July 19, 2005

Michael Ibarra, 6, waits to get into a game on the new basketball court at Kids Unlimited. Others watching the action are, from right, Larissa Medina, Jessica Corona and Rodolfo Contreras. Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman

Frustrated that his indoor basketball court at Kids Unlimited won’t be completed for at least another year, Tom Cole did the next best thing: He built an outdoor court.

The 80-foot-long court on a parking lot next to the nonprofit agency that benefits Medford youth has been operational for just a week. But kids from the immediate neighborhood and beyond are already packing the pavement for games from 6:30 p.m. to dusk.

Cole put up deluxe glass backboards and hoops and surrounded the court at 821 N. Riverside Ave. with an 8-foot fence.

"This gives kids something to do in the evenings," Cole said. "It’s open to everyone and there’s no charge."

Youngsters had been playing on some older courts in a nearby parking lot before Cole built the new court that is decorated with a mural of basketball players along one side.

"This court is a lot nicer," said German Ibarra, 14, who was holding his own against high school players on a recent evening. "The backboards are a lot better and the fence keeps the balls from going into the street."

Sheena Barkley, who has been coming to Kids Unlimited since it opened in 1998, also gave high marks to the new court.

"I’ve been here every day since it opened," said Barkley, 14. "It keeps you from getting bored."

Kid’s Unlimited, which moved from Main Street to the old 32,000-square-foot Medford Lanes bowling alley in May, serves as many as 1,000 kids per week during the school year and about 500 per week during the summer.

The new facility features a dance studio, arts and crafts room, computer room, karate room and weight room. It already has hosted numerous community events in addition to serving as a haven for underprivileged kids.

On the west side of the building, where most of the former bowling alley’s lanes once sat, Cole is planning to add a full-size gym. The $1 million project will involve raising the roof 20 feet.

"It’s frustrating for us not to have a gym," Cole said. "But at least now the kids have a decent place to play basketball outside."

Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469

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