Nancy Lieberman Charities and the Boys and Girls Club of the Sandhills held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Dream Court at Pool Park in West Southern Pines on Tuesday.
The blue regulation-size Robbie Callaway Dream Court sits just down the hill at Pool Park overlooking the pool. The new basketball court will give children of the community a new place to show off their skills.
The charity has opened 131 other courts nationwide and plans to have 500 Dream Courts installed. Two-time Olympian, former WNBA player, Basketball Hall of Famer, former coach of WNBA and NBA, and current coach of BIG3, Nancy Lieberman spoke at the ceremony and played one-on-one with one of the Boys and Girls Club members.
Nancy Lieberman speaks at the Dream Court ribbon cutting in Southern Pines on Aug. 20.
Southern Pines Parks and Recreation Director Greg Thompson opened the ceremony and introduced the extinguished speakers. Mayor Taylor Clement spoke briefly and introduced Southern Pines lifelong resident, Mitch Capel. Capel is the uncle of former Duke basketball player and head coach of Pitt University and former UNC player and current assistant coach at Pitt University.
“We have had a lot of great basketball players to come from here,” said Capel. “Hopefully, some kids here with this court, with the tools they have now, they will become great basketball players.”
Southern Pines Police Chief Nick Polidori also spoke about the connection between the new court and the police department.
“The Dream Court is another opportunity for us to bridge that gap and build a partnership, whether that is attending a pickup game or participating in playing,” said Polidori.
COO of the Boys and Girls Club of America, Lorraine Orr, spoke briefly and read a letter from Sen. Thom Tillis before introducing Robbie Callaway, a Carthage resident who has raised around $1 billion for the Boys and Girls Club organization while in his role in government relations functions. Callaway received the honor of having the court named after him because of his ties to the area and his achievements for the club.
“I am excited,” said Callaway. “I love North Carolina and Moore County. My heart has always been here.”
Callaway helped raise funding for the Boys and Girls Club of the Sandhills 26 years ago. The local organization has expanded to four clubs and is in the process of opening one in Robbins.
“The reason we are here today is Nancy Lieberman,” said Callaway. “Nancy is what I call a national treasure.”
Leiberman took the podium and spoke on the Robbie Callaway Dream Court being a “communiversity.”
“We’re bringing people together; we’re bringing community, city council, our mayor, firefighters, and everybody who has a hand in touching somebody’s life,” said Lieberman. “We have to be able to stand strong and to stand for our children. If we can’t give them good values and opportunity, then we have failed as a community and failed as people.”
She told the children at the ceremony that the court could be there for 40 or more years if they helped take care of it. “This is your court,” said Lieberman.
Lieberman asked Capel to shoot the first basket after the ribbon cutting. Capel’s father helped make Pool Park a reality.
“You deserve that because you and your friends have been here for so long, and it means something,” said Lieberman. “It means something for someone who’s given so much to their life. You know, some of our friends are Ballers here. This is what we do. We love playing this game. You can’t take it away from us.”
After the ribbon cutting, Lieberman taught kids how to spin a ball on their fingers. Capel and Lieberman shot a few baskets before choosing a Boys and Girls Club member to play one-on-one.
~Article, photo and video by Sandhills Sentinel reporter Curtis Self. Curtis has been writing for Sandhills Sentinel since 2019.
Please click here to sign up for the free Sandhills Sentinel weekly e-newsletter.
