These days, building a business that enriches lives is a rare occurrence. A fast-food franchisee may believe that opening a new location will be a lucrative investment, but other than money, what are the community benefits? For most franchise owners, money is enough of a reason. But what choices does a person have if they want financial stability and an opportunity to make a real difference in their community?
If you hold yourself to a higher business standard, franchise opportunities in Tulsa, OK are now available with Always Best Care.
Since being founded in 1996, thousands of American families have trusted Always Best Care senior care for compassionate home care services. We are known for providing the very best non-medical home care for seniors who wish to remain at home as they age. Our home care franchise owners play a crucial role in preserving the independence and dignity of our clients, and now you can too.
Simply put, the home care industry is booming. If you're reading this page, you're in the right place at the right time. As a result, you can find senior care business opportunities in just about every American community. As the home care market continues to grow, your home care business will grow as well, and that growth is easy to sustain when you consider these U.S. based stats:
During the next 30 years, seniors will make up 20% of the U.S. population. When given a choice, these people want to maintain their current lifestyle, not check into a nursing home. The challenge is that as people age, mobility problems, health issues, and memory lapses happen more frequently. About 80% of seniors have at least one chronic health condition, while 50% have at least two. So, while seniors want to age at home, they need a little help to do so. As an Always Best Care franchisee, that's where you come in - to provide consistent, compassionate support to the growing demographic of seniors who need care in your community.
The bottom line? Since home care is the fastest-growing industry in the U.S., and seniors represent the fastest-growing demographic of our population, capitalizing on home business opportunities is a stable path to profitability for decades to come.
However, changing demographics aren't the only factor driving unprecedented growth in the home care industry. Attitudes are changing about aging, too.
Statistics show that most baby boomers have a strong desire to remain independent as they age. These hardworking Americans are turning their noses up at the idea of spending their golden years in a strange nursing home. They have an unshakeable yearning to live life at home as long as possible. This factor, combined with advances in modern medicine that are helping seniors live longer, has set the stage for more home care franchise opportunities than ever before.
Research by the University of Alabama shows that more than seven million people in the U.S. need some form of home care. This fact is bolstered by the rising trend of "aging in place." Seniors not only want to be self-sufficient - they wish to remain at home, where the surroundings are familiar and family is near. Always Best Care nurtures this need by providing quality in-home care that helps both the seniors in need and their families.
When you implement Always Best Care's proven business model, your senior care franchise in Tulsa, OK will become a pillar in your community. You will be part of a highly regarded, reputable organization that others will respect. While you refine your reputation and earn respect, you'll be living an entrepreneurial lifestyle that lets you make a difference in other people's lives.
Great entrepreneurs are always on the lookout for recession-resistant franchising opportunities. In light of the COVID-19 Pandemic, in-home care is now an essential service -- one that will continue to be needed, regardless of the economy. No matter what hurdles we must overcome, one thing is for sure: people will always need care.
At Always Best Care, our proven franchise model enables hundreds of dedicated franchisees the opportunity to achieve financial freedom in the most uncertain times. Our award-winning training program provides franchisees with the tools to succeed and the stability they need.
Always Best Care is one of the fastest-growing senior care franchise systems because our franchisees are more than just business owners, they are compassionate professionals dedicated to helping others. Perhaps most importantly, their home care business lets them care for people in their community while building a rewarding business for themselves.
There's a reason why Always Best Care is consistently recognized by media outlets like Entrepreneur Magazine, Franchise Gator, and Franchise Business Review. We are one of the few senior care franchise systems that offer individuals from all walks of life the chance to generate three potential revenue streams in their community:
Our practical, proven business model gives home care franchise owners the certainty of increasing revenue, the promise of longevity in the marketplace, and the perks of an entrepreneurial lifestyle. Our in-home care, assisted living, and home health care services are trusted by families across the country. And unlike some senior care businesses, the Always Best Care brand is synonymous with excellence. We are dedicated to doing everything possible to help you build a successful home care franchise in Tulsa, OK, including:
Like most things in life, you must establish a solid base of knowledge and expertise to achieve success in the home care industry. Fortunately, our unmatched training and support system makes it easy for new franchisees to get started on that path sooner rather than later.
