Playing at Lakeside Park
After weeks of clearing, repairing, and building, Lakeside Park finally felt like home.
With the temporary boards in place, we played at Lakeside for most of July. Pickup became regular. The space worked the way we hoped it would—open, visible, and welcoming.
A July Gathering
One of the highlights of the month was a bike ride and polo day combo. We started with a group ride from Swamp Rabbit Café and Grocery along the Swamp Rabbit Trail to Double Stamp Brewery and back.
Then we caravanned to Lakeside Park to play bike polo together. Friends from Charlotte and Asheville visited, and the park felt lively. People riding bikes, playing sports, watching games, and spending time together.
This was exactly what we’d been working toward: shared use, connection, and a court that brings people together.
Sharing the Space
Toward the end of July, we noticed that the lock on our goals had been cut and the goals had been used.
We want to be clear: we don’t mind sharing. If someone wants to use the goals, we’re happy to connect and provide the combination. Send us a message on Instagram! We’d much rather coexist with other sports and contribute to the shared nature of public space.
Losing the Boards
The following week, the boards we had built to define the court were missing.
The connectors Kevin made to hold the boards in place were left behind, but without the boards themselves, we no longer had a way to define the space. Without clear boundaries, play at Lakeside wasn’t workable.
With that, we have sadly decided to pause playing at a place that was becoming home.
Back to the Church Court
For now, we’ve returned to the church basketball court that has supported us before. It’s smaller than a standard court, so it’s not ideal, but it’s consistent, and consistency matters.
This pause doesn’t erase what Lakeside represented to us, or the work that went into making it playable. July showed what’s possible when a space is cared for and respected. It also reminded us how fragile temporary solutions can be without a clear shared system of use.
We’re still committed to showing up intentionally and taking care of the spaces we’re allowed to use. Our Lakeside chapter is over for now.
And as always, we’ll keep playing, wherever we can do so safely, respectfully, and together.
