County dedicates a fun place for all children

County dedicates a fun place for all children
Tony's Place takes nautical theme from oceanfront locale
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer

Aplace for children of all abilities to play and have fun was dedicated last week at Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park in Long Branch.

Top: Tony's Place, a new universally accessible playground at Seven President's Oceanfront Park in Long Branch, was dedicated Nov. 7. Above: Katie Cartier, Lincroft, enjoys the park's new accessible swing. Top: Tony's Place, a new universally accessible playground at Seven President's Oceanfront Park in Long Branch, was dedicated Nov. 7. Above: Katie Cartier, Lincroft, enjoys the park's new accessible swing. "Tony's Place," a joint initiative of Middletown-based Challenged Youth Sports and the Monmouth County Park System, includes special adaptive equipment for children with disabilities. The county's newest playground is named in honor of Anthony Musella, former vice chairman of the Monmouth County Park System Board of Recreation Commissioners.

Paul Hooker, who founded Challenged Youth Sports in 1990, explained that Musella was a close friend and volunteer coach for children with special needs.

"It actually started back when Tony passed away," Hooker said. "He died early of cancer. Tony was a friend of mine, who was my dentist.

"He helped start Challenged Youth Sports," he added. "He was one of our first coaches in the Little League program."

PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff "This completed play facility includes elevated surfaces that are accessible to those in wheelchairs, Braille signs for the visually impaired, and other areas where children of varied abilities can play together in fun and stimulating activities," a press release from the Monmouth County Park System states. "Tony's Place will replace and expand the park's existing playground."

Challenged Youth Sports and the park system previously partnered in 2004 for a handicappedaccessible playground at the Dorbrook Recreation Area in Colts Neck.

"He was one of the ones that was instrumental in getting us the ground for our first playground," Hooker said. "From the time that Tony passed, I really wanted to build another playground with the Monmouth County Park System and call it Tony's Place."

Hooker said the organization has been working on the park for about three years. According to the MCPS, the cost of the new playground is $633,700.

Challenged Youth Sports contributed about $140,000 collected through fundraisers, with an additional $12,000 coming from Friends of the Monmouth County Parks, a nonprofit that raises funds for the park system.

The remainder of the funds were provided by the park system.

"Really the MCPS was the one that budgeted the money and funded it," Hooker said. "We really raised about 20 percent of the cost to build it.

"It's their land. Their rangers patrol it. They keep it in good shape," he added.

"We just tried to raise money to help to build it," he added. "The MCPS has to go out and find an ideal place where they have bathrooms, they have parking."

According to the website, Challenged Youth Sports began in 1990 in Lincroft as a recreational sports program for children with disabilities. The program is volunteerbased, involving both adults and teenagers from the community. The objective is to provide recreation for the children while fostering an environment for positive reinforcement through recreational sports.

Hooker and his wife, Margo, run soccer, basketball and tennis programs in 20 participating towns.

Hooker said they had options on where to go with the park, and Long Branch was the best fit.

"They had two or three choices that we sat down with," he said. "We decided that it would be a great venue to have it right by the ocean.

"It would get a lot of use in the summer from the beach," he added. "It is very easy to get to, great parking. It was the best of the options that they came up with."

Hooker explained that the park draws on its oceanfront location for the theme.

"It has a real nautical theme," he said. "You walk in and there are flags flying. The main piece is like a pirate ship.

"On the other side is a little village that has a bait shop. While it has swings and the usual things that kids play on, everything is in a nautical theme."

There is also an elevated sand box for children who cannot get down to play in the sand.

In the end, Hooker is happy with the finished product of the playground.

"It's an unbelievable playground, one that I haven't seen before," he said. "This is a big day for us because we wanted this tribute so badly for Tony."

Hooker thanked the park system for the new playground.

"A huge thank you to the MCPS for making this possible," he said. "He meant a lot to them, too."

Susan Walsh, public information officer for the park system, explained that one of the reasons for the park system's second playground that includes adaptive equipment was the huge success of a similar playground at Dorbrook Park in Colts Neck

"That has been very successful — it is very heavily visited," she said. "We know that people enjoy that playground.

"It is just natural to want to build a second one," she added. "It falls in line with the park system's plan to refurbish our playgrounds around the county."

Contact Kenny Walter at

kwalter@gmnews.com.