Middle Township Recreation program coordinator named Employee of the Year
for ingenuity during COVID restrictions
Kyle Morinelli’s creativity kept basketball families cheering from the virtual bleachers
Kyle Morinelli has always been a team player.
The 2011 graduate of Middle Township High School played baseball all four years.
Morinelli also participated in basketball, football and baseball through Middle Recreation programs. Now he’s running those activities as the Recreation Department’s program coordinator.
But Morinelli’s determination to keep sports families connected during COVID elevated him to MVP – and Middle Township’s Employee of the Year.
Morinelli will receive the 2021 Darius Graham Employee of the Year award at the Jan. 19 Township Committee meeting. The award is named for a longtime employee of the Clean Communities Program and is given to those who demonstrate a deep commitment to their work, the Township and its residents.
As the Township geared up for youth basketball season last winter, Morinelli knew COVID regulations would keep spectators out of the gym. He explored the possibility of livestreaming the games and did extensive research to find the best equipment within budget. Morinelli and the recreation crew were ready to go live by the start of the season – much to the delight of many families.
When state health restrictions eased to allow two spectators per game, the Recreation Department continued the livestreams. The virtual option made games available to a wider audience, so grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other fans continued to cheer for young athletes.
Morinelli shares the credit for all the Recreation Department’s achievements.
“You are only the best when you work with the best,” he says. “This is a team award; the entire recreation staff is the secret behind everything that was accomplished this past year at the department. It’s currently 15 pistons all firing at once to make the Recreation Department work properly, and I can’t do my job without every single one of them.”
After Middle Township High School, Morinelli eyed a career in sports and received a master’s degree in Sports Administration from Georgetown University. Morinelli returned home for the opportunity to coach alongside his dad in North Wildwood. Middle Township recruited him in 2019.
Superintendent of Middle Township Recreation Department Dustin Sturm is excited about the Employee of the Year honor for his “right-hand man.”
“During his job interview, Kyle said his main goal was to make an immediate impact on the department and bring new programs to the youth of Middle Township,” says Sturm. “We did not know at the time there would be a global pandemic. Kyle did not allow this to stop him from being creative and putting in the effort to create new programs even under the restrictions. He coaches, mentors and spends much of his extra time in the community making a difference – especially for young student-athletes.”
Committeeman Jim Norris, who oversees the Recreation Department, said Morinelli has contributed to a robust array of programs.
“Kyle has done so much in his time here at the Recreation Department. From implementing new sports programs and activities to improving the ones we already had, he is truly deserving of the Employee of the Year award,” Norris said. “I am excited to announce our recreation team has even more activities and programs planned for 2022. I can’t wait to see those plans come to fruition and I know the residents of Middle Township appreciate their efforts.”
