Kids Ask Morristown Mayor For Sand Volleyball Courts

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Sports and other recreational activities provide valuable outlets for community members, particularly as summer approaches and children are out of school.

What the community lacks, at least for the time being, is an outdoor sand volleyball court, but two eager high school students are hopeful that will soon change with the assistance of Morristown officials.

Mila Elms, a sophomore at Morristown High School, recently spoke with Mayor Tim Dougherty and town administrator Jillian Barrick about bringing a sand volleyball court to one of Morristown's parks.

At the May 9 council meeting, Elms reiterated her proposal to the entire town council, stating that after extensive consultation with both Dougherty and Barrick, Lidgerwood Park would be the best location for the future court.

Elms stated that considering the growing popularity of volleyball amongst men and women, the town should consider going forward with the build.

"Another thing for the council to know is that there are at least six public basketball courts here in Morristown but zero volleyball courts. We are not asking for six; we are just asking for one," Elms said.

If approved by the council, Elms stated that the next step would be to form a committee with other local volleyball enthusiasts and work with Dougherty to allocate money in the town's budget to fund the project.

Lidgerwood Park, located at 30 Erskine Dr. in Morristown, currently has a playground, one baseball field, one softball field, four tennis courts, two of which are lined for pickleball, and one basketball court.

Council President Sandi Mayer spoke highly of the presentation, saying that she is excited to see how the development moves along over time.

"I know you have been asking for a while. I know Budd Street Park; they do ad hoc volleyball during the summer, so it should be interesting to expand volleyball in Morristown," Mayer said.

Following her presentation, Dougherty thanked Elms for her initiative and determination, saying that her passion for volleyball at the high school level was inspiring. "She really gave us a great presentation, to where we are dug in with her. It is great to see that kind of passion in our youth. We look forward to working with you," Dougherty said.

This is not the first time that local sports fans have petitioned the Morristown council for new recreational space. Several skateboarders spoke out in March about the need for a dedicated skate park in town, expressing their love for an activity that some community members consider a nuisance.

The skaters all expressed frustration, claiming that because there is no dedicated space for them to practice and have fun, skaters are constantly looking for areas to practice and are frequently kicked out once they find a spot.

Council member Stefan Armington posed the idea of building a DIY or hybrid park, which would essentially function as a traveling skate park that could be moved around to different parks.