Mike Handell – Kids of Summer Sports NYC Executive Director

Mike grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan playing in all the local sports leagues and started Kids of Summer Sports NYC in 2002 following a successful high school career at the Bronx High School of Science. He was selected to join the All-Bronx team and played in the prestigious Daily News All-Senior City All-Star game as the starting first basemen for the Bronx/Manhattan team following his senior year.

He went on to captain the Syracuse University Baseball Club, eventually coaching and managing the team while majoring in Broadcast Journalism at the prestigious S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. After college, in addition to running Kids of Summer Sports NYC, he was an NBC Page, and later, he was the head middle school baseball coach at the United Nations International School, leading them the four championship appearances in a row and back-to-back ISAL titles.

In 2014, he started the New York Bluebirds Youth Baseball organization for talented and competitive young ballplayers and the second outpost of Kids of Summer Sports NYC in Long Island. The Kids of Summer Sports NYC program has also expanded and began offering basketball in 2011 and flag football in 2017.

Most importantly, Mike knows how to coach young athletes. He understands the ups and downs of sports, how to make sports fun, what young players need to learn, and how to support them on and off the field. He loves getting to know the Kids of Summer Sports NYC families and watching campers grow and mature over the years.

Mike is a huge fan of all sports and is especially loyal to the Mets, Rangers, Knicks, Giants, and his Syracuse Orange. He recently became a first-time father as he and his wife, Emily, welcomed their daughter Libby on October 5, 2018.