Always Best Care has one of the most successful training systems in the industry. Aptly named ABCUniversity, our training program focuses on the operational activities of setting up, managing, and marketing your senior care agency. During your franchise onboarding process, you will work directly with a National Director or Area Representative, as well as the VP of Franchise Training.
We utilize a variety of media resources and time-tested techniques to help new franchisees absorb the Always Best Care system. When training is complete, new business owners learn the key methods needed to operate a successful Always Best Care franchise.
Building a successful senior care business isn't easy, and it will take time. However, Always Best Care provides new franchisees with unparalleled ongoing support on both local and corporate levels.
Based near your local franchise market, National Directors and Area Representatives provide business-building advice, on-the-spot coaching, and one-on-one mentoring. They offer extensive industry experience throughout multiple markets with guidance from our Executive Leadership Team - an invaluable experience for new and seasoned franchisees alike.
Always Best Care was one of the first senior care franchise companies to provide this additional layer of local assistance, mentoring, and proactive strategic growth. All new franchise owners can count on the following:
Our experienced corporate team works with new in-home care franchise owners to provide comprehensive training for you and your staff, marketing resources, performance metrics, turnkey operating tech, systemwide benchmarking, national accounts, and customer satisfaction support.
Your local Area Representative and our National Directors work with all new franchisees to arrange mentoring opportunities, communications and team-building strategies, and ongoing strategic planning. That way, you have a leg up in your market and access to key resources to build your confidence as you develop your business.
Your Always Best Care franchise development specialist will make sure you have contact information in your state to complete any state licensure requirements. We link you to the nation's top health care licensure consultants, thus allowing you to discover the most cost-effective and time-efficient procedures to get your license, launch your business, and begin serving your community.
Each Always Best Care franchise territory is protected and exclusive to you using zip codes in your state.
Our powerful combination of corporate and local support paves a clear and proven path for new Always Best Care franchise owners to succeed. And with your initial training, field training, and ongoing support, you always have access to Always Best Care repesentatives as you grow your senior home care business.
You may have seen a home care franchise for sale in Tulsa, and thought to yourself, "I can do this! The timing may not get better than today." Of course, being ready and motivated to take on the challenges of franchise ownership is a must. However, some very careful self-analysis is needed before buying a franchise.
The reality is this: business ownership is not easy. While Always Best Care does everything in its power to set up new franchisees for success, the franchise owner must be prepared to manage the business. The very best home care franchise owners accept that they may have to work harder than they ever have in their lives.
Are you ready to make that commitment?
Ask yourself these questions before moving forward, so you can make a rational, educated purchasing decision:
The "secret" to franchising success is the consistency of the services and products that customers find at franchise locations. When you advertise the sign and logo of a franchise, you're letting customers know that you follow a specific system. If you are fiercely independent and refuse to follow established formulas, home care franchising might not be for you.
Anybody thinking about opening a home care business needs to be honest about their finances. One of the most common reasons businesses fail is a lack of capital. Remember, you will need enough money to both open and operate your home care business. Though Always Best Care is proud to offer low start-up costs relative to other franchises, an investment of time and money is required.
Your ability to interact well with your franchisor, franchisees, employees, and customers is crucial to your initial and ongoing success. After all, many franchise businesses are based around interacting with people. During the course of your day, a solid problem-solving skillset is also needed to succeed. To run a successful franchise, it's crucial to maintain good relationships with your corporate team, in-house staff, and customers.
If you're ready to seize the day and take destiny into your own hands, we're prepared to help you with the next steps of owning an Always Best Care franchise.
The next steps in your discovery process is to talk with an Always Best Care representative, request a Franchise Disclosure Document, complete an application, and "validate" everything you have learned about our winning franchise business model. Once complete, you will have a candid discussion with current franchisees who have been selected by experience to reach their entrepreneurial dreams.
At Always Best Care, we believe in providing you with the info you need to make an informed choice about our home care business franchise opportunities. Our Franchise Disclosure Document has detailed information covering the most important matters for prospective franchisees. We consider your Franchise Disclosure Document to be an indispensable legal document covering your rights and obligations. Once read, you will understand the relationship between Always Best Care and its home care franchisees.
