Compiled by Jenni Carlson, Staff Writer, [email protected] Published: April 24, 2016
Tim McLaughlin started Fields & Futures in 2012 with a simple but significant vision – renovate every athletic field in the Oklahoma City Public School district.
All 44 of them.
Only four years later, the nonprofit organization is almost halfway to that number. And yet, in overhauling so many fields at high schools and middle schools all over the city, Fields & Futures found other needs. Coaches needed help. Kids needed equipment. Families needed resources. So even though Fields & Futures still has the same vision, its impact has deepened.
And the ultimate goal of more kids reaping the benefits of sports — better grades, higher attendance and fewer dropouts – is already happening.
McLauglin says none of it would’ve been possible without the help of so many people, and that leaves him in awe and with a sense of deep gratitude.
McLauglin recently spoke with The Oklahoman’s Jenni Carlson about what’s been done and what’s ahead.
Q: So, 20 fields will be done by year’s end?
A: That’s the plan with a little cooperation from Mother Nature.
How does hitting that mark of 20 feel?
Feels like we’re making a lot of accomplishments but still have a long ways to go. I’ll equate this to a soccer game – it just feels like we’re deep in the first half. We’ve learned a lot, and we need to make some adjustments and go harder. How was that sports analogy? (Laughs)
That was strong. I know that while new projects under way at Roosevelt Middle School and Star Spencer, some projects have been done long enough that you’re starting to get data and feedback on the impact. What are you learning there?
It’s a lot of validation. I think we all knew what the impacts were, but we didn’t have it measured. Now having it measured gives you that validation that, “OK, we are on that right track.” But now we just want to go harder and faster because we know the impact that it can have, not only in those schools but in those communities. Every year we can’t get to someone because we haven’t raised the funds or whatever the case is, then we feel like we’re missing out on some impact we can provide. That’s really the thrill, when you get to see the community engaging the facility. Not just the school. The community. That’s the ultimate goal. You just want to get that accomplished just as fast as we possibly can.
You’re already seeing things like higher graduation rates, higher grade point averages, higher attendance numbers, right?
When we got to see those numbers, oh my gosh, it’s like, “OK, this is even better than we thoughts.” That 99 percent graduation rate that honestly says it all. That’s what we’re working toward. That’s the end game. Let’s get them graduated, then get these communities back in these school back in these schools to assist and help out. It just brings the swag back for everybody.
That high of a graduation rate already at the schools with new fields? Wow.
(Oklahoma City Public Schools athletics director) Keith Sinor was right. This is his baby. We were fortunate we were chosen to help him get the mission moving forward.
The core vision for Fields & Futures remains the same, but how you’re doing things has changed somewhat. Like you partnered with BALTO, the big annual fundraiser done by students at Edmond North High School, to raise funds for Roosevelt. Like the new youth leagues done with the Police Athletic League. What has gone through your mind as you’ve watched the evolution?
We’re a pretty good team of problem solvers. Not that we can solve ‘em all, don’t get me wrong. But a lot of these things aren’t that complicated. It’s about providing some resources where needed, whether that’s monetary or some different life experiences that can be applied to a situation. Within our team, there’s a pretty good sense of, “Hey, we can help solve problems, and we can provide resources, and we can remove obstacles.” For instance, one of the things that was prohibiting participation in athletics in Oklahoma City Schools was everybody had to have a physical, and it was $10 for a physical. We put our team together, got together with a great group of folks from OU Physicians Center working with the county health and wellness, and provided over 600 free physicals so those kids could play. And the little league, we’re really thrilled with how that’s going, but that generated off of sitting down with our coaches’ advisory panel and asking the questions, “What needs to be done? What can we do next? What makes an impact?” It came back to, “We need a little league.” Everybody’s just kind of taken a piece of it. Parks and Recs doesn’t have to make profit. PAL can fundraise and provide coaching and other resources. Fields & Futures maintains the fields. Then the Wes Welker Foundation comes in and provides soccer goals or whatever we’re missing. Then Cleats 4 Kids comes in and provides the footwear. It’s neat how everybody’s taken a piece, and the end result is, we took the cost out of all of it. We just started the soccer league with PAL — 500 kids were out there.
You can’t always predict where the next need or next opportunity will come, but what do you think is next for Fields & Futures?
Obviously, we have to continue to ramp up our fundraising so we can complete our 24 fields. But I think we’ll get a little more proactive with the communities that we’re working with in the future to really engage them and really make them more of the process. We’ve learned that lesson from the BALTO and the Star Spencer projects that we really need to engage at the beginning. I think we’ll go out and really pull together stakeholders in those communities and really get them part of the process. I think everyone will benefit in the long run that way.