Hoboken To Revamp Recreation And Summer Programs, Seek Director

HOBOKEN, NJ — Over the years, Hoboken has run successful recreation programs in soccer, baseball, and basketball — but a lack of affordable summer camps and drop-off programs, and issues with families being left out of program signups, have left some parents frustrated.

Mayor Ravi Bhalla announced recently that he was seeking a recreation director to "spearhead key initiatives to improve, expand, and modernize the city’s recreation programs." Right now, the recreation programs are under the Division of Health and Human Services, which has its hands full with issues such as COVID and other matters.

During the City Council campaigns in November, some candidates stressed the need for a change in the programs.

Councilwoman Emily Jabbour said, "Before COVID, I was working with City Hall to do research on what surrounding communities have offered for summer programming in order to start putting together a proposal for Hoboken."

Cindy Wiegand noted, "I wholeheartedly agree that residents of all ages currently are underserved in terms of recreational opportunities. I also have experienced firsthand the frustration associated with athletic team signup for my children."

Other area cities have had inexpensive recreation options, such as a five-week daily summer dropoff camp in North Bergen and Bayonne's skateboarding camp, Chess Club, and "Kids' Travel Camp." And camps in some of the wealthier suburban districts actually charge a fraction of the cost of Hoboken's camps; an eight-week summer camp in Summit is $550 in total.

Teens often get summer jobs working at the camps and for the Department of Recreation.

"The goal of hiring a new Recreation Division head is to improve existing recreation options and explore potential new programming and the feasibility of a summer day camp," said city spokeswoman Marilyn Baer, in response to questions. "The Recreation Division head is not required to live in Hoboken. The division is under the Department of Health and Human Services Director Leo Pellegrini who is a Hoboken resident."

What kind of programs would you like to see in Hoboken? Comment below.

Summer Camp Options

Hoboken also has several private camps, camps run by local schools and day cares, and lower-cost options run by the Boys' and Girls' Club and Day Care 100, as well as, for public school students, the eight-week LEAP camp. But they don't span the whole summer. (See a partial list here.)

In recent years, a relatively new, affordable camp just for children in the Hoboken Housing Authority buildings actually raised funds in part via GoFundMe, but was briefly in danger of shutting down due to lack of funds.

Some parents in Hoboken bus their kids out of town to camps at a cost of thousands of dollars per summer.

The City's Recreation Announcement

The city made its full announcement in late January:

Mayor Ravi Bhalla announced the City of Hoboken seek qualified applicants for the City’s Division of Recreation. This new administrator will spearhead key initiatives to improve, expand, and modernize the city’s recreation programs.

“As Hoboken’s youth population continues to grow and demand for our recreation offerings climbs, we must continue to improve our existing services, as well as provide new and innovative programs to meet the needs of our residents,” said Mayor Bhalla. “The head of the Division of Recreation will lead this effort together with the Director of Health and Human Services, Leo Pellegrini, with a focus on priorities such as upgraded technology and mobile applications for sports leagues, as well as exploring the opportunity for new and affordable programming."

"I encourage all those interested to apply, and I look forward to transitioning to a more modern, efficient and user-friendly recreation experience in the months ahead."

The new head of the Division of Recreation, under the direction of the Director of Health and Human Services, will plan and administer a comprehensive community recreation program, coordinate recreation programs with other city departments, expand and improve the City’s recreation offerings, apply for and administer grant funds for programming, and supervise full-time and part-time staff, among other duties.

The City’s Recreation Department promotes the joy of sports and physical activity through a variety of youth athletic programs to over 2,000 children annually between the ages of 5 and 18.

It offers baseball, flag football, soccer, tennis, basketball, softball, and other sports annually.

To learn more about the role, go to www.hobokennj.gov/jobs. Those interested in submitting an application can do so online at www.hobokennj.gov/jobs or email a resume and cover letter to Personnel Officer Michael Kraus at Mkraus@Hobokennj.gov.

You can sign up to get breaking news alerts in Hoboken and a free daily newsletter each morning at 6 a.m. with local news. Sign up with your zip code and email.

Get a free morning newsletter with news in Hoboken or your town: https://patch.com/subscribe