A House Springs Eagle Scout recently constructed a gaga ball pit at his former elementary school for current and future students to enjoy.
Colin Ashwell, 16, of Boy Scout Troop 722 in High Ridge said he built the pit at House Springs Elementary after his own fun experiences with the yard game at various summer camps.
Gaga ball is a variant of dodgeball played in a circular, shallow pit covered in mulch with players competing to be the last one standing.
“I first learned about (gaga ball) in Scouts,” Colin said. “That’s the thing that all the kids are playing at summer camp. (Building the pit) was a great experience. I got to put in something for kids to use for a long time, to have fun with.”
He said he began the project in 2022 when he asked school staff how he could help, and he, along with mentor David Weiss, devised a plan to construct the yard game with donated materials. Weiss is a retired Northwest High School teacher.
Colin said he used a computer-aided design program to make a 3D model of the pit, which he showed to the Eagle Scout project review board for approval.
His father and troop master, Scott Ashwell, said the model was important, as few adults know what gaga ball is.
Scott said he observed various Scouts pick up the game “like moths to the flame” during summer camps.
“Slowly, some schools are putting them in, but House Springs Elementary didn’t have one,” he said. “I think (Colin) chose a great project because it’s something he wanted to do, and it means a lot to him. As a younger Scout, he enjoyed the time he spent playing gaga ball, so it’s rewarding for him to be able to pass that along.”
After gaining approval from the Eagle Scout board to pursue his project, Colin said he visited different local hardware stores to get donations of lumber and screws, and R.P. Lumber Co. in Festus provided most of the needed supplies for free. The troop also holds fundraisers, like a lawnmower maintenance event, and it used some of those funds to cover the rest of the cost of the supplies.
Colin said it took him and about 20 fellow Boy Scouts approximately seven hours on a hot and humid August day to build the pit.
Scott said physical education teacher Christine Askins will incorporate gaga ball into her class schedule, thanks to Colin’s project.
“(Askins) said the students have already started using it and they’re having a good time,” said Scott, who’s been a troop master for three years.
He said he enjoys seeing his son learn new skills through the Boy Scout program.
“There aren’t many other programs that are offered to youth that offer them such a wide, diverse exposure to things they can take with them for the rest of their lives,” he said.
Colin, who joined the Scouts in first grade as a Tiger Scout, said he has long had the goal to follow in his father’s footsteps and become an Eagle Scout.
“It’s helped me with public speaking, making friends, interacting with people, and leadership, and also with outdoorsy things, like tying knots and making fires,” Colin said. “I like seeing some of the new Scouts go from, for a lack of better words, clueless, to knowing how to do all the stuff. I get to teach them how to put up a tent, and then I get to see them go teach other Scouts.
To obtain the rank of Eagle Scout, the seventh and highest Boy Scout rank, a Scout must earn at least 21 merit badges, hold a position of leadership for at least six months and complete a community service project.
After high school graduation, Colin said he plans to study engineering at Missouri S&T in Rolla. Colin has two older sisters, Kaitlyn and Erin, and his mother is Tracey Ashwell.
“I’m really proud of Colin,” Scott said. “Generations of kids will hopefully be able to use his project.”