First, the mysterious mound of sand arrived in Woodland Park.

Then, Troop 30 Boy Scouts helped shovel the pile into a square shape, soon to be covered by rubber mats.

Finally, on March 14th, a black octagonal shape appeared in the playground -what could it be????? If you guess GAGA BALL, you’d be right!

Thanks to an idea and a generous donation by a Woodland Park neighbor, Charles deLongchamp, Woodland Park has a new play amenity for kids of all ages.

According to Gagacenter.com, “Gaga is a fast paced, high energy sport played in an octagonal pit. The more players the better! Dubbed a kinder gentler version of dodge ball, the game is played with a soft foam ball, and combines the skills of dodging, striking, running, and jumping, while trying to hit opponents with a ball below the knees. Players need to keep moving to avoid getting hit by the ball. Fun and easy, everyone gets a serious workout.”

After Charles approached the FWP Board in 2022, Board Member Pat Rutledge worked with the City of Houston to get approval and obtained all of the foundation materials. Troop 30 Boy Scouts, based at St Marks UMC, helped build the foundation, and FWP added the signage and provided gagaballs to the Woodland Community Center for checkout during community center hours.