‘Sports is a great equalizer.’ Basketball icon, church donate Dream Court to city of Bedford
Kids who are having a tough time at home or just need to let off steam now have a basketball court that is always open to them.
The Dream Court opened March 1 in Bedford’s Central Park, and it is always available for children and adults to play. The high school regulation-style court with a special surface that will withstand high temperatures and act as a shock absorber was donated by Nancy Lieberman Charities and Covenant Church in Colleyville, which formed a partnership with Bedford.
“We like to place these courts in under-served areas,” said Traci Choate, vice president of Nancy Lieberman Charities. “Parks are accessible. Kids can go play ball and shoot hoops instead of being on the streets,” she said.
Bedford provided $56,780 for the concrete slab, and Nancy Lieberman Charities donated $75,000, which paid for the court tile, basketball goals and installation, a city spokesperson said. Park superintendent Don Henderson oversaw the construction project, she said.
Bedford’s dream court is the 108th project in the U.S. since the program began in 2010, Choate said.
Shooting hoops is just one aspect of the dream court concept, Choate said.
The dream court program also ties sports to education in areas such as career readiness and science, technology, engineering and math.
Another important part of the dream court concept is bridging the gap between kids and police officers, bringing them together to shoot hoops.
“Kids will learn that cops are human beings too. They are moms, dads. They’re not bad people,” Choate said.
Fox said police officers will start playing basketball with kids on Wednesday afternoons later this month.
“Sports is a great equalizer,” Choate said. “Not only are kids staying active, but they are staying healthy in a safe space. If young Joe has nowhere to go at 10 o’clock at night when his parents are fighting, he can ride his bike down the street and shoot hoops.”
Nancy Lieberman, who formed her charitable foundation in 1989, is a broadcaster for the Oklahoma City Thunder and coach of a team in the BIG3. She was a a three-time all-American at Old Dominion and two-time Olympian.
Free basketball clinic
Nancy Lieberman and TJ Cline Basketball Clinics will hold a skills clinic from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. March 20 at the Central Park Dream Court, 1200 Central Drive in Bedford. Call 972-473-2121 or visit nancyliebermancharities.org