Cost of Living Classic brings New Yorkers together in Coney Island
Players from across the boroughs gathered at Maimonides Park in Coney Island for the second annual Cost of Living Classic, a tournament designed to bring people together through sports while highlighting affordability challenges facing city residents.
More Stories
As the cost of living continues to rise, New Yorkers are taking their competition to the soccer field.
Players from across the boroughs gathered at Maimonides Park in Coney Island for the second annual Cost of Living Classic, a tournament designed to bring people together through sports while highlighting affordability challenges facing city residents.
The tournament brought together players of different ages, many of whom signed up as free agents and found themselves playing alongside people they had never met before. Along with bragging rights, players had the chance to win some mayoral-themed swag.
"It's always a little bit about winning, but I mean, enjoying, you know, new people being outside on a beautiful day in October. I mean, this is great," player Lengash said.
Organizers said the tournament was about more than soccer. They hoped to spark conversations about the rising cost of living in New York City and the challenges many residents face in remaining in the communities they call home.
"I'm lucky enough to still be able to live in the city, but it's definitely become more expensive," said Cat Zhou, a Brooklyn resident and tournament participant.
With Election Day approaching, organizers also saw the tournament as an opportunity to encourage civic engagement and connect with New Yorkers who may not typically engage in the political process.
Myra Aldas said using sports to bring people together could help introduce new voters to the importance of participating in elections.
"Perhaps there's somebody here that has never voted before and now is just finding out because of the love of like the sport," Aldas said.
Early voting continues through Nov. 1. Election Day is Nov. 3.
