Every Saturday morning in the cold winter months this co-ed league offers athletic development, teamwork, community and fun to young players. Friends of Hudson Youth supports the League with additional funding from our generous business sponsors:

Hall of Fame Sponsor: Greylock Federal Credit Union

Championship Sponsors: Hudson Clothier, Janney Montgomery Scott, Spotty Dog Books and Ale

All Star Sponsors: Friendly City Creative Club, Hudson Elks Lodge, Lili and Loo, Todd Farrell’s Car Care, William Farmer and Sons, Wunderbar Bistro

Garden Club students dig into projects at both at the Youth Department’s urban garden in downtown Hudson and at Oakdale Park. A broad range of environmental topics are studied including pollinators, invasive species, composting, foraging and agroforestry. The progrm also includes field trips to local farms, historic stes and public lands.

Bindlestiff’s Cirkus After School uses skills like juggling, stilt walking, tumbling, partner acrobatics, prop manipulation and physical comedy to help youth to become stronger learners, community members, and leaders by encouraging them to express themselves creatively, challenge themselves physically, and work inventively with others.

The Art School of Columbia County provides weekly art classes, offering hands-on opportunities for young people to express themselves through drawing, painting, print making, clay work, and collage. Teaching artists emphasize the process and experience of making art for any young person interested in exploring their creative potential.

The Hudson Youth Department Soccer League is a co-ed program that focuses on personal growth and the opportunity for players to develop important life skills in a recreational and mutually supportive environment. We celebrate the diversity of our community and understand that people participate in youth soccer for a variety of reasons. The program encourages every player regardless of ability, and everyone is offered a chance to learn through teamwork, effort, and responsibility.

A music program that offers children the opportunity to explore and experience different modalities of music and sound: songwriting, recording, singing, and performance. Beautiful Racket creates a safe space for children to, literally and figuratively, find their voice. In past programs children have both written and recorded original songs and envisioned and produced their own music videos. Additional support for art and media programing is provided by the Hover Foundation.

We provide funding for Oakdale’s lifeguard team to train annually, including intensive instruction in lifesaving, CPR, and first aid. Youth are taught to be proactive in preventing accidents on the job as well as learning communication, leadership, and teamwork. Our support also provides more hours of community swimming at Oakdale. Major funding for this program comes from the annual Oakdale Plunge, with additional support from the Hudson Valley Foundation for Youth Health and Greylock Federal Credit Union.

The Bike Coop at Oakdale Park offers workshops in bike maintenance and repair, and guided two-wheeled adventures around Hudson. Students are given the opportunity to refurbish and eventually own their own bikes, learning valuable life and job skills in the process. Additional support for this program is provided by the Ackerman Foundation, and Stewart’s Shops.

Camp News teaches broadcast and video production skills through storytelling and interviews. Campers create a weekly news broadcast of the highlights of Oakdale Summer Camp, produced by and starring the Oakdale campers. Additional support for this program provided by the Bank of Greene County, the Hover Foundation, and Community Bank.

Each week students make their own instrument, sing and play their instruments for a re-recorded version of song written by the campers. This program is offered by Beautiful Racket, a community based program that offers children the opportunity to explore and experience different modalities of music and sound. It will include vocal and performance coaching leading up to the Beach Party Talent Show at the end of camp. Additional support for this program provided by the Bank of Greene County, the Hover Foundation , and Community Bank.

Bindlestiff Summer Cirkus uses skills like juggling, stilt walking, tumbling, partner acrobatics, prop manipulation and physical comedy to help youth to become stronger learners, community members, and leaders by encouraging them to express themselves creatively, challenge themselves physically, and work inventively with others. Programs are held at Oakdale Camp, as well as an intensive week of Summer Cirkus at the Hudson Youth Center.