Where this stands right now
This is at the conversation stage. Public courts belong to the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, so nothing happens without them — and we're not going to name courts or promise installations before that's agreed. What we're doing right now is lining up partners and finding out who wants this.
The Idea
Free Basketball, Close to Home
Most kids' basketball doesn't happen in a gym. It happens on a driveway or an outdoor court, for free, whenever they feel like it. Chatham-Kent has courts like that — some in good shape, some with bent rims, no nets and cracked asphalt. We want to fix that, and add hoops where there aren't any.
A program costs money and runs on a schedule. An outdoor court is open at seven in the morning and nine at night, costs nothing, and doesn’t care whether a family can afford a registration fee. For a lot of kids it’s the only basketball they get.
What We'd Do
In order of what delivers the most for the least — not in order of what sounds most impressive.
Nets and rims first
The cheapest, fastest win there is. A court with a bent rim and no net is a court kids stop going to. Replacing them costs very little and changes a neighbourhood in an afternoon.
Refurbish what's already there
Resurfacing, repainting lines, fixing backboards. Chatham-Kent already has courts — most of what's needed is maintenance, not construction.
New hoops where there are none
There are neighbourhoods and parks with nowhere to shoot. Adding a pad and a hoop is a permanent piece of infrastructure for a fraction of what people assume it costs.
Keep them usable
A court nobody maintains goes back to being unusable in a few winters. Any project worth doing has to include who looks after it afterwards.
How It Would Actually Work
We don't own these courts, and we're not pretending we can do this alone.
- The Municipality owns the courts and has to approve any work on them. They lead on what's possible and where.
- Service clubs and community foundations are the natural funding partners — several of them fund exactly this kind of project, and as registered charities they can access grants a small business can't.
- Chatham Kings brings the basketball side: what a court actually needs to be good, and programming to make sure it gets used once it's fixed.
- Local businesses and families can back specific pieces of work.
Chatham Kings is a local business, not a registered charity, so we can't issue charitable tax receipts. We'd rather say that up front than have you find out later. If tax-receiptable giving matters to you, we can point you toward partners who can do that.
Put Your Name Down
We're not collecting money yet, because we won't take a dollar for hoops we don't have permission to install. Tell us you're in and we'll come back when there's a real plan.
Want to back the programs rather than the courts? Sponsorship and scholarship spots are on the community page. Or just email admin@chathamkings.com.