Sports Are Springing Back into Action Across OKCPS

Feb 25, 2021

Fields & Futures Blog Spring Sports Are Back feature image

Sports are back for OKCPS students in grades 7-12, so it’s time to recharge and reboot athletics across the district!

We are excited to see students suit up for soccer, baseball, and track and field, and wish them a spring season of renewal, growth, and fun!

Says Paula Lewis, OKCPS School Board Chair, “On behalf of the OKCPS board, administration, staff, and fans, we are excited to see kids return to after-school activities and regain a sense of belonging, teamwork, and renewed excitement for learning. We very much appreciate the work Fields & Futures has done throughout this past year to make sure fields, tracks, and courts across the district stayed ready for play.”

In April 2020, Fields & Futures worked with OKCPS Athletics and coaches across the district to send a message to student-athletes, offering encouragement and reassurance sports would be back! Now, almost a year later, their #RallyTogetherOKC message is as relevant as ever.

“When we come back together, finally, it’s going to be a different game. It’s going to be a different practice. It’s going to carry a different tone.” –Coach Stephen Drew, Wheeler Middle School

“I think it’s going to be one of the best feelings any of us have felt in a long time. It’s going to be like a family reunion.” –Site AD and Coach Alex Levescy, U.S. Grant High School

“It’s going to feel like a volcano ready to blow up once they get on that field.” –Coach Yolando Zamarippa, Northwest Classen High School

“It makes winning not even matter. It’s going to be so great just to have each other.” –Coach Jamie Hubbard, Northwest Classen High School

“It will be our time to rally, together.” –OKCPS Athletics

Game, Set, Impact: A Q&A With Our New Development Director, Emmy Hufnagel

Emmy Hufnagel is an avid tennis player, former triathlete, and the newest addition to the Fields & Futures team. As our Development Director, Emmy brings a wealth of experience in youth sports advocacy and nonprofit leadership. Having seen firsthand the impact of sports on young lives, Emmy is dedicated to helping us take the next big step—from building fields to filling them with kids.

Meet Cody Laurendi, Fields & Futures’ New Director of Soccer

Cody Laurendi is a former OKC Energy FC goalkeeper and the newest member of the Fields & Futures team. As Director of Soccer & Youth Sports Advocate, Cody has shifted his focus from playing the game to growing it. With his passion for the game and vision for increasing youth participation in Oklahoma City, Cody is a key player in helping us keep our goal of creating more opportunities on and off the pitch.

What Drives Capitol Hill and U.S. Grant Football?

U.S. Grant and Capitol Hill may be rivals, but their football programs have more in common than their annual "Southside Bedlam" rivalry game. From 2014-2020, the OSSAA allowed both programs to play as independents so they could create their own schedules and rebuild their programs. Now playing in Class 6A, neither team has found success in district play, but they also know the scoreboard isn't the only standard of success.

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