Local Boy Scout builds sports shed at Kyle Elementary

KYLE — Noah Saul, 15, is an upcoming sophomore at Hays High School; however, instead of spending his summer hanging out with friends or playing video games, he created a sports shed and an activity/art walk for students at Kyle Elementary School.

Saul began Boy Scouts in first grade when his mother signed him up. He is a part of Troop 812. During his first years of scouting, he attended Kyle Elementary, where he would complete his Eagle Scout Project nearly five years later.

He recalled that while he was in elementary school, any time he wanted to play soccer or football, someone had to provide their own equipment because the school didn’t have the resources. Seeing that this was still an issue, he was inspired.

“I saw a need and I just decided to do it,” explained Saul.

But first, Saul had to do his own fundraising for the project. He went to various hardware stores, such as Home Depot, McCoy’s Building Supply and other local businesses. He also sent out letters asking for donations for the shed. In the end, he raised approximately $1,000.

“I created a sports shed and I stocked it with softballs, basketballs [and] other balls. It’s all in a centralized location, so they can just go up [to the shed], put in the combination and grab the ball,” said Saul.

After researching various shed blueprints, he narrowed the options down to three and chose to combine them.

Along with the shed, Saul painted various activities such as Tic-Tac-Toe, hopscotch, a target for bean bags and more on the sidewalk for students to interact with.

Saul spent more than 60 hours building the project with his father and 20 others whom he led this summer.

The project was the last step in completing his application for Eagle Scout. There are multiple ranks in scouting beginning with Cub Scout, Tenderfood, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and, lastly, Eagle — the ultimate rank in Boy Scouts. Saul also had to earn 21 mandatory merit badges and spend six months in a leadership role to apply for the rank.

Saul will undergo his Eagle Scout board review on Aug. 17. After, he plans to focus more on school and begin gaining a higher rank in Order of the Arrow, a branch of Boy Scouts.

He hopes to work in service in the future, as he has through Boy Scouts over the last decade.

“I like doing service. Just from freshman year alone, I already have over 100 hours of volunteering,” said Saul. “I want to go into the service industry, maybe, [after I graduate].”