Not even most volleyball players seemed to know there’s a sand court at Eagledale Park. 

“My daughter’s been in volleyball for seven years, and she’s never touched this court,” admitted Megan Adcock, a Bainbridge Spartan Volleyball Boosters parent. “We had no idea.” 

There is, and now they do, after a great ParksCorps volunteer event at the south-end park. More than 30 players and parent volunteers turned out to restore the court and grounds. Besides weeding and raking the court, volunteers grubbed out about 4 cubic yards of invasives and left the park looking a lot sharper. 

Volunteers included a team Blackmouth Design, a Day Road design-build firm. Owner Rich Batcheller’s daughter Lola is a setter with the BHS varsity squad. 

“I pulled some guys off jobs today,” Batcheller said. “It’s good to get outside and get some fresh air, get away from the sawdust and metal debris. We’re big hearts, and we want to help everybody. It’s cool.”  

The Eagledale volleyball court has been easy to miss, nooked in between the tennis court and a neighbor’s back fence, draped and shadowed by firs. But with outdoor courts scarce – there’s an excellent sand court at Fay Bainbridge Park, but no others – it’s a handy facility as the word gets out. 

One parent who was in the know: Steph Rosentrater, whose daughter Noella has been playing volleyball since 6th grade and practiced on the Eagledale court back when “it was really weedy and there were bees everywhere.”

“It wasn’t ideal,” Rosentrater said, “but it was available. This just makes me so happy, to be fixing it up.” 

Agreed Adcock: “Fay Bainbridge is way up north, so to have one down here is awesome. I think we’ll be seeing a lot more kids here.”

The volleyball club volunteered through ParksCorps, a service program of the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation. Nonprofit clubs and organizations earn grants by doing volunteer restoration in parks. For every person-hour donated, the club earns $14.

With 31 volunteers putting in 2 hours of service at Eagledale Park, the volleyball club earned an $868 grant. Adcock said the money will go toward new volleyballs, ball carts and other equipment.  

“We love this partnership with the Parks,” Adcock said. “Access to gyms isn’t that easy, so any outdoor volleyball court is special to us.” 

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DO GOOD, DO WELL THROUGH A PARKSCORPS PROJECT: Earn money for your club, team or nonprofit organization by doing volunteer stewardship through the ParksCorps program. Email mary@biparksfoundation.org to find out how.