By Isabell Macrina
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Theres nothing quite as American as football on Thanksgiving. Each year, Dover hosts the traditional Turkey Bowl at Chickering Playfields kicks the fall break off with a whistle blow. The Turkey Bowl is a flag football game, as the name might suggest, for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade put on by the Dover Parks and Recreation Department.
While kids came down in a gaggle from Chickering Elementary School, Pete Sylvester, who has been running programs in parks and recreation for years, shared the origins of this tradition. It started during the COVID Pandemic, when people were craving community but unable to be so close. One of the things that still connected us was sports, so parks and rec set up this series of flag football games for the kids to connect with community even in lonely times, and it has kept going from there. Assistant Director Nicole Wainwright says it sells out every year; they have a waiting list of kids who want to play. And you could tell with the screaming and excited energy coming from the crowd of kids.
With the help of local high school and college residents to act as coaches, the kids broke off into their teams, separated into kindergarten through second graders, and third through fifth grade. Family and friends created a crowd to cheer on their kids, and everyone got ready to kick off Thanksgiving break.
Kids were split into four teams for each age group, and it was played in round-robin games, so every team faced each other. Friends played with and against each other, making impressive catches and throws, especially on the younger teams, and everyone had a great time. Points weren’t important; everyone was just excited to get out and play some classic flag football. The Turkey Bowl is a great experience for kids and adults alike, watching the younger generation getting out there and playing an American pastime is a wonderful way to celebrate Thanksgiving, and the community built in Dover.
