Corey Morgan likes having his parents in the stands when he takes the court for Oklahoma Centennial Mid-High.
Morgan, a senior forward, scored 25 points Tuesday night in the Bison’s 66-65 win over Douglass High School.
“To me, it’s important if they’re here,” Morgan said before tipoff. “It makes me want to play harder.”
Mom and Dad were there to cheer him on courtesy of SandRidge Energy and Fields and Futures, which are funding a pilot program at Centennial to improve attendance at sporting events by giving two free passes to every player on the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams.
The Champion Pass makes it possible for family members and others selected by the players to attend games they might otherwise not be able to afford.
“The end goal is to have people in the stands that these young kids can look up to, that are positive influences on their lives,” said Keith Sinor, Oklahoma City Public Schools athletic director. “For us, it’s not about the wins and the losses, it’s about supporting our kids and building community around the school.”
Sinor said poor attendance at district sporting events is nothing new, even for a perennial 3A basketball power like Centennial.
“For whatever reason, fans, the community, are not wrapping their arms around the schools,” he said.
Morgan’s mother, Conthia, said the passes make it easier for her to come to his games.
“I love the way he plays,” she said. “When I see him dunk, I yell. I love to scream and holler for Matt, too.”
Matt is senior guard Matthew Johnson, who scored 10 points in the win over Douglass. Johnson, like good friend Corey Morgan, couldn’t wait to play in front of his mom.
“Now that she’s here, I can ball,” he said with a smile.
Johnson’s mother, LaDonna, called the passes “a nice little surprise.”
“It helps out quite a bit,” she said. “That’s one less thing that I have to worry about if I’m short paying other bills.”
Matt Johnson always checks to see if his parents are in the stands, his mother said.
“He looks for us all the time,” she said. “He’ll look up to make sure we’re here. He tells us exactly when the game starts to make sure we’ll be here.”
The pass encourages the holder to support the student-athlete in his or her commitment “to a higher standard of excellence in the classroom, athletic arena and community.”
Boys’ basketball coach Garrette Mantle said the passes — handed out during a ceremony earlier this month — helped boost attendance at the ninth-grade basketball game the following day when 14 people attended wearing the passes.
“Would they have all come if they had to pay their own $5 to get in? No, they wouldn’t have,” he said.
Mantle said the passes will help parents identify with their children through basketball and mend relationships.
“It kind of gives those people that they love a signature to say ‘Hey I want you to come to my game, I want you to come watch me play,’” he said. “That’s what these kids love to do. That’s what they hang their hat on.
“This allows their parent, their guardian, their aunt, their uncle … to identify with them in that measure.”