With your discovery process finalized, your last few steps will be to have a private conversation with Always Best Care President and CEO Jake Brown. After your one-on-one meeting, our corporate team will approve or deny your status as an Always Best Care franchisee. Your personal meeting with our President and CEO may take place via video conference or phone. If you prefer, we can make arrangements for an in-person Discovery Day, where you can meet with our executive team at our corporate headquarters in Roseville, CA.
If you have made it this far, it's now time to learn more about Always Best Care and the enriching opportunity that lies ahead. If you are ready to turn your dreams of living an entrepreneurial lifestyle into reality, you're closer than ever before. By downloading our free E-Book , you're taking the exciting next steps towards building a home care business that makes a true difference in your community.
The Oklahoma Iron Works Building on the 22-acre Evans-Fintube property north of downtown will be saved after all.The city has selected Be Good Development Partners and J.E. Dunn to develop the southern half of the land, and the first step in that process will be to reclaim and reimagine the historic building.In addition, plans call for a skyscraper up to 42 stories tall, the first skyscraper with more than 40 floors that would be built in Tulsa since the Cityplex Central Tower in 1979 and the first in the downtown area since th...
The Oklahoma Iron Works Building on the 22-acre Evans-Fintube property north of downtown will be saved after all.
The city has selected Be Good Development Partners and J.E. Dunn to develop the southern half of the land, and the first step in that process will be to reclaim and reimagine the historic building.
In addition, plans call for a skyscraper up to 42 stories tall, the first skyscraper with more than 40 floors that would be built in Tulsa since the Cityplex Central Tower in 1979 and the first in the downtown area since the BOk Tower in 1976.
“We are looking at retail; we are looking at some dining, a brewery, makerspace and studio space as well as office and co-working space,” said Franchell Abdalla, who is leading the development group, called Team Alchemy.
The Tulsa Authority for Economic Opportunity began a search for Evans-Fintube development teams about a year ago and announced the two finalists in February. The city owns the property.
The proposal from the other finalist, Greenwood Phoenix, led by E Smith Legacy, Rose Rock and Pivot Project, included an outdoor multipurpose stadium and an indoor youth and amateur sports facility.
Kian Kamas, executive director of TAEO, said the 15-member selection committee was impressed with how Team Alchemy’s proposal hewed to the wishes and desires of the Greenwood community in which the project will be built.
“The scale and the proposed uses and their alignment with community feedback was probably one of the biggest things that really tipped the scales for Team Alchemy,” she said. “The steering committee felt like that if you started at the first community engagement meeting into the second and the third, consistently the feedback that they heard from the community aligned most with what they saw in Team Alchemy’s proposal versus what they saw in the Greenwood Phoenix proposal.”
Kamas said the steering committee was also happy to see Team Alchemy’s commitment to keeping the Iron Works Building around for future generations. The plant made much of the steel that was used to construct some of Tulsa’s most historic skyscrapers.
“We think it just makes a lot of great sense,” she said. “It really aligns with the kind of scope and scale of the neighborhood, and so we are excited about Phase 1.”
J.E. Dunn representative Michael Collins said the construction company was honored to be a co-developer on the project.
“This is a little different because of where it is located in the Tulsa Greenwood District, the Black Wall Street district,” Collins said. “So this is more of a humbling opportunity to honor future development and have a vision that the community wants to stand behind.”
Several factors contributed to the company’s interest in being part of the development, Collins said, including its Black employee resource group’s effort to engage in community initiatives across the country.
“That played a significant role,” he said.
In addition to helping connect the Greenwood community and enhance it, the project is intended to create economic and social wealth for residents.
“Those are the key components,” Collins said.
Abdalla said she hopes to begin construction sometime in 2023, though city officials say they typically allow six to 18 months to complete development agreements before any earth is turned on a project.
In addition to bringing the Iron Works Building back to life, Phase 1 of the development calls for constructing work-play-stay units on the south end of the property, negotiating for the removal of the WATCO rail yard on the west side of the site, and establishing a Community Land Trust.
Abdalla said she and her team are committed to building The Beacon, the 42-story, mixed-use structure that highlighted their proposal, in Phase 2 of the development. As proposed, the building could potentially include rooftop dining, a hotel, a performance theater, studio space, first-floor retail and mixed-income multifamily housing.
“Now it might not end up being 42 stories; that’s only for negotiations to determine,” Abdalla said. “But it won’t deliver on less than what we talked about in terms of its programming.
