R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press A small child chases a ball in the gaga pit recently constructed in Escanaba’s Ludington Park thanks to the efforts of Brett Hensley in pursuit of his Eagle Scout rank.

ESCANABA — The newest fixture in Ludington Park was the result of an Eagle Scout service project, a key benchmark for a youth seeking to secure the highest Scouting achievement. Brett Hensley of Gladstone, who belongs to Troop 411 of the Hiawathaland District within the Bay-Lakes Council of Scouting America / Boy Scouts of America, recently installed a gaga pit, made for playing a game that’s been called “a gentler version of dodgeball.”

The Eagle Scout rank is an esteemed honor that only 6% of scouts attain, according to Scouting America. Educational institutions and some employers value its presence on a resume, as it can imply dedication on the part of its holder. Prerequisites include advancements through the scout ranks, at least 21 merit badges, leadership demonstration, and a service project.

Gaga ball, popular at summer camps and at schools, is played in an octagonal area with two- to three-foot sides. Players begin with their hands touching the walls of the pit, shout “ga” (which is a rough translation of “touch” in Hebrew) when a ball dropped into the pit by a referee bounces, and then shout “ga” again upon its second bounce, after which point the ball is in play. The object is then to hit the ball with one hand to make it strike other players below the knees. Players are eliminated until one, the winner, remains. Proponents of the sport say that it’s good exercise but requires little skill and is safer and more fun than dodgeball.

“At the elementary school that I went to there was one of these, and people seem to enjoy it,” said 15-year-old Hensley, a sophomore at Gladstone High School, while standing near the structure he and a small group had recently installed near a playground in Escanaba’s lakefront park. “We didn’t have one here, so thought it’d be nice to build one here.”

At the time, a toddler, accompanied by a couple adults, was chasing a ball around the pit. Though clearly not playing gaga ball, the child was just as clearly enjoying himself, demonstrating the benefit the project has already had on the park.

One criteria for an Eagle Scout service project is that it is meant to give back to the community in some form. As the wooden structure in Escanaba’s public park could last 20 to 40 years, there’s no question of its contribution.

“Eagle projects are designed to teach the kids how to take a project and start it from beginning to end,” said Craig Woerpel, troop leader. “They have to be able to work with the organization that the project is for. They have to be able to get volunteers to work the project, and they have to lay out a schedule, and if there’s some money involved, finances to be able to complete the project. So these are traits that they’re going to take with them for the rest of their lives, no matter what job or organization they may belong to in the future.”

Hensley had to work with the City of Escanaba to get approval to erect the pit in Ludington Park; 41 Lumber, who gave him a discount on the materials, and a handful of friends and family members who helped put the thing together. Assembling an eight-walled structure is not a one-person job.

Hensley explained that they had begun by building the walls at home, then transported them to the park and assembled the sections on site near Harbor Hideout — the playground at the bottom of the hill beyond Lake Shore Drive. He attached a plastic bin containing balls for play on one side.

The plan is for the weather-treated wood to be stained in the spring, but the gaga pit is ready for play and has already been utilized.

The public is welcome to go see Hensley’s Eagle project and have a ball.