On October 25, 2016, former OU football standout Ty Darlington shared a story on his Front and Center blog titled "Why Sports?"  A beautiful commentary on the impact of sports in his own life, and the opportunity it gives him to impact others, Ty is a shining example of why Fields & Futures is committed to giving more kids the opportunity to join a team and benefit from that experience. In his story, Ty wrote:

Playing sports is an invaluable experience because of all the intangible rewards attached. Sports teach life lessons. On courts and fields across the nation, young men and women learn to struggle in an arena where the consequences are imaginary. They learn to fail, yes fail, and then they learn how to overcome failure and strive for success. They learn to exhibit qualities like integrity, toughness, and perseverance, along with so many others. They learn how to work as a team and how to rely on other people. Games and practices act as a dress rehearsal for life, where they are constantly faced with a variety of challenges, and are forced to adapt and overcome them. Through sports, they learn these things, and so much more, as they develop from boys and girls into young men and women.

Sports spur our youth to achieve in the classroom as well, which is the lasting solution for changing socioeconomic circumstance. We have evidence of this right here in the state of Oklahoma. In the 2014-2015 academic year, 1,700 OKCPS seniors were studied. Of those 1,700 youth, 99% of athletes graduated, compared to 77% of non-athletes. Performance-wise, athletes sported a 2.82 GPA, compared to a 2.11. An additional statistic shows that athletes are 33% more likely to graduate from high school. The point is, athletics motivate students to achieve in the classroom. Many athletes stay on top of their grades just so they can play sports, without realizing that it is the schoolwork, not the athletics, that is much more likely to change the circumstances of their lives and the lives of their families.

Like Ty, we believe sports can be the game changer some kids need to get themselves on a better path to graduation and a life full of promise and positive payoff. Click here to read more about "Why Sports?" and how your support of Fields & Futures is helping change lives in the best way possible for thousands of Oklahoma City children.