Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – When is a basketball court more than a basketball court? When it’s something Springfield Police and a local lawmaker help give to the Boys and Girls Club of Central Illinois.
Local officials cut a ribbon Monday on a new basketball court at the club location near 15th and Monroe. The money for the court, and one at “The Outlet” on East Laurel, comes from a grant State Sen. Doris Turner helped secure.
“This is about the kids in our community,” said Turner (D-Springfield). “Whatever we can do to provide safe spaces for them is more than what we should be doing.”
“This court is not about police departments. It’s not about city leadership,” said Joe Behl, Springfield Police Chief. “It’s about kids. It’s about community. It’s about building friendships. It’s about working through the losses and the wins. It’s about having resiliency. It’s about building community. We’re here to support that, and we look forward to seeing many, many kids on this court.”
The new court at the Boys Girls Clubs replaces one that was showing its age, according to CEO Tiffany Mathis Posey.
“We don’t experience vandalism on our property. We don’t experience crimes being committed at Boys and Girls Clubs,” said Mathis Posey. “We’ve been very fortunate as an organization to be a safe space, and our community kids care enough about this safe space to keep it that way. That’s a deterrent in itself, having Boys and Girls Clubs in your neighborhood.”
Officials say some finishing touches need to be made yet at both basketball courts.
