Sports Equal Community: In Memory of James Ogle, #15
James Ogle’s daughters, Cailyn and Shannen, will tell you that their father had a nostalgic sense about him. “Community was important to Dad. He always talked about the old days, when you talked to your neighbor and you knew their name. He and my mom liked taking us to our local mom and pop restaurant called the Shady Glenn; it felt like you were stepping into the 1950’s. We would go there after swim meets to get ice cream” says Shannen.
Mr. Ogle passed away too early in life this past June, and his family asked those who knew him to honor James by making a contribution to Every Kid Sports. “Every Kid Sports encompasses everything our dad believed in. He was a coach for midget football in a lower income area, and he wanted to give the kids a sense of community. Dad always made himself available to the kids and gave them a safe place to come and play sports.”
“We know dad would be so happy to know that he is being remembered this way.”
He instilled a love for sports in his daughters as well. “Every minute of free time with Dad was spent being active. He taught us how to throw a football, and was so excited when we actually could throw a spiral. We were exposed to lots of sports..ice skating, tennis, biking, volleyball. On a family trip to Chicago, we wanted to go for deep dish pizza, but he insisted we go to a restaurant that used footballs for menus. Dad loved watching football. He didn’t really have a favorite team. He just loved watching the sports,” remembers Cailyn.
Mr. Ogle still holds the high school football record for the longest pass thrown during a game. He attended East Hartford High School and went on to play collegiate football at Central Connecticut State University. Settling in East Hartford, he was very involved in coaching youth football until his job as an energy salesman required that he travel and life got too busy. “Dad was looking forward to getting back into coaching after things got less hectic with his job. He enjoyed being a role model to kids and always talked to us about hard work and having a responsibility to your teammates. Growing up on the swim team, we knew showing up for practice was very important.”
“We know dad would be so happy to know that he is being remembered this way. He really believed in kids playing sports and this is the just the best way to honor him and his legacy.”
Every Kid Sports feels privileged to honor Mr. Ogle’s memory and his commitment to creating a positive community for the kids he coached. We thank the Ogle family and those who contributed in his name for such a meaningful gift; all funds will be used to help ensure that every kid has a chance to play.
– Every Kid Sports