History of the Southwick Recreation Center

From its 1960 inception as a sandlot baseball league, the Southwick Recreation Center has grown to provide a complete recreation and social program for Southwick's young people. This voluntary, non-profit organization provides a variety of youth and family sports programs such as girl's softball, boy's baseball, tee ball, soccer, basketball, floor hokcey, and a daily School Age Program to provide affordable child care needs.

The organization first started as the Southwick Sandlot League in 1960 and as the story goes that it consisted of nine men with a total of $9.84 and an idea to map out a program to help the youth of the community. On October 9, 1961 the Southwick Recreation Center was incoprorated with fewer than 120 kids participating. Then in 1962, programs expanded to include soccer, basketball, and girl's softball. Also, the organization purchased 13 acres off of Powder Mill Road and a small cabin was donated and placed on the property. In 1966, with growing baseball and softball programs, the Southwick Recreation Center constructed its first permanent building which is still being used for maintenance supplies, equipment, and the snack shack.

As the 1970's arrived, the SRC had now created the younger girl's kickball league and they also started an ice hockey program as well. Now that the Town of Southwick was growing, board members saw the need for expansion of the SRC, so in 1975 a new building committee was created. A second tract of land was purchased (17 acres) adjacent to the existing property on Poweder Mill Road and the first phase of the South Recreation Complex was completed in 1976 and dedicated in 1978. This structure is an 8,000 square foot facility which houses the basketball program, floor hockey, and the School Age Program. It was also designed to hold not only athletic programs but civic functions as well, such as casino nights, bingo, dances, wedding reptions, and fairs.

When the organization was founded in 1961, the Board of Directors inserted into their by-laws the 'Purpose of Corporation' and these words still hold true 35 years later today and they are the following:

“ The purpose for which this Corporation is formed is to create and organize a recreation program for the Town of Southwick, and to this end; to develop areas in which recreation activities may be enjoyed; to sponsor functions encompassing all sport activities; to promote and encourage an understanding among the citizen of the need for such programs; and to acquire, hold, manage, improve, sell, or lease such real estate as may be necessary to carry out these purposes.” To these ends we are dedicated.