New basketball court keeps teens active, out of trouble
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – An effort to keep teens out of trouble is scoring big with parents.
Carson Park on Indy’s southwest side opened its brand new basketball court, thanks to the Indy Parks Foundation, IPL, and Pacers Foundation. It’s the fifth of eight parks to get a new basketball court. The trio committed $1.1 million for the project.
With school out, teenagers have a lot of time on their hands, especially if they don’t have a job.
There are parks for them to go to all around Indy, but some neighbors feel with the way some of them look, they wouldn’t be a surprise if people were avoiding them.
“I wouldn’t say it’s trash but it could be better,” Sharon Collins said, describing her neighbor down the block, the basketball court at Christina Oaks Park
“It’s very rugged,” added Elijah Menaya, who showed up to shoot some hoops.
It’s so rugged, the lines on it come courtesy of a shabby spray paint job and weeds bursting through the concrete. “A big problem would be hurting yourself or injuring or spraining an ankle because of all the big cracks,” Menaya said.
It’s a similar look shared by the courts at parks such as Carson on the southwest side.
“It was just pretty bare,” said Jenny Burrough, Indy Parks Foundation Community Affairs Director, as she described Carson Park’s old court. “This was really just some asphalt with some goals on it.”
But today, the court reopened with a brand new look.
“This has been pretty incredible for the community and the kids and families and adults that will use this space,” she said.
The new court has hoops with glass backboards, park benches and a smooth, freshly painted surface perfect for basketball.
“Making an investment in our community to make these spaces more exciting and more fun brings a new ownership to the community,” she said.
And it can also curb crime. Organizers hope to not only give youth a way to stay active – but also stay out of trouble.
“If (Carson Park’s court) was here that would be very nice,” said Menaya as he stood at Christina Oaks.
Lucky for him and others, the court at Christina Oaks is next in line for a makeover. It would not only give him a safe surface to play on, but a safe escape for the summer.
“(A new court) would attract their attention and bring them over here and play, keep them out of trouble — it would keep me out of trouble,” he said.
Other parks that will see new courts soon include Gardner and Dubarry Park. The renovation project is in year two of a five year plan.