For Sam Sienou, a 12-year-old from Grand Concourse, getting to play basketball every Saturday over the past year as part of the city’s “Saturday Night Lights” program brings him to a place where he feels completely safe, outside of his home.

“As soon as I enter that door right there, all of my problems are behind me,” Sienou said.

For Sienou and 17-year-old Kylin Crumpton, who lives in the Valley section of the Bronx, feeling safe in their neighborhoods is often a challenge.

“In my neighborhood, there’s a lot of gangs, gun shots, stuff like that, but I tend to ignore all those and focus on my goal,” Crumpton said. 

“How much does that worry you?” NY1 asked Sienou. “About a 7 out of 10,” he replied, “because I’m concerned about my friends and my family.”

Now, the weekly refuge that Crumpton and Sienou look forward to every Saturday is being made available to even more kids, with the city’s “Saturday Night Lights” program expanding from 20 locations to 100 locations at gyms across the five boroughs.

Basketball, soccer, martial arts and dance are just some of the sports that are being offered at no cost to young people between the ages of 11 and 18. It’s all thanks to a partnership between several agencies, including the NYPD and the offices for all 5 city district attorneys.

By fostering a positive atmosphere in which young people are able to engage with mentors and role models that include police officers, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea is hoping it can steer kids in a positive direction, before any possible entanglement with the criminal justice system.

“The most important thing I’ve said from day one is making sure we’re doing everything possible to the kids,” Shea said. “If we get that right, that feeds some of the other categories: No kid wants to join a gang, no kids wants to get into trouble.”

Shea says while sports are an important part of the program, it’s more about discipline and giving kids an outlet.

Crumpton has been with the program for three years and says he’ll miss it when he heads to college soon.

“It just feels like home to me,” he said. “Every week, it’s the same thing every week, and I just love it.”

Weather permitting, officials tell say “Saturday Night Lights “ is expected to take place every Saturday from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.