Tulsa named SI Sportstown for Oklahoma

By Andrew Schulman

To perform at their peak, top athletes must train and prepare their bodies and minds for success. In Tulsa, Okla., the same goes for coaches. The city’s Parks and Recreation Department puts an emphasis on training the coaches of its youth sports programs and thus ensuring that city children are getting the best instruction possible.

“The focus of our youth programs is instruction and teaching skills, so well-trained coaches and instructors are key,” said Mindy Paschal, Recreation Coordinator at Tulsa’s Parks and Recreation Department. “And we have some of the best, working with very young children on up.”

Anyone who coaches youth aged 16 and younger must be certified by the National Youth Sports Coaches Association (NYSCA). Tulsa’s Parks and Recreation Department employs six NYSCA-certified clinicians to ensure the training is done properly.

But the education doesn’t stop with the coaches. Officials, and even parents, are taught the difference between proper and improper behavior as they carry out their roles in the city’s sports programs. In the end, the kids are the ones who benefit the most.

But the children aren’t the only ones who participate in the city’s sports and recreation programming. “In Tulsa, sports are a lifelong endeavor,” said Paschal. “In our programs, we have kids as young as 4 and as old as 65 participating.”

Those participants have literally dozens of options to choose from; everything from competitive swimming and football to aerobics and disc golf. These sports are all played at one of Tulsa’s many fields, courts and too-numerous-to-count parks. The city boasts roughly 6,000 acres of parks and 202 sports fields, 116 tennis courts, 92 playgrounds, 20 community centers, a skate park and more than 30 miles of trails.

“We believe that our parks and sports facilities and programs really improve the quality of life in Tulsa,” said Craig Thompson, Tulsa Parks' Public Information Coordinator. “Tulsa is a city that has a lot of young families with young children, and sports and staying active are a big part of their lives.”

The numbers back Thompson up: in 2003, more than 20,000 residents took part in programs offered by Tulsa Parks and affiliated organizations.

But the city isn't resting on its laurels. Tulsa Parks is constantly upgrading its facilities and tweaking its sports offerings. Recent upgrades to several community centers and a softball complex have breathed new life into the communities they serve.

“We did some updating to help meet the increased demand, and the renovations totally changed the outlook people had on the facilities.” said Paschal. “Now our residents are flocking to these facilities once again.”

Those residents seem to know how lucky they are to live in a town that takes its recreation so seriously. And they are proud to call their city a Sports Illustrated Sportstown.