Bristol Borough Recreation Takes a Bow, Thanks Council for 2nd Year Success

The Bristol Borough Recreation Program just completed its second year of  summer leagues by celebrating the completion of a  “hugely successful flag football” season and commemorating its volunteers and officials and continued growth.

Councilman Greg Pezza is the recreation board liaison along with members, Bryan Johnson, Lee Cousin and Lorraine Cullen. He also coached a flag football team, making it three generations of Pezzas to be at the Otter Street fields on gamedays.

Pezza said he wanted to thank his fellow council members for funding the recreation efforts which have included an array of organized activities to show borough children valuable skills needed to negotiate success in their lives and to improve there positional skill sets.

We upped our game this year and I think it was an outstanding success, Pezza said.

It was just over two years ago, Bristol recommitted itself to breathing new life in to the recreation board by appointing Aaron Antonelli, a father of three, chairman.

Pezza said there is often “spirited” discussion and disagreement among and between recreation officials, but at the end of the day, we all want to provide recreation and services to kids of Bristol Borough and that’s our focus.

Pezza noted the contribution of Bristol High School football star, Nuke Bauplan, who refereed every game. After each game, Bauplan spoke with players from both teams noting successes and challenges they faced that day as well as  sharing with the kids how to carry themselves on and off the field and the kids really reacted favorably to the input.

Credit: Bristol Borough Rec

The recreation effort started around the same time Bristol sold its sewer system for $50 million to Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority. Shortly after the sale was  approved , Council President Ralph DiGuiseppe said council was committed to funding recreation programming. He also said repairs and upgrades to the Bristol Borough Memorial Field complex where the little league operations reside was also on the to do list.

The rec program started off soon thereafter with open basketball at Snyder Girotti Elementary school, followed by soccer instruction and skill building camps.

Antonelli, at the time, was assisting Stacey Dragon who oversees the little league. Together they launched a nighttime adult kickball league, which is now a part of the  offerings for Bristol area adults recreation.

And before he was officially appointed to chair the rec board, Antonelli responded to a question posed by Raising the Bar’s Bill Pezza, who was seeking new ideas on activities locals would like to see happen.

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Can we get the canal stocked?, Antonelli asked.  A little more than a year later, 100  Large Mouth Bass, 8 to 12 inches, 100 Blue Gil 8 to 12 inches 200 Crappie,  4000 Minnow started to call the canal home because he took on the project and ran with it.

To date, Bristol has invested upwards of about $22,000.00 on its recreation programming, Antonelli said, over the last two years.

A majority of the costs come from uniform needs.

“Its a free program for borough children ” he said.  Recently because of its growth and a drama free apolitical atmosphere, players from outside the borough can also sign up. Those families do pay registration fees and related costs, officials said.

Credit: Bristol Borough Rec

Many point to the last two years of activities provided and organized under the Bristol Boro Rec heading as the launch point for what is now in place.  However, it was three years ago, the borough launched its effort to reorganize and put new energy into activity offerings by hiring Mike Poploskie as an athletic director to get a fall soccer program off the ground in July of 2021. He stepped away from the athletic director position about one year later focusing his efforts on teaching in the school district once he was hired to teach full time. He was originally a Bristol Borough School Board member resigning from that position in May of 2022 due to his focus o  recreation efforts. According to borough records, he remains active in recreation efforts as a board member.

Several players came up to the podium, sharing what they learned while playing, each speaking to a new skill they learned and mastered.

Credit: YouTube Screengrab

Bristolian Bridget Callahan, who has coached flag football for two years, pointed to the development of life skills needed to negotiate the challenges of life as one of the many important direct benefits borough children are experiencing as a result of participating in recreation.

“I saw with my own eyes how this  truly is a benefit to our youths. It really takes them outside of the classroom and teaches them valuable lessons that they can utilize in other areas of their lives, in the classrooms right now as well as when they become working adults. Just seeing and teaching them something on the football field and having it click… I truly believe in having them learn something more special such as teamwork, leadership and sportsmanship which is even more important in today’s world, I feel,” she said.

Credit: Bristol Boro Rec

Credit: Bristol Borough Rec

Jeff Moscow who also coached flag football said one of the benefits players are experiencing is the forming of new relationships with peers, especially for families who have just moved into the borough.

“It brings kids out who are new to the borough even. Allows them to meet other kids, build friendships going into the school year, and now they have friends and gives them familiar faces,” he said.

Last year, 150 kids played flag football, this year, 190 kids played, league secretary  Sandi Jimenez said.

“This year would not have been a success if it wasn’t for my two colleagues, Harold Jackson and Tyree Barnes. These men were instrumental in bringing this program to fruition,” she said.

Bristol Borough is very fortunate to have everyone involved with recreation represent Bristol in the way you have, DiGuiseppe said.

In as little as two years Bristol has a thriving activity program. A dedicated army of volunteers who know, by giving of themselves freely, they’re also teaching selflessness. A righteous virtue in of itself.

Borough officials are in discussions with expanding recreation to include seniors and additional flag football seasons, DiGuiseppe said.

For now, all eyes are now on the 5 on 5 fall soccer league that kicked off on August 17.

No drama. No Facebook rants.  No delusional accusations.

Just kids playing as members of Bristol Borough Rec.

Editors Note:  The sports based photo images in the story above are the property of BP Morgan Photography, The images on the Bristol Boro  Rec page were not credited to Mr. Morgan and as such Bucks Digital Media, LLC /Lower Bucks Source apologizes for this misunderstanding.  You can find Brian’s photography work his Facebook at  BP Morgan Photography.