The Doug Roth Basketball Court

Members of Overland Park Board of Parks & Recreation
Members of Overland Park City Council

Proposed: Cherokee Park Doug Roth Basketball Court

We, the undersigned, support naming the basketball court located at Cherokee Park in Overland Park, Kansas, in honor of Doug Roth. The park can be viewed here: http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=cherokee+park+overland+park&fb=1&gl=us&hq=cherokee+park&hnear=Overland+Park,+KS&cid=13600759677645619531

Doug Roth lived near the intersection of Craig and Lowell streets, growing up in Overland Park. He was the youngest boy of six children. He attended Cherokee Grade School, Broadmoor Junior High School, and graduated from Shawnee Mission West High School in 1984. While attending school in the 1970s and 80s, Doug began organizing youth baseball and basketball neighborhood leagues using Cherokee Park. The teams were organized from children who lived in surrounding neighborhood blocks. Each neighborhood block would form its own team. Doug oversaw the coordination of the teams, ensuring no child was turned away. If there were not enough players to form a team from a block or street, blocks would be combined. There were no fees charged to a child to play in this league. Doug organized the game schedules, and tracked the standings of all the teams. Over the years, many children benefited from his efforts. Children in the neighborhood who may not have otherwise had an outlet to learn and play these sports were able to do so.

Since that time, Doug has continued to volunteer in the communities where he resides. He has served on school boards and continued to coach youth sports. He and his wife have two children today, a son and daughter. Unfortunately, Doug is now facing a life-threatening illness. He is battling a rare form of cancer, Sarcoma. He and his family are faced every day with trying to overcome this terrible disease.

We, the undersigned, support the Doug Roth Basketball Court. Many of us are friends, neighbors or family of Doug Roth, or have come to know him through his outreach toward the youth of our communities where he has resided. We are not asking to rename Cherokee Park. We are not looking to redesign, reconfigure or change the basketball court in any way. We are simply requesting to name it, the Doug Roth Basketball Court, in honor of Doug, his lifelong passion for youth sports, and strengthening the youth of the community. Dougs childhood teams played on this court. It is our hope that children will continue to play on this same court with the same spirit and enthusiasm Doug had for generations to come.

Thank you for your consideration in naming the Cherokee Park basketball court in honor of Doug Roth.