HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS STEALS THE SHOW.

Building a sports program is hard work. For our Athletic Director, Donna Wolfe, it is also a passion. As a graduate of Ball State University in Physical Education and thirty years tenure working at the YMCA of Kendallville, you could say Donna has a few sports connections.

When she joined OFMS part time in 2016, we had to rent space to hold basketball practices and only offered two sports for 5th - 8th grade students in the fall and spring, and one in the winter. Fast forward to the 2022-23 school year and we have a full gymnasium that hosts basketball tournaments, exercise classes and soccer clubs, along with the addition of a high school sports program. Under the leadership of Wolfe, she has organized the addition of middle and high school bowling, cheerleading, and most recently, high school tennis. This has expanded our sports offerings to two fall and three winter and spring sports; providing options to our growing student body.

Our home basketball games have become a community building experience. Classrooms have the opportunity to work in the concession stand and earn a portion of the profit to use for trips or classroom supplies. Our high school InnoLab students even created and printed banners to designate ‘Home’ and ‘Visitor’ areas in the stands, as well as a student section that is popular with children of all ages.

The creation of a Student Athletic Leadership Council has provided a way for students to be involved with creating bylaws, an athletic motto, and expectations for athletes. They are also leaders among their peers and work closely with the coaches and Athletic Director.