“It will have an indoor performing area. It will ensure that there is multifamily housing that is mixed income. It will ensure that there is dining and retail for both local business owners and entrepreneurs to participate as well as attracting national retailers and national hoteliers to come into this space.”
The same goes for the overall goals of the project, which are based not only on the vision and desires of the community but on the economic needs of the city, Abdalla said.
“And so while there may be shifts, we always want to assure that we approach this project with that at the forefront: that this was going to deliver a community benefit at every level.”
McPherson College recognizes its highest academic achievers in the spring 2022 Honor Roll and Honorable Mention. To qualify for the Honor Roll, students must be a full-time student and earn a grade point average of 3.55 or higher during the previous term. Students earning a grade point average from 3.25 to 3.54 are named to the Honorable Mention Roll.Students named to the McPherson College Honor Roll for spring 2022 include:Israel Acosta, Houston, TX Clarissa Adamyk, McPherson, KS Natalia Ahrens, Lees Summit, M...
McPherson College recognizes its highest academic achievers in the spring 2022 Honor Roll and Honorable Mention. To qualify for the Honor Roll, students must be a full-time student and earn a grade point average of 3.55 or higher during the previous term. Students earning a grade point average from 3.25 to 3.54 are named to the Honorable Mention Roll.
Students named to the McPherson College Honor Roll for spring 2022 include:
Israel Acosta, Houston, TX Clarissa Adamyk, McPherson, KS Natalia Ahrens, Lees Summit, MO Kaylie Akiona, Kaaawa, HI Davis Alksnis, Latvia Wyatt Allen, Topeka, KS Amanda Ambrosy, Haslet, TX Carter Anglin, Louisburg, KS Lindzie Archer, McPherson, KS Bailey Avila, Corinth, TX William Bandy, Bel Air, MD Thane Barta, Anchorage, AK Darril Baty, Sharpsville, IN Luke Beddow, Pauls Valley, OK Michael Beltran Rubio, Bogota, Cundinamarca, Columbia Cheneal Benne, Courtland, KS Samantha Bennett, North Richland Hills, TX Caden Beurkens, Byron Center, MI Caeley Billings, Gardner, KS Mia Birkes, Mcpherson, KS Brady Blanka, Wamego, KS Taylor Bohannon, Belle Plaine, KS Kevine Bondo, Cape Girardeau, MO Molly Booker, Roseville, CA Kyrstin Branscum, Gravette, AR Felix Bravo, Hanford, CA Owen Braxmeyer, Manhattan, KS Garrett Brenning, Culbertson, NE Kaelan Brockway, Salina, KS Raegin Bromenshenkel, Phoenix, AZ Oscar Brouwer, Groningen, Netherlands Maggie Brown, Wallace, KS Cedric Brown, Culpeper, VA Maxwell Brucks, Columbia, MO Kourtney Brumley, McPherson, KS Victoria Bruno, McPherson, KS Edwin Buiter, Ireton, IA Jaden Cain, Wichita, KS Jacob Campbell-Roberson, Nyack, NY Kaci Chadwick, Cheyenne Wells, CO Colton Chamberlain, Reno, TX Kade Chapman, Durham, OK Vannesa Cisneros, North Highlands, CA Tate Clem, Wichita, KS Cole Coggins, Kiowa, KS Isiah Collins, Henderson, NV Daniel Connell, High Peak, Derbyshire, UK Austin Cooper, Carmichael, CA Abigail Cordova, Henderson, NV Susanne Cunningham, Chanute, KS Joseph Cyr, Saint Louis, MO Jesse Davis, Fontana, CA Antoine Detavernier, Bruges, Belgium