Girl Scout builds sports libraries, gets kids playing again

If you build it, they will come.

That was the mindset of 17-year-old Girl Scout Olivia Zehil, who recently built sheds at Southold’s elementary and high schools that house sports equipment community members of all ages can borrow and use on-site.

“I constructed a wood shed, so it was a frame of wood and then I wrapped it in PVC shiplap, painted it, installed a clear door in front and shelving on the inside to hold all the sports equipment and hooks,” Olivia said.

The idea was inspired by her younger brother, who wanted to play soccer on the school’s field after classes one day but didn’t have a ball.

“I saw that as an issue, as well as the decline in student participation in sports,” she said. “I knew that if I could supply the kids with the necessary sports equipment, they’ll then have access to it and be more likely to want to try a new sport or continue to practice something.”

Her efforts earned her the Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can receive and often considered equivalent to Scouting’s Eagle Scout award.

“This project shows what one person can do with a great idea and a lot of heart,” Olivia’s parents said in an email. “Olivia saw a need and stepped up in a big way.”

The lending libraries, open since July, offer gear for soccer, basketball, lacrosse and other sports.

The charitable teen has received plenty of cheers from fellow students to go with her Gold Award.

“Some of my friends forgot their lacrosse sticks one time when we went to the turf,” she recalled. “They said, ‘Oh, we could just borrow one from the sports library,’ which was perfect.”

Olivia credits Girl Scouts for improving both her leadership skills and her communication. 

“I’ve been in Girl Scouts since about first grade. They allow you to start coming up with new ideas and take the reins and use initiative,” Olivia said. “They want a lot of preplanning before anything that you want to start. Those leadership skills and being able to communicate with other people definitely helped throughout my Gold Award project.”