Wearing clear safety goggles, his hair tied in a ponytail atop his head, a teenager practiced hitting a small black ball against the wall in front of him.
The ball created a steady three-count rhythm as it moved from the player’s racket to the wall to the floor and back again. In the room next door, more than a dozen students chatted before heading outside to play kickball.
The walls of Portland Community Squash, a multi-generational community center in Portland’s Oakdale neighborhood, are covered with pictures of the students who play there and facts about them, such as where they were born, when they moved to Portland, and their dream college.
• Born in Djibouti, moved to Portland at 7 years old, Yale University
• Born in Iraq and raised in Portland, Harvard University
• Born in Portland, raised in Munjoy Hill, Bates College
Portland Community Squash is raising $6 million to increase the number of courts from four to seven and build a café and add more community spaces, all with the goal of growing its roster of services, encouraging people to spend more time there and strengthening community cohesion. Four million dollars has already been raised for the expansion, largely from individual donors.
It is more a holistic family community center than a sports facility. It provides tutoring, mentoring and wellness classes, runs a summer camp and holds community events. Although certain programs are open only to students, membership is open to people of all ages.
Gayl Anglin’s son Matthew Okulski has been playing at Portland Community Squash for five years. Anglin and the rest of her family don’t play squash, but they’re members anyway. They use the fitness equipment and attend community events.
Anglin said her son spends hours a day at Portland Community Squash – practicing, doing homework and spending time with friends.
“It’s not really just a squash program, it’s more of a personal development program,” she said.
Her family’s experience underscores the expansion campaign motto: “The kids call us their second home, let’s make it a second home for the whole family.”
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