Anthony DeVries, Arvada, CO Wendy Diaz, McPherson, KS Katherine Dudte, Canton, KS Braden Dunn, Frisco, TX Kurtis Ebling, Lindsborg, KS Mackenzie Egan, Vandreuil Dorion, Quebec, Canada Gershom Epp, Hesston, KS Sarah Ewing, Hutchinson, KS Brionnah Fessler, McPherson, KS Nathanael Fetters, Whitewright, TX Caleb Feuerstake, Waterdown, Ontario, Canada Heidi Fischer, Aledo, TX Jadin Fleming, Castle Rock, CO Theodore Flint, Sagle, ID Hayden Foster, Little Elm, TX Koen Gakstatter, Stilwell, KS Taeylon Garland, Fort Hood, TX Naomi Campbell Gateka, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, West Africa Martin Gentes, Florence, MA Alexandra Gipson, Harrison, AR Johannes Glymour, Manhattan, KS Kollin Goering, McPherson, KS Kurt Golubski, Paola, KS Conrad Gramckow, Ojai, CA Alexis Grattan, Newton, KS Sierra Grow, Halstead, KS Michael Halgren, Leawood, KS Madison Hall, The Colony, TX Jailynn Hammel, Salina, KS Bailey Hartley, Arp, TX Jonathan Hawkins, Baldwin City, KS Scott Hayford, Spring Creek, NV Derika Helms, Inman, KS Shyanne Henkis, Laveen, AZ Sydney Hicks, Broomfield, CO Lola Hipp, Goodland, KS Jonathan Hoffman, Wysox, PA Caleb Houghton, McPherson, KS Lauren Houston, Sugar Land, TX Heather Hudson, Greenville, TX Adam Hughes, Newman Lake, WA Ethan Huston, Saint John, KS Spencer Ice, Cameron, MO Thomas Impson, Durant, OK Tya Jackson, Wichita, KS Makenzie Jansonius, Prairie View, KS Zoe Jerke, Great Bend, KS Anika Jobe, Eudora, KS Kadee Johnson, Groveton, TX Brandt Johnson, Peyton, CO Kennedy Johnson, Colorado Springs, CO Jordyn Johnson, Lakewood, CO Cameron Jones, Harrison, AR Gracia Kasongo, Lubumbashi, Zaire, Polina Khoroshevskaya, Kemerovo, Russia Raegan Kleppe, Durant, OK Alexander Ko, McPherson, KS Stephanie Ko, McPherson, KS Sylvia Ko, McPherson, KS Jacob Koehn, Wichita, KS Christa Kondziola, North Newton, KS Brooke Krapes, Arvada, CO Matthew Kroeker, Wichita, KS Dane Kudera, Baggs, WY Lauren Kunda, Claremont, CA Drew Labertew, McPherson, KS Arianna Lathrop, Fort Worth, TX Emily Leeson, Roswell, NM Toby Leffew, Reno, NV Madison Logan, Driftwood, TX Samantha Lombela, Johannesburg, South Africa Tyler Loy, Topeka, KS Jocelyn Mabery, Haltom City, TX Lauren Machado, Elizabeth, CO Carelle Mampasu, Kinshasa, Congo Thomas Mancuso, Chesapeake Beach, MD Daniel Marcano, San Jose, Costa Rica Tyler Marcum, Missouri Valley, IA Ellyce Mares, Riverside, CA Kael Markham, Topeka, KS Colby Marshall, Montgomery, TX Dylan Martell, Colorado Springs, CO Bethany Masters, Howe, TX Grace Maxey, Damascus, OR Benedict Kirabo Mbogga, Oxford, England Kenya McCain, Plano, TX Evan McGoldrick, Flower Mound, TX Hannah McKay, Golden, CO Celeste McMillen, Kittanning, PA Wyatt Miceli, Woodacre, CA Cole Miller, Mcpherson, KS Christopher Miller, West Milton, OH Maria Miranda, Great Bend, KS Palmer Moe, Seattle, WA Austin Moffet, Toronto, KS Ezra Monroe, Melissa, TX Ethan Montalvo, La Feria, TX Braylon Moody, Pine Bluff, AR Jayla Moore, Forney, TX Katelyn Moore, Douglass, KS Tanner Morrow, Topeka, KS Arni Mualumba, Kinshasa, Congo Madison Mullen, Wichita, KS Vanessa Mundo, Houston, TX Trey Murphy, Wagga Wagga, Australia Paul Kapya Mwengwe, McPherson, KS Michel Mwengwe, Lubumbashi, Congo