September 13, 1979 | by Patricia Leeds
The Teen-Agers hang around the corners, aimlessly whiling away their time.
Although they were not gang members, they were targets for gang recruitment. Hector Hernandez, commander of the volatile Wood Street police district, worried about them.
“These boys were right at the age (13 to 15 years old) where they could go either way.” he said. “I remembered my early years in Purto Rico and later in New York City where we used to have sports teams, and I decided to try the same thing here.”
The result was a basebal league, organized by the police, which played at Humboldt, Clemente, and Union parks this summer. Hernandez chose Sgt. Michael Acosta to put it together.
“I contacted youth organizations, boys’ clubs, and settlement houses, and I told them I wanted the boys who didn’t make their teams, who didn’t belong.” Acosta said. “Would you believe 383 kids signed up.”.
There was no money in the police district’s budget for such a program, but Acosta managed to solicit donations from local merchants, the Spanish language newspaper La Raza, the Chicago Department of Human Services, and the Latin American Police Association.
Uniforms, bats and balls were purchased, and 26 policemen volunteered to act as coaches and umpires. Eight persons from youth organizations also volunteered.
The league consisted of eight teams. The 13th District Stars won the championship.
It was a busy summer for Acosta, who also performs as a clown with a group of policemen at various charity events.
“And now the kids want me to start football and basketball leagues,” he said. “I told them football was too expensive.”
“As for basketball, it wouldn’t cost much to get uniforms. It’s just a problem of getting the balls. But maybe we’ll fins an angel.”
Recent Comments