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Sports

North Hollywood Park: An Open Gym

On a weekday afternoon, the park is filled with athletes practicing soccer, tennis, and even soccer-tennis.

It's a warm Wednesday afternoon, and dozens of locals are taking advantage of the sunny weather in North Hollywood Park. Past the Amelia Earhart statue and library, the grassy field is filled with soccer games, baseball practices, and even a few personal-training sessions.

On the courts, I came across a couple of friends that were playing a game they invented while at a college together in Boston: soccer tennis. The game follows the same rules as tennis, but involves using a soccer ball. At first glance, I thought they were just practicing soccer in a court. The unsettling image of seeing a person head-butt a soccer ball over a tennis net attracts a few other onlookers. It intrigues a group of children playing soccer in a traditional field, and a couple of tennis players who came to use the court after them.

Next to the soccer-tennis game, a group of men are in the middle of a heated basketball game. Extra players sit on benches and switch out tired players as the game progresses. A solo tennis player practices on a handball court.

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Near the back of the park, the younger athletes are gathered in the skate park. Young children and high schoolers practice tricks and flips. A couple of parents watch hesitantly. It's a safe, yet unsupervised spot for skateboarders to build their skills and meet new friends.

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