Hunter Nicholas, Amarillo, TX Fabio Nickel, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Alexis Obregon, Atascosa, TX Jason Okoro, Plano, TX Haven Ousley, Camden, MS Grant Owens, Hutchinson, KS Alexandrea Pak, Pulyallup, WA Erica Paradise, Bakersfield, CA Emma Parker, Hayden, ID James Pawlak, Palatine, IL Emily Peterson, Canton, KS Aidan Pham, Frisco, TX Corianne Phelps, Peck, KS Carly Pomrenke, Brighton, CO Sierra Portenier, Phillipsburg, KS Jeremy Porter, Seneca Falls, NY Quintin Powell Jr, Terry, MS Brianna Powers, Adel, IA Kennan Puckett, Mesquite, TX Kaden Quint, Hutchinson, KS Tyler Rainey, Saint Louis, MO Robert Ramberg, Topeka, KS Kaden Rapp, Hennessey, OK Logan Rees, Franklin, IN Gregorio Rivera, McPherson, KS Luis Rodriguez Jr., The Colony, TX Devin Roff, Comstock, WI Cameron Rogers, Elkview, WV Frank Romanaggi, Portland, OR Curtis Rose, Midwest City, OK Daniel Rowlett, Gustine, CA Claudia Russe, Frsco, TX Briana Ruth, McPherson, KS Kendyl Saffer, Arriba, CO Natalia Salto, Cimarron, KS Andrew Schaefer, Sag Harbor, NY Dustin Schnacker, Tulare, CA Kody Scholl, Colorado Springs, CO Robert Schonberner, Omaha, NE Alexander Schoneweis, Lincoln, NE Cole Schroeder, Russell, KS Logan Scott, Caulfield, MO Emily Segura, North Las Vegas, NV Madison Servaes, McPherson, KS Gerod Shaffer, Topeka, KS Aidan Sharkey, Deland, FL Austin Siegal, Panama City, FL Eliseo Silva, Sterling, KS Emma Singleton, North Las Vegas, NV Meghan Smith, Lindsborg, KS Olivia Smith, Wichita, KS Ross Smith, Panama City, FL Amare Sonson, Jackson, GA Valick Sorter, Kismet, KS Sarah Stebbins, Pittsburg, KS Andrew Steinbeck, Liberty, MO Mason Stephens, Forney, TX Kenneth Storer, McPherson, KS Colby Swift, Sedgwick, KS Tristan Szabo, Sparks, NV Xavier Taylor, Waynesville, MO Emily Terry, Springfield, MO Reagan Thai, Las Vegas, NV Samantha Thompson, Forney, TX Sean Thomson, Blandford Forum, UK Kaden Tichenor, Holcomb, KS Adriana Tilleman, Paris, TX Trinity Tovar, Haslet, TX Brandy Trengove, Denver, CO Nicholas Turner, Hemphill, TX Mackenzie Unruh, Hesston, KS Leandro Vera, McPherson, KS Hannah Wagner, San Antonio, TX Antonio Watson, Oklahoma City, OK Morgan Watson, Loveland, CO Kassidy Weaver, Katy, TX Collin Wedel, Moundridge, KS Ann Weesner, Hutchinson, KS Isaak Welch, Pacific City, OR Matthew Whitney, McPherson, KS Benjamin Wiebe, Laramie, WY Austin Wiley, Kansas City, MO Luca Winterton, Thunderidge, England Ellis Woodruff, Princeton, TX Andrew Woods, Nevada, TX Cameron Wright, Denison, TX Val Zarkh, Hawthorn Woods, IL
Students named to the McPherson College Honorable Mention for spring 2022 include:
Evariste Abeli, Kinshasa, Congo Nicholas Acierno, Phoenix, AZ Cori Alexander, Haslet, TX Andres Artola, Miami, FL Sarah Asher, Kansas City, MO Victoria Ates, Dallas, TX Robert Aurner, Topeka, KS Mason Ball, Spring, TX Ellen Barrett, McPherson, KS Harley Blaske, Sylvia, KS Cameron Boyce, Tebbetts, MO Thomas Boyer, Rogers, AR Tate Brewer, McPherson, KS Chase Brous, Hays, KS Kobe Brown, Balch Springs, TX Hannah Butler, McPherson, KS Julia Canales, Big Spring, TX James Canar, Longmont, CO Cassandra Carmichael, Raleigh, NC Noah Carpenter, Kearney, NE Kevinn Castillo, Miami, FL Arian