Fundraising brings new courts to Christian Academy

Whitefish Christian Academy students started a recent school day by shooting hoops, as the school christened its new basketball court.

“We have challenging academics here, and our physical activity is just as challenging — a big part of that is team sports,” George H. Bristol, the school’s headmaster, said. “There’s really nothing more American than basketball, and we had a basketball court that was in need of a lot of repair.”

The court may have been OK, but to teach the students to play right that meant having a proper court, Bristol noted.

Younger students at the school lined up behind the free throw line to get a shot at their first basket on the new court. In the case of some of the youngest students, older students and staff were happy to let them get a shot off while sitting on a pair of sturdy shoulders.

The school has been in need of a new court for years. In 2015, a fourth through eighth grade basketball program began, but the team primarily practiced at the Roy Duff Memorial Armory, which had low ceilings and low-hanging pipes. The outdoor court at the school was also in a state of disrepair.

Headed by board member Caty Collinsworth, a year of fundraising yielded $15,000 for the $20,000 project. Fundraisers sold water bottles and pizza cards, hosted dress-up days and wrote letters to basketball fans explaining the school’s need.

Ben Terry and Triton Construction donated time and effort to build the court. The school is now raising money to build a fence around the court.

For more information on WCA, visit www.whitefishacademy.org.