Big Problems, Small Projects

Sometimes, the most effective ways to attack our biggest problems come through the smallest of projects.

Take Dave Ellmann‘s work at Camp David, where he turned an old dairy barn into a music venue and one of the few sources of seasonal housing for 17 kids each summer.

Last summer, while playing in the Northern Door Volleyball League on County A outside Fish Creek, I noticed a lot of young people hanging out on the sidelines, longing to participate. But the league had just two courts, and room for only 12 teams, so these kids – recent high school graduates and seasonal workers mostly – could only watch. It struck me as a bit sad that so many of our often maligned younger population wanted desperately to play but had nowhere to do it.

We often attack our big issues (issues like attracting youth, occupying teens, and getting people active) with the help of consultants, in conference rooms, or through expensive studies. We lose sight of the fact that part of the solution can be much simpler. Like building another court.

The players in the league (of which I, at 31, am in the older 10 percent) look forward to the season all winter long. For many, it’s part of why they love living here or coming back here each summer. I figured if we built another court, not only could we play more games, but more people could be a part of it. We could keep our recent graduates hanging around a league where their former teachers and coaches play, and where more summer workers will make connections with residents.

Inspired by what Bobby Schultz and Bill Becker have accomplished with the recreational park in Baileys Harbor, we set out to build another court with as much volunteer help as possible. It took a little more work than we first anticipated (the court’s location next to the Ephraim-Gibraltar airport meant we had to clear light posts with the FAA), but a year later, we’ll have a third court ready for play tomorrow night.

Thanks to generous contributions of time and materials from Gary Reinhardt, NDVA board members Dave Wohnrade, Ivan Bridenhagen, and Dave Zassler, and a ton of help from board member Jake Danen, we were able to build the court for about $3,000, far less than the $10-15,000 it would normally cost.

Wednesday night at 10pm, Husby’s in Sister Bay is hosting a ’90s Beach Party to help us raise funds to pay for the project. We’ll collect a $5 donation for NDVA at the door, and DJ Jon Ellmann (who also happens to be the Vice President of the Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches Association) is donating his services to the cause. Husby’s has generously offered to donate a large chunk of the evening’s proceeds to the effort as well. So if you’re in the area, please stop by to show your support. And if you’re not a night owl, but still want to support the idea, you can send a contribution large or small to: Northern Door Volleyball Association, PO Box 454, Fish Creek, WI 54212.

There are much bigger things that need to be done to introduce young people to this community and entice them to work and live here. But starting Wednesday night, a few more people will be able to gather at the courts to play a sport instead of looking for other ways to kill time. If this small investment in a community court can entice a few more people to come back to work an extra summer, and maybe even play a part in them planting roots here, the dividend is beyond measure.