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<Current
Program Listing>
(last updated: February 24, 2010)
The Brookline Memorial Recreation
Center is located in Brookline Memorial Park, off of the lower part of
Brookline Boulevard in what was once refered to as East Brookline. Built
in 1970, the Recreation Center and Brookline Park, commonly known as the
Community Center, has been an integral part in the lives of many Brookline
families for nearly sixty years.
The current recreation building replaced
an old farmhouse that had been in use since the early 1950s. Prior to that,
recreation facilities in Brookline were provided exclusively at Moore
Park, another first-class
facility located on Pioneer Avenue. Brookliner's are fortunate to have two
city parks located within the neighborhood.
Brookline Memorial Park offers a
variety of recreational facilities. The park contains a swimming pool (temporarily
closed), a large multi-purpose ballfield, two lighted baseball fields, a T-Ball field,
an outdoor batting cage, picnic pavilion, children's playground and a lighted outdoor
basketball court. The Recreation Center itself houses an indoor basketball
court, recreation room, weightroom, crafts rooms, and limited meeting space.
There is something for all seasons, and ample parking is available.
The Community Center has witnessed
many changes in Brookline Park over the years , but until the dawn of the new millenium, one thing
remained constant, Chuck Senft. Chuck was the Recreation Director in Brookline from
1957 until his retirement in 2003. Through Chuck's tireless efforts and dedication,
the children of Brookline benefited from the many recreation programs under
his supervision, most notably the Brookline Boxing Club, or "Charlies
Angels". In their 45 years, the Angels gained a reputation as one of the premier
boxing clubs in Western Pennsylvania with over fifty team championships to
their credit.
There was also the Track Club, the Basketball
Leagues and countless other recreational activities to keep the community's children
off the streets. While under Chuck's supervision everyone knew that their kids were
safe, and what more could a parent ask for?
In August of 2003, the city closed the Recreation
Center due to financial difficulties. Thanks to the Act 47 recovery plan, the building
reopened in February of 2005 under a new Director, Michelle "Mickey" Underwood. As a
Recreation Leader in Brookline for over 20 years, Mickey was busy behind the scenes with
several programs of her own, like children's crafts and ceramics. In 2000, Mickey moved
on to become the Director at the Phillips Park Recreation Center in Carrick. Now back in
Brookline after a five-year absence, Mickey's skills and leadership ensure that the
Brookline Recreation Center will continue to provide our neighborhood's children the
same sort of friendly and safe atmosphere in which to grow and prosper.
The boxing program also continues to grow and
develop. Now called the Pittsburgh Boxing Club,
workouts are supervised by retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant and former Brookline Boxing
Club instructor, Mike Bayens. Also leading the drills is one of Brookline's most
talented former boxers and Pittburgh policeman, Carlos
Schrader. Under their skillful
guidance, the tradition of Brookline boxing excellence continues to flourish.
Today, the Recreation Center is once again one
of the main centers of activity in Brookline. Refurbished in the winter of 2001, the
building now sports a hardwood gym floor and expanded gameroom activities. Future plans
include a new weightroom and workout facility. Current Recreation programs include yoga,
martial arts classes, body sculpting (pilates), youth basketball clinics, indoor soccer,
summer basketball leagues and fall flag football (current program schedule listed below).
With a talented staff of Recreation Teachers leading the way, the Brookline Recreation
Center is one of the finest in the City of Pittsburgh.
Below are
links to some of the countless fond remembrances
that so many of us Brookliners have of our Community Center. |
