Mountainside Recreation Director Frank Masella Profile

Frank Masella has spent the last 28 years shaping recreation and community programs in Mountainside, first as a young professional answering a classified advertisement and now as director of recreation and pool administrator. His measure of success is simple and rooted in the people he serves: watching kids smile after every game and seeing families return year after year.

Union County Life covers Mountainside community programs, recreation, and public service across all 21 Union County municipalities.

Finding a Calling

Masella grew up in Fair Lawn, where a recreation director introduced him to sports and activities during his childhood. The experience planted a seed. He volunteered during high school, worked at a community center and parks and recreation department during college, and after graduation, spotted a classified advertisement for a position in Mountainside. "And he has been here since," as the saying goes.

Today, Masella and Recreation Assistant Alanna Moriak run a department that serves residents from pre-K through senior years, offering sports, camps, science programs, and community events. The department also schedules the borough's fields and oversees the Mountainside Community Pool, where Masella works as pool technician, helping open, close, and prepare the facility each season—a role he has held for roughly 20 years.

Building Programs from the Ground Up

When Masella started, the department ran nearly every program other than baseball. Instructional basketball was available for kindergarten through third grade, and older kids mainly had open gym nights. Masella began taking a group of eighth graders to play teams from Summit, Springfield, and Scotch Plains, working with his former boss John Amalfi and other volunteers to build an in-town house basketball league he calls a "massive success."

The department now works with organizations including Mountainside FC and PAL, expanding the range of athletic and recreational opportunities available to residents.

The Real Definition of Success

When asked what a successful sports season looks like, Masella jokes briefly—"Going undefeated, winning the trophy"—before walking it back. The truth is quieter and more meaningful: "A successful sports season is just seeing the kids smile after every game and the coaches being very involved."

That philosophy extends beyond any single season. "What shows me that it's successful is if that kid registers the following season, and/or looks to do other activities with the rec program," Masella said. Some former participants have grown up, worked for him, and returned with children of their own, pulling him aside to share memories from the pool and rec programs. Those moments matter more than trophies.

The Logistics Behind Recreation

The work required to run even a single sport is considerable. Before a soccer season begins, Masella and his staff must open registration, form teams, find coaches, arrange practices and games, schedule referees, and coordinate field use. Weather can force them to redo parts of that planning entirely.

Masella tells new assistants it takes a full year to learn the job because every season brings a different set of responsibilities and challenges.

The Coach Challenge

One challenge has stayed consistent across his career: finding enough volunteer coaches. "Alanna and I can't do everything on our own," Masella said. "In order to grow our programs, we need those volunteer coaches so that we can have teams that are able to compete with each other."

The department certifies volunteers and provides trainers at practices to help coaches who are less familiar with a given sport, creating pathways for community members to step into leadership roles.

Staff Development and Growth

Masella has had six or seven assistants over his 28-year career. He estimates about 90 percent of them are still involved in recreation, and some now work for recreation departments across New Jersey.

"My staff know that I want them to grow," Masella said. "Although I'd love them to stay here, I know it's a small town, but I want them to become the best of what they're looking to do." This philosophy of developing people extends the impact of his work far beyond Mountainside's borders.

COVID-19 and the Pool

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Masella initially questioned whether the pool should open given potential financial loss for the borough. It did open, and what he observed shaped how he thinks about the department's purpose.

"I saw that they made the right decision because they got the seniors out of the house that were all alone. I saw that people with disabilities needed this facility. I think it's important for a small town to do the right thing," Masella said.

The pool became more than a recreation amenity—it became a lifeline for community members who needed connection and activity during isolation.

A Career Rooted in Community

After 28 years, Masella's impact on Mountainside runs deep. He has watched kids grow up through recreation programs, coached volunteer coaches who now lead programs across the state, and helped shape a recreation department that serves nearly every age group in the community.

His success, by his measure, comes back to the kids and families he serves—the registrations that come year after year, the memories made at the pool, the volunteer coaches stepping forward to lead, the seniors finding community, and the kids smiling after every game.

Find more Mountainside recreation programs, community events, and public service information on Union County Life.

FAQ

Q: Who is Frank Masella?
A: Frank Masella is Mountainside's Director of Recreation and Pool Administrator, a position he has held for 28 years. He oversees programs for pre-K through seniors, including sports, camps, science programs, and the Mountainside Community Pool.

Q: What programs does Mountainside Recreation offer?
A: Sports, camps, science programs, and community events for pre-K through senior residents. The department also schedules borough fields and operates the Mountainside Community Pool.

Q: How long has Masella worked in recreation?
A: 28 years as Mountainside's director. He has also worked as the pool's technician for roughly 20 years.

Q: What was Masella's path to recreation work?
A: He grew up in Fair Lawn where a recreation director introduced him to sports. He volunteered in high school, worked at a community center during college, and was hired by Mountainside after seeing a classified advertisement.

Q: What is Masella's definition of a successful sports season?
A: Seeing kids smile after every game and having coaches who are very involved. He also measures success by whether kids return to register the next season and participate in other rec programs.

Q: What is the main challenge Masella faces?
A: Finding enough volunteer coaches. He and Assistant Alanna Moriak work to recruit and train volunteers to help grow programs.

Q: How does the recreation department work with volunteers?
A: The department certifies volunteers and provides trainers at practices to help coaches who are less familiar with a given sport.

Q: What role did Masella play in building the basketball program?
A: He began taking eighth graders to play teams from nearby towns and worked with his former boss John Amalfi to build an in-town house basketball league.