Pete Townsend: Bringing baseball, screams to the beach
As hundreds of people cautiously, some reluctantly, make their way through Screams at the Beach for Halloween, Pete Townsend can sit back and admire how a simple idea has blossomed into one of Delaware's top scare attractions.
Townsend is founder of the Sports at the Beach complex in Georgetown. The popular youth baseball venue also serves as the home to Screams at the Beach, created on a 7-acre parcel on the east end of the property in 2010.
“I used to take my kids to Frightland [in Middletown] when they were younger, and I was intrigued by it,” he said as he walked through the much less terrifying Screams grounds one recent Friday morning.
He said he was looking for a fall attraction for the complex, and he thought something similar to Frightland would go over well in Georgetown and the surrounding area.
Enter Mike Millicken and Brian Turner. The duo turned Townsend's idea into a burgeoning operation that expects to see 5,000 people in its fifth year. Townsend's original plan was to use the complex's dormitories as the main part of the haunt, but logistically it wouldn't work with baseball teams continuing to come into November.
So Screams moved to the opposite side of the 96-acre complex, where Millicken and Turner have built the operation into what it is today, with about 100 actors spread out over five attractions to provide hours of scary fun for those brave enough to enter.
Screams at the Beach and Sports at the Beach are just two businesses on a list of many for Townsend.
Born and raised in Georgetown, Townsend is a consummate businessman, owning and operating several businesses in Sussex County over the last several decades. Townsend was the original owner of Jungle Jim's and its predecessor Sports Complex. He also owned the former Roadhouse restaurant in Midway and the Econo Lodge just a little farther southeast. With a knack for the hospitality business, he even had a hand in producing Punkin Chunkin in its early days.
It is Sports at the Beach that is his biggest success, though. Since its inception in 2002 – the location was suggested by Sussex County Council – the complex has exploded in popularity with dozens of teams from around the world coming to Sussex County each weekend from May to November. Townsend estimates 6,000 games will be played on the 16 fields by the end of the season in the next few weeks.
Townsend has always been a big fan of baseball; he grew up playing America's pastime. After he had kids, he got into coaching. Now, he runs one of the biggest baseball complexes on the East Coast. Ironically, he said, he doesn't follow any particular professional team – not the Phillies, not the Nationals, not even the Baltimore Orioles, to which he has a personal connection.
“I'm just a fan of the game,” he said. “If there's a game on and it's tied in the ninth inning, it doesn't matter who's playing, I'll watch it.”
Although Townsend played only briefly in college, he did pass the baseball gene down to his four children; all played baseball or softball growing up. His younger son, Tyler, had the most success; the Cape grad was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 2009. He reached AA-affiliate Bowie, but injuries forced an early retirement. Townsend said his son still gives lessons and coaches when he can.
Townsend also tries to stay involved when he can. When not working on a project around the complex, he tries to catch a few innings of one of the youth games.
“It's fun to watch the kids,” he said. “They still have fun playing. They take it a little too seriously at times though,” he added with a laugh.
With a name like Townsend, there's no question Pete grew up in Sussex County. Son of a state policeman and grandson of a banker, Townsend said, despite his last name, he's not related to any of the other Sussex County Townsends.
“I know a lot of them though,” he added.
