If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a million times that kids need recreational activities to keep them busy—and, ultimately, to keep them out of trouble.

This more true in today’s world than ever before.

But have you ever stopped to think of the many other advantages that organized recreation and sports provide our youth beyond simply taking up their time?

Aside from the importance of ensuring that our children have the advantage of free play time, recreational activities enable them to participate in something bigger than themselves. It teaches them how to work together as a team, to develop friendships, to accomplish goals.  It gives them self esteem, builds character through learning how to win and how to lose, and is a great way to begin developing leadership attributes through healthy competition. For these reasons, it is the responsibility of municipalities to provide our young residents with a safe, open space in which to play and compete.

History
Haddon Township consists of three square miles and approximately 15,800 residents. Like other towns in this area, it has seen its share of development and does not have enough open space for organized recreation.

Recchino Field is the only existing playing field complex in the township and was, therefore, extremely overused. The main upper field was less than regulation size for football and had a natural turf surface that was in a severely deteriorated condition. The grass surface was worn out because, due to this heavy traffic, it never got time to rest and replenish itself. Additionally, inclement weather only made these poor playing conditions worse.

The Development Process
Understanding its obligation to promote youth recreation, the township recognized the need to maximize the utilization of this space. It responded to this need by forming an ad hoc committee to study possible solutions to this initiative.

The committee consisted of members from the Board of Education, community sports organizations, the Community Activities Coordinator, resident professionals, and the Citizen Action Coordinator; and the committee retained the services of Schoor DePalma, a regional engineering and consulting firm, to investigate the feasibility of developing various sites within the township and provide design possibilities for these sites.

The initial study determined that other available parcels did not meet our expectations for development because they were either too cost prohibitive due to size and/or environmental issues, or had a topography that would not accommodate our design criteria. We ultimately determined that it was most economical to redevelop the original site.

The committee’s three main objectives were to develop this space into a field that was regulation football length, to maximize its usage time, and to utilize it for multiple recreational activities. To satisfy this criteria we purchased an adjoining parcel of land that enabled us to extend the length of the football field to a full 100 yards, determined that the installation of an artificial turf surface was the best solution for extending the playability of the field, and had the engineers design a unique field specifically configured to fit our topography and needs. They also assisted in obtaining a Livable Community Grant from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs to help the township offset the cost of the field construction.

The Result
Field Turf® artificial turf surface, a state-of-the-art surface that is the same professional grade and quality as used in Giants Stadium, was selected because it can accommodate the high volume of traffic we projected, requires minimal maintenance and related costs, eliminates grass stains and mud from uniforms, affords the players less injuries related to hard ground and rocks in the surface, and gives the players a feeling of being a real professional sports team. The redevelopment of the field also included a new underdrain system that allows water to drain from the surface through the turf immediately and infiltrate directly back into the ground, which solved any water puddling issues.  Once the stabilization base of the field was completed, the only future maintenance will eventually be replacement of the turf carpet. The field also is one of the first in the country to install the new Light Structure Green® by Musco Sports Lighting.  This system is state-of-the-art in minimizing light pollution through a unique directional system that exceeds the international Dark Skies standards.

Conclusion
Today, the Recchino Field complex is a premier playing field for the township athletic association’s activities that offers a playing area for a total of eight sports to almost 1,800 local children. The combined result of the design and development is a state-of-the-art, lighted, open space with an artificial turf field that now accommodates a regulation-sized football field, and soccer and softball fields that have a surface that is ready for play all year round. Ultimately, this project exceeded the township’s goals because it also provides a place where community and family members can gather and township kids can grow and learn about life through the lessons that organized recreation can teach. It is also a beautifully landscaped focal point within the township for residents of all ages to enjoy and a source of pride for our community. 

Mayor William J. Park, Jr. is currently in his fifth term as Mayor of Haddon Township. He spent five years as a member of the Township Board of Education, and prior to that, he was a Detective Lieutenant with the Haddon Township Police Department.