BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Bradford County and its partners are moving forward with an ambitious plan to establish Bradford Sports United, a new community recreation initiative that has already generated significant excitement among residents.
According to County Commission Chairman Danny Riddick, the groundwork is being laid for a seven-member recreation board that will oversee the organization and its activities.
The board will be composed of one representative each from the Starke City Commission, Bradford County Commission and Tourist Development Council, along with four volunteer members from the community. Selection of these representatives is already underway: the county is set to vote on its board member at its upcoming Thursday meeting. The next city and TDC meeting are in August.
To ensure broad community involvement, an application form will be created for citizens interested in serving as one of the four volunteer board members. “Hopefully we’ll get some real good people that want to be on that board,” Riddick said.
Legal and financial structures are also being addressed. The board is considering whether to establish Bradford Sports United as a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(7) nonprofit, with attorneys tasked to determine the best fit. Once the board is in place, a bank account will be opened, with the city, county and TDC each committing $150,000 to kickstart the initiative. City and county funds will be used for operations, while TDC funds will address infrastructure improvements.
A key goal is to hire a recreation director by Jan. 1, 2026. The new director will help launch the first sports programs, likely starting with baseball and softball, followed by soccer and flag football.
Infrastructure improvements are also on the agenda. The board plans to meet with local experts to assess the needs at local parks, with discussions ranging from concession stand renovations to the possible use of the old police station as a recreation center and director’s office. The vision includes creating a space where children can gather after school for homework and games, echoing the community spirit of Bradford’s past recreation programs.
Community response has been overwhelmingly positive. “I get at least a phone call or two every day about people really excited about it, wanting to know what they can do to help,” Riddick said. “The feedback from the community is just overwhelming. I’ve never seen us do anything that the people want so bad.”
As the process moves forward, Riddick encourages anyone with suggestions for a recreation director or interest in serving on the board to get involved. “Let’s make sure we get the right one,” he said. “We just want a really good board for these kids.”
