Wanted: Island Gridiron for Teens

WILDWOOD CREST — Instead of causing trouble, Sean Reidy said that he and a group of 10 to 15 teens are only concerned with winning bragging rights at their weekly pick-up football game.
But many times before the final touchdown is scored, Reidy said that he and his friends are being removed from Five Mile Island’s various recreation fields.
Reidy, a 17-year-old junior at Wildwood High School and resident of Wildwood Crest, told the Herald that he and his friends have turned to sports, not only to stay physically fit, but a positive outlet for their energy.
“If kids don’t have safe places to engage in these activities, they will find alternatives,” said Reidy. “If my friends and I keep getting kicked off the fields, it makes it more difficult to find a location where we would not be trespassing and where we can have respectable things to do.”
Reidy said that his friends normally meet on Sunday afternoon to play football and have been chased from various fields by public works and municipal officials despite being well within posted closing times.
“If the posted hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. why are we being removed earlier?” he asked.
Reidy said that he has been removed from 24th Avenue Park, Maxwell Field, Higbee Field and Morey Field.
“The issue that I have with this is that if kids my age are expected to stay out of trouble, then we should have access to the resources our parent’s tax money funds,” Reidy added.
Rick Haas, assistant supervisor for North Wildwood’s recreation department, said that he wasn’t aware of any group being habitually removed from the fields. He said that the teens could have run into problems at 24th Avenue Park, because it is too small of a field for a group of 15 to play football.
Haas suggested that the teens stick to the Eighth Street field, where they have more than enough open area. That field is open until 5 p.m., but often remains open for much longer especially during the extra daylight hours in summer.
The only limitations on Eighth Street, Haas explained, is that it is Wildwood Catholic’s field and the school has priority when it comes to using the facility. The field would also be off limits in preparation and during special events, Haas said.
Brian Cunniff, of the Wildwood Crest Recreation Department, said that Higbee Field and Morey Field are used specifically for Little League baseball.
“Both those fields are kept for baseball use and are age appropriate,” he said.
Cunniff said that the teens did have other options for games like football or soccer, such as the borough’s new park at Fern Road or the open lot at Rambler Road.
Rich Hans, Wildwood’s recreation director, said that Maxwell Field is used specifically for the high school and as a venue for events that come to the city, such as the drum and bugle competitions.
“Plus it is a major insurance issue if one of the kids were to get hurt,” he said.
Hans also noted the high cost of maintaining Maxwell Field. He said that it costs between $4,000 to $5,000 in fertilizer and seed every year.
Hans said that there are times of the year when the field is vacant and could possibly accommodate Reidy and his friends.
“But they should always come and ask permission first and they have to realize that some-times that answer might be no,” Hans said.