Left: The North Brunswick Raiders softball team runs through its warmup routine prior to a game against Carteret on April 29. Officials held a grand opening of the new softball fields at North Brunswick Township High School before the game. Above: Rebecca Colandrea, center, gets ready to take the field. Below: Angela Colandrea gets ready to make a throw. NORTH BRUNSWICK — For the first time in more than a decade, the North Brunswick Raiders softball team has a place to call home.
The girls celebrated the grand opening of two new softball fields on the grounds of North Brunswick Township High School on April 29 before a game against Carteret.
“Kevin Costner would be very impressed looking at this Field of Dreams,” Principal Pete Clark said.
The high school and its surrounding areas were used as a municipal dump between the 1940s and 1960s. In July 2003, waste material consisting of pharmaceutical and laboratory debris, glass vials, bottles and an unidentified dark brown material were uncovered near and within the oval area of the high school.
PHOTOS BY STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ERIC SUCAR The site has since been remediated, yet the area where the softball fields now sit was previously just a grassy area of weeds. As a result, a layer of soil was taken from the football field to cover the softball area, according to Athletic Director Louis Emanuel.
The project was a long time coming, in terms of the overall timeframe and the finishing touches after a harsh winter. The field was prepared with the line painting and fencing while the weather was freezing, Superintendent of Schools Brian Zychowski said, praising the staff of the district’s building and grounds crew.
He also credited former Board of Education member Gail DiPane with pressuring the board to create the space for the team.
“I’m so proud to see this wonderful field that you girls will enjoy, and children after you will enjoy,” she said.
The “road warriors,” as Zychowski referred to them, had been previously using Sabella Park for their practices and games until North Brunswick Community Park opened. They played the first half of this season away, Emanuel said.
The expectation now is to have an environment of support for the team, Emanuel said, noting how dozens of students and parents have stopped by to watch games, whereas before there were few spectators.
“The girls felt as though they were not part of the school culture,” he said. “We are trying to create a culture of family and athletics. We are Raiders.”
Hoping for a successful season, Zychowski lauded the girls, “Play well. Play hard. Compete.”
Contact Jennifer Amato at [email protected].