Rose Park native creating a safe space for kids to hoop, connect and dream

With school out for the summer, parents across Utah are looking for safe spaces for their kids to play. Soon, families in the Rose Park neighborhood will have an updated option, thanks to one Utahn who’s working to renovate basketball courts across Salt Lake City. In Rose Park, a local leader is bringing new life to an old court — and new hope to the kids who play on it. Lance Lavizzo, a Rose Park native and founder of Hard-N-Paint basketball, is spearheading a renovation of the Riverside Park court — a space he says once shaped his childhood. “I grew up over here. It means more than just a basketball court,” Lavizzo said. “But this court’s never really been touched. It’s been neglected.”