Carbondale Invests $50K in New Courts for Second Annual Open

The late afternoon sun bakes the newly laid sand at Miners Park, turning Carbondale’s central gathering spot into a stage for the next generation of athletes. It is Saturday, July 18, and the air hums with the thwack of balls hitting hard-packed earth. This is not just another summer game; it is the second annual Carbondale Open, and the town has clearly spent its money to make sure the surface holds up.

The tournament returns with renovated courts and a prize pool that aims to do more than just hand out plastic gift cards. Organized by the municipality of Carbondale and the Maroon Belles Volleyball Club, the event is designed to give young athletes a chance to compete against peers rather than being forced into adult divisions.

“El torneo es independiente de cualquier afiliación a clubes,” Laird Little, director of the Maroon Belles Volleyball Club, told reporters. “Surgió porque no había muchos torneos juveniles en Colorado; si los chicos querían jugar, tenían que hacerlo contra adultos.”

That independence matters. It means a 14-year-old from Glenwood Springs or a young adult from Basalt can step onto the court without needing to be a member of a specific club. They just need to show up and play.

The stakes, both literal and figurative, have been raised since last summer’s debut. The municipality invested $50,000 to bring in high-quality AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) standard sand from Denver. This isn’t the dusty, clay-heavy mix that used to coat the players’ ankles and sting their cuts. The new sand was selected for its grain size, shape, and consistency to prevent abrasions and eliminate dust. The old sand? It wasn’t thrown out. It was repurposed for the rodeo facilities and the Carbondale cemetery, a practical move that keeps waste low and costs down.

Little notes that the court’s net adjustment system was also improved during the construction, ensuring a smoother playing experience. But the real innovation lies in the prizes.

“Comenzamos el año pasado con las categorías sub-18, sub-16 y sub-14, y fue todo un éxito,” Little continued. “Queremos que el evento se centre más en el deporte juvenil en general, y por eso los premios reflejan esa filosofía. En lugar de tarjetas de regalo o artículos similares, intentaremos ofrecerles experiencias.”

The prizes are local and robust: four-day flexible passes to Aspen Snowmass, full-day passes to Sunlight Ski Mountain, and 20-use access cards for the Carbondale Rec Center. These were donated by various organizations that also sponsor the event, but Little has a longer-term vision. He wants to secure a grant next year so the municipality can buy the prizes directly, turning the Carbondale Open into a fixed date on every local family’s calendar.

“Buscamos mantener esta tradición durante los próximos 20 años,” Little said. “La idea es mantener a los chicos activos; cuanto antes empiecen a participar, mejor.”

He expects to apply for that municipal sponsorship soon. For now, the courts are set, the sand is fresh, and the players are ready to prove that youth sports on the Western Slope don’t have to be an afterthought.

Stand there long enough, and you can hear the laughter mixing with the calls for “mine” and “yours.” It is a simple sound, but it signals that Carbondale is building something lasting, one spike at a time.