Oceanport Sports Foundation Announces 2012 Grant Awards

The Oceanport Sports Foundation has approved $20,675 in grants to local sports organizations as part of its annual Grant Program process.  Established in 2002 by fourteen community-minded individuals who wanted to improve the Borough of Oceanport’s athletic fields and facilities, the Oceanport Sports Foundation remains committed to improving the quality of youth recreational sports within the borough.

This year’s grant recipients are:

• Oceanport Baseball Association ($15,000 for two separate projects)
• Oceanport Basketball Association ($3,975),
• Troop 58 of the Boys Scouts of America ($1,200)
• Shore Regional High School Lacrosse Association ($500)

Oceanport Baseball Association

The Oceanport Baseball Association was awarded a grant of $7,500 in connection with its renovation of the two baseball/softball fields located behind .  Oceanport’s recreation baseball and softball programs use these fields almost exclusively and the much needed renovations will allow the fields to be used for the foreseeable future.

The second grant of $7,500 to the Oceanport Baseball Association was to offset costs associated with the renovation of the baseball field located behind the .  This field serves as one of two home fields (the other being the Community Center field) for the upper levels of Oceanport’s recreation baseball program.

Mike MacStudy, President of the Oceanport Baseball Association, was thrilled that the Oceanport Sports Foundation saw fit to award the grants to his organization.  “Both of these fields have been in need of refurbishing for a long, long time,” said MacStudy.  The Maple Place ball fields have been problematic for as long as I can remember due to the high water table.  These renovations will make it easier for the infield to drain properly and make them much easier to maintain.  If these renovations had been put off for even just one more year, I was afraid that we would completely lose the fields forever.”

As for the baseball field behind Wolf Hill School, MacStudy is confident that the grant funds will allow for the field to be brought up to snuff in short order.  “The Wolf Hill baseball field is in desperate need of a complete regrading in order to fix the inherent water retention problem that has become more and more severe over the past few years,” said MacStudy.  “In contrast to past attempted short term fixes by volunteers, both the Maple Place fields and the Wolf Hill School field will be renovated and regraded by professional sports fields management/maintenance companies and we expect that these improvements will result in long term benefits.”

Oceanport Basketball Association

The Oceanport Basketball Association’s grant of $3,975.00 will be utilized to partially offset the Association’s cost of resurfacing the Don Brocklebank Basketball Court located in the Larry Boresen Gymnasium at Maple Place School.

“The Don Brocklebank Basketball Court is the most utilized youth sports facility in the Borough of Oceanport,” offered Oceanport Basketball Association’s President, Jay Coffey.  “This one court accommodates the practice and game needs of Oceanport’s school, youth recreation, adult recreation and youth travel basketball programs from September through July each year. This court where Maple Place’s gym classes take place and where school baseball and softball practices are conducted during inclement weather.  It also serves as the site of the annual Holiday Festival, graduation services and other special events.  Cognizant of the intense use, over the past few years the Oceanport Basketball Association has implemented an annual maintenance program whereby we try to resurface the court in August, just prior to the start of the school year, and again during the Christmas break.  The Oceanport Sports Foundation’s contributions towards this effort are much needed and greatly appreciated.”

Boy Scout Troop 58

The most interesting grant approval, however, involves the $1,200 awarded to Troop 58 of the Boy Scouts of America. Scoutmaster John Descenza, advises that an Eagle Scout candidate from Oceanport, Connor Feroce, is looking to renovate the surface of the basketball court at Blackberry Bay Park as his Eagle Scout Project. 

Mayor Michael Mahon is very excited about Eagle Scout candidate Feroce’s project.  “Connor Feroce’s project inspired the Borough of Oceanport to augment his efforts by approving the purchase and installation of new stanchions, baskets and backboards for these courts,” said Mahon. “It is our hope that the basketball court at Blackberry Bay Park will now rival that of the court we renovated at the Community Center several years ago.  And the Oceanport Sports Foundation’s grant was the key to that renovation.”