Praise For The Ritacco Center

Last week the Poland Spring Arena at the Ritacco Center hosted the Shore Conference Basketball Tournament and the Region 6 Wrestling championships which resulted in the building being busy every night from Monday thru Saturday. As if that wasn’t ambitious enough Saturday saw
A couple of thousand wrestling fans leave after the Region finals around 5:30pm and another couple of thousand plus come in for the Boys basketball championship 90 minutes later. What makes hosting events like these as well as a Wedding Show last Sunday and International Chefs Night Out tonight so amazing is that after each one crews get the gym set up for physical education classes the following day.

Clearly the Ritacco Center along with the John Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex (also known as the Bubble) have become the two most popular locations in New Jersey for high school sports during the winter. Not only has that been a boost for the school districts and its sports teams but it’s time someone recognized what it’s also done for the Toms River community.

At a time when businesses are struggling hundreds and often thousands of people make trips from around the state in the dead of winter to watch young athletes compete in Indoor track, wrestling and basketball in Toms River. Many will frequent local restaurants and other retail outlets while in the area and pump money into the local economy which is a high benefit often overlooked. The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association and the Toms River Regional Schools have nurtured a relationship that benefits both sides and includes the three Toms River high schools hosting state baseball and softball championships games in June which sends more visitors to Exit 82 on the Parkway.

The Toms River Board and Education and Superintendent Michael J. Ritacco deserve credit for having the vision behind this project but it takes dedicated and hard working people to pull it off and the school district certainly has that. I watched last week the group effort it takes from set up to selling tickets and it’s done smoothly and professionally. By the way as busy as last week was there is plenty more to come. The NJSIAA Basketball Championships come to the Ritacco Center in less than two weeks for five nights of games.