India, that image sells wireless minutes. In Crown Heights, it sells itself.
Soccer for Harmony, the much talked-about soccer tournament series that brought Crown Heights' Caribbean and Jewish residents toe to toe on the field through the Brooklyn Crown Heights Soccer Eagles league, is kicking off its third season in Lefferts Park with a free kids tournament on April 6 from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
"We’ve been trying to build harmony in the community," said founder Nancie Katz, whose organization, Seeds in the Middle, also operates a farmers market nearby. "We have a beautiful field that’s completely underused."
The Brooklyn Crown Heights Soccer Eagles League spring season runs from Mar. 17 - June 30. Athletes ages 4 to 14 can sign up for either once or twice weekly sessions starting from $20 to $40 a month, with training four days a week and games on the weekend. For more information check out their website.
Those with a broader competitive streak can sign up for the league's first travel team, which practices twice weekly and will compete against other league teams.
"They don’t have fitness out here, they don’t have stuff for kids," Katz said, adding that Soccer for Harmony and Brooklyn Crown Heights Eagles League are "trying to fill in the gap in a way that empowers kids to get healthy."
