Visitors at Smith Lake Park might have recently noticed the eye-catching new feature that stands adjacent to the miniature golf course right at the park’s main entrance: It’s a big, eight-sided wooden contraption that, from a distance, looks a little like a low-walled portable cattle corral — only one made from sturdy timber.

But this octagon wasn’t built for ranching; it was built for recreation. For those in the know, it’s a player pit for the sport of Gaga Ball, which Hanceville High School senior Tristen Burks — the person responsible for getting the pit built in the first place — describes as a “free-for-all” activity that anyone can enjoy.

“It’s actually a free-for-all type of game that’s a form of dodgeball,” Burks explained. “Basically, everyone has to be touching the sides of the pit, and then you bounce the ball three times — and each time it hits the ground, you say ‘ga, ga, ball!’ — and then the game starts. The ball is rolling around, and you have to hit it and try to hit the other players anywhere from their knee or below. and if you do get hit, you’re ‘out’ until the next round.”

A member of the Good Hope-based Boy Scout Troop 241 for the past seven years, Burks first discovered Gaga Ball on a trip to Camp Sequoyah

in the Talladega National Forest. He enjoyed the game so much that he decided to make it the focus of his recent Eagle Scout Service Project, enlisting Troop 241 scouts, family members, local businesses and cooperative county parks staff to add a fun new amenity that’s meant for Smith Lake Park guests of all ages.

“I’m pretty sure he has to agree to help maintain it and keep it up now that it’s out there at the park,” joked Tristen’s mother Jessica of the permanent new fixture. “It’s supposed to be a part of the community, which is something that’s kind of a component of carrying out your service project.”

Burks already has a whopping 42 merit badges under his belt, 21 of which are needed on the path toward earning his Eagle Scout rank. That kind of initiative came in handy when he decided to bring forth an idea that required a coordinated effort involving both county administrators and community volunteers.

“I brought it to my scout leaders, and they had a connection with the people who run the park. That set me up with a meeting where I had to give a proposal so they could get it approved — and then I also had to get it approved by the main person over the Boy Scouts,” said Burks. “I haven’t had a chance to use the pit yet, but I’ve seen people playing Gaga Ball in it at the park.”

“Everything for this project was donated,” adds Jessica. “Buettner Brothers and Lowe’s donated all the materials, and then of course we had not only the scouts from the troop, but friends and family who also pitched in and helped put it together as well. We really want to thank all of those folks, and to thank the people at Troop 241: Scoutmaster Charles Bowen and Helen, his wife, and assistant Scoutmaster David Schwaiger.”