42 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • OCTOBER 29, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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First Code Ninjas opens in Astoria
Try out for Queens’ new elite youth soccer team
BY JACOB KAYE
jkaye@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Young Queens soccer players will soon
have a new opportunity to play the sport
at an elite level, free of charge, thanks to
the creation of a new youth league.
Th e USL Academy League, a youth soccer
league, was recently created by the
United Soccer League, and will feature a
team of players between the ages of 15
and 18 years old in Queens.
In collaboration with Queensboro FC,
the boroughs new professional soccer
team, the QBFC Academy will be coached
by the professional team’s head coach,
Josep Gombau, and its technical director,
Luis Gutierrez. QBFC Academy’s inaugural
season will begin in the spring of 2021.
QBFC Academy will play in a regionalized
league of 12 teams. In all, the
newly created league will have seven divisions:
Northeast, Atlantic, Southeast,
Florida, East Central, South Central and
Southwest.
Tryouts for the Queens team will take
place on Nov. 4 and Nov. 5 at the Sports
Underdome in Mt. Vernon, New York.
Tryouts are open to boys between the
ages of 15 and 18, with a registration fee
of $100 each. However, the fee is only $10
for Queens residents.
Players who make the team will play in
the league free of charge.
“QBFC Academy is a vital part of the
success of our club,” said David Villa,
co-founder of Queensboro FC. “I have
always been extremely passionate about
giving undiscovered players an opportunity
to be seen for their soccer talent,
and I believe our organization will do a
world-class job of fi nding, coaching and
elevating an incredible new generation
of players for Queens, the United States,
and beyond.”
Th ose wishing to tryout need to fi rst fi ll
out an application.
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
aacevedo@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Astoria entrepreneurs and parents have
opened a new learning center with a mission
to help kids learn how to code by
building video games, fl ying drones and
learning Roblox.
Cheng Yang and Ronny Beyer debuted
Code Ninjas for the fi rst time at 31-35
31st St. on Sept. 16. Code Ninjas was
founded in 2016, and is the world’s largest
and fastest-growing kids coding franchise.
Th e Astoria Code Ninjas learning center
welcomes kids 7 to 14 years old and
encourages them to immerse themselves
in the fi eld of computer coding in a fun,
non-intimidating way — either in person
and through virtual camps.
Yang and Beyer have been neighbors
in Astoria for six years. Yang has a coding
background and has worked in the
technology industry for 20 years. Beyer
is currently a small business owner and
was introduced to Code Ninjas with Yang
when their friend opened a Code Ninjas
location.
Th ey not only loved the concept, but
also saw the impact it could make on
Queens kids and the community as a
whole.
“Our kids played a role in inspiring us
to open this new Code Ninjas because
we recognize how important it is for kids
to learn how to code,” said Yang. “Code
Ninjas provides kids with an awesome,
fun way to learn how to code and build
life skills, which is why we are excited to
have the opportunity to be the fi rst Code
Ninjas within the fi ve boroughs.”
Th eir Astoria location is their fi rst, but
they hope to expand in the future.
In order to ensure the safety of all
Ninjas, Senseis (teachers) and parents
during the COVID-19 pandemic, Code
Ninja is taking extra precaution.
Employees will thoroughly clean the
center on a daily basis. Devices, tables,
door handles, bathrooms and other frequently
used surfaces will be sanitized
throughout the day. Student workspaces
and equipment, including computers,
monitors and mice will be cleaned
between every student session.
Th ere will also be an increased distance
between individual student workstations
in the Dojo, as well as careful monitoring
and enforcement of no-contact interactions.
While everything about Code Ninjas is
fun-based, the center also provides results
parents are looking for, such as problemsolving
skills.
Th e organization has a robust, gamebased
curriculum made up of nine belts,
just like martial arts.
Th e curriculum is self-paced, but not
self-taught. Kids get immediate help and
encouragement from Code Senseis and
fellow students as they advance from
white to black belt. Th e program keeps
kids motivated with little wins along the
way, and “Belt-Up” celebrations where
they receive color-coded wristbands to
mark their graduation to the next level.
By the time a child fi nishes the program,
they will publish an app in an app
store.
Code Ninjas also off ers a variety of
opportunities for children to get involved,
including a fl exible weeknight drop-in
program, camps and Parents Night Out
events on weekends.
Price ranges for a variety of programs
include $99 for camps to $329 a month for
the aft er-school program.
“In addition to our main coding program,
we are also off ering aft er school and
school-pod programs for parents that are
looking for help with virtual schools and
activities aft er school,” the owners stated.
“We are parents ourselves, so we understand
the challenges dealing with public
school schedules and constant changes
with COVID situations. We have made
schedule to be fl exible, letting parents
chose the dates, and they are adjustable.
Our goals are to provide the children a
safe learning place and give parents a fl exible
option to deal with the challenges.”
For more information about the Astoria
Code Ninjas location, visit www.codeninjas.
com/ny-astoria.
Photo courtesy of Queensboro FC
Photo courtesy of Code Ninjas
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