Eagle Scout project enhances batting cages in Memorial Park 

By Kim McDarison

“My project started with my passion for baseball and the community,” Jackson Leibman, Boy Scouts of America Troop 134 and a senior at Fort Atkinson High School, recently wrote in his Eagle Scout Project Paper, which was shared with Fort Atkinson Online.

With the aid of several community members, and former Green Bay Packer Donald Driver, Jackson recently installed artificial turf at the batting cages in Fort’s Memorial Park, according to information recently released by his family.

‘This park holds a special place in my heart’

Describing, within this project paper, his reasons for undertaking the artificial turf project, Jackson wrote: “My Eagle Scout project was to enhance the facilities at Memorial Park in Fort Atkinson. This park holds a special place in my heart, as well as the hearts of many in Fort Atkinson. The batting cages were in need of a major upgrade. There were two batting cages that needed artificial turf. My project would not only improve the playing conditions in the cages, but it would also contribute to my overall sense of pride and unity within the Fort Atkinson community.”

Jackson, who is planning to attend a four-year university to study business and mathematics, has been recruited to play baseball in college, although he has not yet finalized his decision on where he will attend, his mother, Nikki Leibman, told Fort Atkinson Online in a recent email.

Jackson also plays baseball at the Fort Atkinson High School and with a Madison-based travel club called “Team Heat,” according to the email.

He has been involved in scouting and baseball since he was little, his mother wrote.

As a member of Team Heat U17 baseball this past summer Jackson “received several recognitions, leading his team in batting average and runs, in addition to other categories, while also earning All Tournament Team selections at 2023 Perfect Game, 2023 Pathway to Omaha and the 2023 Omaha 60-yard dash leaderboard,” the email noted.

As he considered his future, baseball, and an Eagle Scout project, Jackson wrote: “Memorial Park is where my love for the game started years ago and now as I am ready to go off to college to play baseball, I am leaving something special in the community, the community that supported me growing up.”

Batting cages needed a makeover

Jackson stated that he decided to focus on the batting cages because they seemed in need of a makeover, describing them as “just concrete with remnants of adhesive from old turf and (they) were very uneven — they had turf years ago but it had worn off to nothing. The fact that our community had to use batting cages in such poor condition and it was potentially a safety hazard was not ideal, plus it looked bad for visiting teams to see our cages like that.”

The young baseball enthusiast described steps taken to bring his hopes of improving the cages to reality: “Acting as a project leader, I had many steps to take to make this project happen for Memorial Park. I started by measuring and determining how much artificial turf, adhesive and sand would be needed for the installation. In determining this, I figured the cost would be somewhere between $5,000 (and) $8,000. I had to get approvals from the city of Fort Atkinson, the Parks and Recreation Department and I worked with Fort Youth Baseball.”

Help, too, came from the Fort Atkinson High School athletic director, who helped by offering ideas about where to procure artificial turf, Jackson wrote.

Help from community members, Donald Driver

It was the school’s athletic director who put Jackson in touch with Driver, the young athlete said, further noting that once he described his project and its benefits to the community, Driver opted to donate the turf needed to improve the batting cages.

“This was fantastic and I was super grateful, this was one of the biggest obstacles that made me think this project may not happen if I couldn’t get enough funding. Working with Donald Driver was an honor in itself, but to have him donate this to our city in honor of an Eagle Scout project was amazing,” Jackson wrote.

Another donation to the project followed: Jerry Mooren, of JM Carpets, donated the adhesive required to secure the turf. 

Also, Jackson noted, materials needed to be delivered and moved at the site.

“The high school maintenance team, along with the city of Fort Atkinson helped me with this. There was no way I could have made that happen without their help. The city brought a forklift and was able to get the turf where I needed it,” he added.

As project lead, Jackson said, he was responsible for coordinating volunteers, a team composed of adults and fellow scouts.

Among his responsibilities was making sure younger scouts properly handled the turf adhesive and cutting tools.

The project further included spreading sand and raking the turf, which were appropriate activities to assign to younger scouts. 

“Managing adults and younger scouts was a bit challenging, but it was a great experience for me and will only add to my ability to help lead others in my future endeavors,” Jackson wrote, noting that the full project took five months to complete.

About his project and scouting in general, Jackson said: “Through my dedication to this project I hope to leave a lasting legacy that encourages future generations to embrace sports at Memorial Park. Being a scout has been instrumental in developing my leadership abilities and fostering a strong sense of community service. Participating in scouting has shaped my character and I have learned the importance of giving back.”

Along with Driver, and Mooren, Jackson said additional community members offering him support, included: Brett Ketterman, Paul Broadhead, Steve Rottmann, Bill Last and Tony Prisk.

Along with the school district and city of Fort Atkinson, organizations involved in his endeavor included: Fort Atkinson Youth Baseball and Junior Blackhawk Baseball.