by Michaela Marx Wheatley, The Oklahoman / NewsOK.com BrandInsight Editor Published: August 6, 2016
A few months ago, Oklahoma City Energy FC co-owner Tim McLaughlin stood on the sidelines of a youth soccer game in south Oklahoma City and couldn’t help but smile when he saw how many parents were cheering on their kids.
The same time last year, that was not the case. There were very few playable fields for school sports or youth leagues in the neighborhood.
“I can’t tell you what the score of the game was but I can say our community won big,” said McLaughlin, founder of Fields & Futures, an organization dedicated to rebuilding 44 athletic fields in the Oklahoma City School District and providing improved resources and professional development for the district’s coaches.
McLaughlin and his wife Liz founded the nonprofit organization in 2012 to support Oklahoma City Public Schools in their effort to grow student participation in sports and help get more kids on the path to graduation.
“They have to go to practice, have to make their grades, they will graduate at a higher percentage and in turn contribute to their community at a higher level. Those kids become givers to their communities,” he said.
“But it all starts with a field,” McLaughlin added.
In 2011 the McLaughlins toured OKC Public Schools athletic facilities with the Wes Welker Foundation. Of the 44 fields in the district, fewer than 10 were playable, McLaughlin said. Some were still used as practice fields but teams were traveling outside their neighborhoods to play games. Kids weren’t joining teams.
“Seeing the shape many fields were in was tough, but I also know what it costs to keep up playing fields,” he said. “We wanted to find a way to support the school district. Now, here we are four years later, with almost 20 new fields built and team rosters growing all across the district. We have a long way to go but there’s no question, the plan is working.”
So far Fields & Futures has rebuilt 14 fields and six more are under construction.
Oklahoma City Public Schools Athletic Director Keith Sinor said the impact is huge.
“The easiest way to sum up Fields & Futures is it gives our kids an opportunity they never had. The opportunity to have a home game, to instill pride in their school,” Sinor said. “It’s changing culture. It’s changing lives.”
It has also helped with the goal of fostering student engagement, Sinor said.
“We’ve seen a large increase in participation in the schools where Fields & Futures has completed a field,” he said.
The ripple effect broadens.
“Around sports bands form, cheerleading forms, the community comes back in,” McLaughlin added.
Coaches are also now staying longer. In late 2011, coaching turnover across the district trended as high as 35 percent, McLaughlin said. Since Fields & Futures began the number has dropped significantly. Coaches feel supported. They become mentors to the students, and are allies of the parents in raising their children.
Working closely with Oklahoma City Public Schools to maximize every available resource, McLaughlin’s team is always looking for allies who want to help write a better story for the children of Oklahoma City.
“This is not something we can do our own,” McLaughlin said.
The Wes Welker Foundation and Cleats for Kids are two of their longtime partners. Cimarron Construction, owned by Tommy and Don Noble, oversees all construction, grounds work and other services at cost or for free. Many local individuals and businesses have donated funds.
The Energy FC is a strong partner. When McLaughlin joined forces with Bob Funk, Jr. to launch professional soccer to Oklahoma City, Fields & Futures was a community outreach project the club quickly embraced. The Energy FC donates $2 of every ticket sold to Fields & Futures. Money raised from Energy FC goes into a fund for the maintenance of the fields. Last year the club donated nearly $200,000 including staff time and cash.
“That money is helping fund maintenance of the new athletic fields while Fields & Futures builds a long term field maintenance endowment,” McLaughlin said. “Add player appearances, equipment donations, soccer clinics and support of special events to the mix and it’s easy see how Energy FC and Fields & Futures make great partners.”
With 24 fields to go, McLaughlin estimates it will take roughly $9 million dollars to complete the remaining fields and fully fund the field maintenance endowment. He hopes the community will help finish the job.
“The faster we can build the fields, the faster we can get kids on teams,” he said. “With recent stats provided by OKCPS Athletics, we can confidently tell the community, our donors and funding partners, that when students play, they stay and when they stay, they graduate.”
As a businessman, McLaughlin stresses the return on investment and long-term benefit for the community.
“Nine million dollars and you get a lifetime return. There aren’t a lot of investments like that,” he said. “Let’s finish this!”