Cervoni Ortiz, Conroe, TX Joe Chapman, Roeland Park, KS Zane Cornejo, Wellington, KS Cailey Cornett, Lindsborg, KS Katherine Corrigan, Phoenix, AZ Moriah Delgado, Saginaw, TX Prince Difima, Kinshasa, Congo Zachary Dittert, Hillsboro, KS Dyron Dixon, Leander, TX Paul Calvin Dusabe, Commune De Limete, Zaire Thomas Eichelberger, Euless, TX Sierra Flanigan, Wichita, KS Rolando Fletes, San Tan Valley, AZ Joshua Fowler, Round Rock, TX Hayden Fry, Cushing, OK Summer Garcia, Ontario, CA Nathaniel Gaut, Scottdale, PA Miranda Gaytan, Edinburg, TX Darby Gilbert, Bay Minette, AL Riley Granger, Lebanon, IN Tavian Gray, Hutchinson, KS Graedon Green, McPherson, KS Samuel Grim, Johnstown, CO Sean Guzman, Aurora, CO Nathan Hall, Windsor, NY Addie Heitschmidt, Lindsborg, KS Clayton Henderson, Dexter, KS Kelly Hoffman, Wysox, PA Dashawn Holliman, Fresno, CA Bailey Hulce, Baldwin City, KS Carlos Jacobo, Great Bend, KS Trevor Johnson, La Mesa, CA Jacob Jonas, Cedarburg, WI Eli Jordan, Claremore, OK Lasheicka Joseph, West Palm Beach, FL Jennyfer Kemper, Creede, CO Jordan Kingcaid, Fort Worth, TX Morgan Kobe, Fate, TX Carson Lambakis, Yukon, OK Matthew Mahan, Topeka, KS Isabel Medina, Garden City, KS Emma Meinholdt, Topeka, KS Michael Mercer, Topeka, KS Martin Millos, Vigo, Spain, Khalil Morris, Tulsa, OK Nathan Muamba, Kinshasa, Congo Colin Murphy, Garnet Valley, PA Tyler Natkin, Warrington, PA Tyler Neshyba, Anna, TX Immanuel Newsome, Yukon, OK Anselm Nyambuka, Arlington, TX Brett Oden, Sterling, KS Kayla Ortiz, Brownsville, TX Frances Parish, Anderson, MO Calijah Peay, Glenn Heights, TX Andrew Penrose, McPherson, KS Carissa Peters, Frisco, TX Katelyn Potestio, Mansfield, TX Dryden Powell, Council Grove, KS Joseph Ramirez, Hutchinson, KS Chloe Ramirez, Pearland, TX Melvin Reid, Waterford Works, NJ Dustin Rhoads, Tonganoxie, KS Parker Roberts, Carbondale, KS Hunter Robinson, Edgewood, TX Wildiomar Roman Morales, Vega Alta, PR Christopher Roshell, Grand Prairie, TX Kento Saiki, McPherson, KS Gustavo Sanchez, Hidalgo, TX Robert Schmidt, Litchfield Park, AZ Kaitlyn Sedlack, Broken Arrow, OK Brianna Shaw, Tulsa, OK Jordan Simmons, Royse City, TX TiJanae Simmons, Baytown, TX Naomi Smith, Farmington, NM Riley Sojka, Wichita, KS James Solomon, McKinleyville, CA Rebecca Steffen, Vinton, IA Oliver Stout, Sandusky, OH Genesis Thompson, Austin, TX Alexander Van Patten, Almena, KS Isaiah Vazquez, Montebello, CA Lacy Weaver, Midlothian, TX Zhiyuan Wei, Guangdong, China John Wells II, Newton, KS Lucas Williams Fernandez, London, UK Collin Young, Garland, TX
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OKLAHOMA CITY — A young Jocelyn Alo was prepared to play softball at Oregon instead of Oklahoma.
The 13-year-old from Hawaii was already drawing recruiting interest when she visited a camp run by the Pac-12 school. She was extended a scholarship offer from the Oregon head coach, but wanted to make one more trip to another camp at Arizona, where no offer was provided.
“I’m ready to make my lifelong decision at 13, and I called Mike White and said that I had wanted to be a Duck, and the offer wasn’t on the table anymore,” Alo said. “I don’t know what happened. Yeah, didn’t go to Oregon.”
