May 11

May 11 Eager Eagle Scout project supports Southside pickleball court cleanup

Nicholas Lippincott from Shiloh Church's Boy Scout Troop 221 has chosen a challenging project to complete his journey of earning the highest-ranking badge in Boy Scouts of America. The BSA requires teens to earn at least 21 merit badges to achieve the prestigious Eagle Scout rank, out of which, 14 must come from a list of Eagle-level merit badges, and the remaining badges can be of a lesser rank.

Nicholas Lippincott, age 15, currently attends West Davidson High School and has been involved with Scouts since kindergarten. {Contributed Photo}

Lippincott said in a statement to Davidson Local, "I am working on my project, which is called Pickleball at Southside." The Scout refers to the Southside Swim Club area at 317 Rogers Rd Lexington, NC 27292 pool's court, which he describes as "Overtaken by weeds."

Cracks in Southside. {Contributed Photo}

"It is a community pool that has a damaged old basketball court that is 110ft by 125ft. When we started clean up, the fences were overgrown with weeds and thorny vines," Nicholas said. "There was also debris all over the court. So far, with the help of family and other boys in my troop, we have done most of the cleanup."

The swim club has a Facebook page and actively requests volunteer support. Future cleanup days are Saturdays, 10:00am-1:00pm, May 11th and May 18th. Nicholas said, "This project is important for our community as it will provide a safe and enjoyable space for pickleball enthusiasts of all ages."

Nicholas and family explained that the project proved more costly than anticipated. "My grandmother has donated two nets and poles for the pickleball courts, and I have managed to raise $700. My Mother is also doing her part by selling pickle ball shirts and car decals, with all the earnings going towards my project," say Nicholas.

"With how large the cracks are we have filled in one thrid of the court and have used 9 bags and the holes are not filled to top. I am now at the point where I need to fill in numerous large cracks that are currently overtaken with weeds."