In order for the kids of Ooltewah to be able to play sports in their homegrown league, the Ooltewah Youth Association is asking for adults in the community to come play golf in an annual tournament.
"It's just a good time for all and everyone seems to enjoy it," said Mike Owen, OYA board member and organizer of this year's golf tournament. "Better yet, it helps us and the kids. We raise the money [for the league] ourselves and we pay for it ourselves. We don't get any funding from anyone."
Money raised through the tournament's 19-year history has funded the construction of sports fields at East Hamilton Park. This year, the money raised will help complete the sixth field the program has built for its members to use.
The new field is needed, Owen said, as the program has grown to include 1,200 boys and girls on baseball, softball, basketball, football and cheerleading teams. He expects that number to continue to grow.
"John 'Bucky' McCulley really started all of this out of his pocket years ago," Owen said in regards to the OYA league. "He noticed that kids all over were playing for East Brainerd or for Harrison ... so he started one here."
Owen's own daughter played softball for OYA up until she was 16. Even though she's grown now, Owen said he stays on the board and helps out because he believes in the program and what it gives to the community.
Owen said he hopes the new field is ready for summertime ball games.
"We've broken ground on [the field] so far and started it," he said. "It's going to be a really nice ball field and we're all really excited."