In July of 2024, Forest Park finally graced its community with 14,000 square feet of blue and green asphalt—bookended with six basketball goals—to comprise the most impressive outdoor courts ever offered to the St. Louis region. As a passionate documentarian and lover of the game, I made it a point to photograph the landscape from the very first day. The fervor that comes with pick up hoops in an outdoor setting is unmatchable. With no barrier to entry, the courts welcome players of all kinds. If there’s any prerequisite, it’s only the ability to handle trash talk as well as you can dish it. (Post-game daps with the opponent are all but a requirement, only after purging oneself of all imaginable jests during gameplay.)

In its first three months, games ranged from slow shootarounds to heated full-court contests. At its best, the energy was electric. The camaraderie stood out above all else—in addition to one pair of broken ankles on a warm October evening that stopped gameplay for a good three minutes as players ran wild in celebration.


Late in October, the weather finally dipped, and the players vanished. So, I packed up. It’ll be several months, the courts will endure an onslaught of winter weather, but the whole community will eventually come right back— the shooters, the ball handlers, the bona fide athletes, the father-son duos, the old heads, the who’s-got-next, the trash talk, the high-fives, the hand clasps, and the photographer.