Hazlet Hawks Football Field Finally Open for Games!

Hazlet, NJ - The Steven B. Paterson memorial football field is open and the Hazlet Hawks are ready to DOMINATE this season!

This past Friday night, the Hazlet Youth Athletic League officially opened their new playing field, marking the first time the Steven B. Paterson Memorial Field has been open for games in a decade. And perfect timing, too: Sunday marked the first games to kick off the 2016 season.

The turf football field was originally built 10 years ago along the Hazlet train station, in honor of late Hazlet resident Steven B. Paterson, who lost his life in 9/11. However, as Patch has chronicled, the football field was plagued by problems almost since its inception: It was never even used due to drainage and crowning problems.

A few years ago, Hazlet Township secured Green Acres funding and had the field resurfaced to help relieve the drainage issues. However, the field continued to only be used for football practice as there was no scoreboard, bathrooms, bleachers or press box. As if that wasn't enough, the snack bar had to be replaced last year after black mold starting growing inside it due to a water leak.

But by Friday night, things were looking up for the Hazlet Hawks. Way up: Portable bathrooms had been installed, as well as a portable sound system, and small temporary bleachers were in place, with plans to purchase permanent ones down the road. BCB Bank Bayshore donated an official scoreboard, which cost more than $20,000 to install. The Hazlet Youth Athletic League is also working on building a press box.

"It's been baby steps, but we have gotten to the point where we can now host our own football games," said Karen Bachmann, executive director of the Hazlet Youth Athletic League. "My personal goal during my tenure on the board of Hazlet Youth Athletic League was to get the football team playing all home games at our HOME field instead of paying to play on the synthetic turf field at Raritan High School. Now … it will finally be the Hazlet Hawks football permanent home field!"

There was a ribbon cutting Friday night, as well as a field dedication to Steven Paterson and a pep rally/bon fire. All the teams were announced and the players and coaches ran onto the field to the sounds of a DJ and parents and fans cheering. The Hawks' Nest snack bar was open for business.

However, Bachmann did point out that yet a new worry has arisen with the Steven Paterson playing fields: These are the same fields that are very close to JCP&L's proposed high-voltage power lines, and the community is desperate to stop the lines.

"We do not want our youth exposed to the potential cancer-causing unhealthy gigantic monopole power lines," she said.

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