Fore! Fields & Futures is thrilled to welcome our newest team member, Justin Lane. As our Development Director & Youth Sports Advocate, Justin is eager to find new lanes to engage young professionals while teeing up exciting opportunities for aspiring golfers.
OKCPS Athletics has identified golf as an opportunity sport and Fields & Futures is excited to help! In his new role, Justin will lead F&F’s charge to help the district accelerate its efforts to grow a more robust golf offering for OKCPS students. If you’d like to learn more or get involved, he’d love to hear from you at [email protected].
Get ready to meet the man who’s already swinging big and driving the Fields & Futures mission forward in new and exciting ways.
Sports are a proven vehicle for so many positive outcomes, and I experienced those firsthand on teams growing up.
What is your name and title at Fields & Futures?
My name is Justin Lane, and I recently stepped into the role of Development Director & Youth Sports Advocate at Fields & Futures.
Explain your roles and responsibilities in those positions.
As Development Director, I will be steering donor development efforts while assisting in sports programming advancement as Youth Sports Advocate.
Give us a brief history of your career path or previous experiences that led to this position at Fields & Futures.
I always knew I wanted a career in helping others. I spent six years at KiZE Concepts, where giving back was at the heart of everything we did. Immediately before joining Fields & Futures, I led Relationship Development for the non-profit organization Golf Fore Africa. While the mission to raise funds for clean water in Africa was great, the local community of Oklahoma City and my hometown were a constant conversation topic. I quickly realized that was where I should focus my efforts, and I was lucky enough and thankful to land with F&F!
What are your immediate goals or objectives as Development Director & Youth Sports Advocate?
Day-to-day execution, cultivation of new gifts, donor relations, and helping grow a successful and sustainable golf program for OKCPS.
What are your long-term goals or objectives as Development Director & Youth Sports Advocate?
To help as many kids as possible to find their path to a better and fulfilled life through team sports.
I am excited to spread the word about F&F. I believe there is an entire community of young professionals today looking for a cause to pour into.
How important are sports in the development of a young person? Why do you feel this way?
Sports played a huge role in my life, from relationships with coaches that positively affected my life to the lifelong friendships I developed with teammates over the years.
Fields & Futures’s mission is to help underserved kids and communities realize their purpose and potential by creating more opportunities to play team sports. Why do you believe in this mission?
Sports are a proven vehicle for so many positive outcomes, and I experienced those firsthand on teams growing up.
Fields & Futures has built 67 outdoor fields, tracks, and courts since 2012. Now that the fields have been built, how can we ensure there are teams to use them?
Through field maintenance, sports programming, and coaching support. Our job now is to ensure kids have access to quality play spaces, opportunities to join teams, and the resources to succeed on and off the field.
As Development Director, do you see any opportunities to attract or engage new donor bases or program partners?
Absolutely. I am excited to spread the word about F&F. I believe there is an entire community of young professionals today looking for a cause to pour into, as well as many corporations that will see the benefits of F&F’s mission for kids.
Our job now is to ensure kids have access, opportunities, and resources to succeed on and off the field.
As Youth Sports Advocate, do you see any opportunities to attract or engage students in new or exciting ways?
Golf. The sport of golf has become a big part of my life over the last few years. I am excited to grow the game and participation in OKCPS. We will be creating and executing some amazing partnerships to make this an exciting and fun experience for all involved.
In the future, when you step back and look at the impact you’ve had on Fields & Futures and the OKCPS community, what specific outcome would make you feel like your tenure was a success?
I believe that as long as teams are filled with kids who enjoy and have fun playing the sports they love, the overall positive impact on their lives will be long-lasting and something that our community can be proud of for generations to come.