White, who is now the Texas Longhorns head coach, said pulling back an offer to Alo was “probably the worst day of my coaching career” during Tuesday’s Women’s College World Series news conference.
OU and Texas will meet for a national championship this week. The best-of-3 series begins at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium.
Of course, Alo’s plans changed and she committed to Oklahoma on her 18th birthday. She has gone on to hit 120 home runs, which is an NCAA Division I record, and has become the most feared hitter in the sport.
Levi Alo explained his daughter’s recruiting process, which almost linked her to the current Texas coach.
“Oklahoma wasn’t even on our radar. We were coming from Hawaii and I was just looking at the West Coast,” Levi Alo said, who also added UCLA as an early target. “I didn’t open up the recruiting any farther than that.”
After visiting Arizona with her good friend Dejah Mulipola (who would later play for the Wildcats), Alo had a talk with her father.
“She said ‘I want to go to Oregon’, so I said ‘OK, let’s do it,’” Levi Alo said. “She called (White), and he told her I don’t have the offer for you anymore.
“Then she told me ‘I want to go to Cal because I want to beat them every year.’”
White, who moved from Oregon to Texas prior to the 2019 season, smiled when saying it was probably the worst day of his coaching career.
“At the time what happened was we were looking for a catcher, and Jocelyn wasn’t catching at that time. She had been moved from that position … she said ‘I want to commit to you.’ I said, ‘Well, we’ve kind of changed our priorities and what we want to do,’” White said.
“Bad move. Everything happens for a reason, and Jocelyn found the place that was best for her. Obviously, the rest is history, and she’s just been a tremendous ballplayer. She’s great for the sport, and I’m sure she’s going to have a great career going forward.”
Jocelyn Alo would later decommit from Cal because she wanted to win a national championship, Levi Alo said.
The recruiting door was reopened and the Alos considered Florida and Auburn.
Then OU entered the mix.
“Oklahoma was coming off a national championship,” Levi Alo said. “I thought she could play with (former OU players Falepolima Aviu and Sydney Romero) with the (travel team) Batbusters. She could play with the best of them.
“We took a trip out to Oklahoma. We loved Coach Patty. It was a great program. The key, to me, was Patty was so honest. She didn’t have 100% (funding) for her. She didn’t have a full ride for her. But she said ‘things change, Levi. I can’t promised you anything I don’t have right now,’” Levi Alo said.
“Sure enough, before we stepped on campus, she called her and said ‘I got you. You don’t have to worry about it.’”
Alo has since become one of the most beloved players in OU history.
“She’s special,” Gasso said. “I like to use the phrase she’s made differently and quite in her own mold.
“It’s been an absolute pleasure to have her wearing the Sooner uniform.”
TULSA, OK – Tulsa pitcher Gavin Stone is highly ranked in the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league system as the organization’s ninth-best pitching prospect according MLB.com. If Tuesday night’s outing is any indication, that rating might be going even higher.Stone was almost flawless in a near record-breaking performance at ONEOK Field. The Central Arkansas product delivered six shutout outings, allowing only 4 hits and 1 walk while striking out 13 to help the Drillers to a 5-2 win over Northwest Arkans...
TULSA, OK – Tulsa pitcher Gavin Stone is highly ranked in the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league system as the organization’s ninth-best pitching prospect according MLB.com. If Tuesday night’s outing is any indication, that rating might be going even higher.
Stone was almost flawless in a near record-breaking performance at ONEOK Field. The Central Arkansas product delivered six shutout outings, allowing only 4 hits and 1 walk while striking out 13 to help the Drillers to a 5-2 win over Northwest Arkansas.
The strikeout total was just one short of the ONEOK Field record set by Dustin May when he struck out 14 Amarillo hitters on June 22, 2019.
Since being promoted to Tulsa on May 15 from High-A Great Lakes, Stone has been dominant. In four starts now with the Drillers, he has worked 22.0 total innings, allowing just 1 run and 3 walks while striking out 36.
In Tuesday’s win, Stone got plenty of backing from another top prospect. Andy Pages, currently ranked as the fourth-best overall prospect within the Dodgers organization, hit two home runs to lead Tulsa’s offense.
The first homer from Pages came in the second inning and produced the game’s first run.
Later in the second, three straight singles from Carson Taylor, Ryan Ward and Justin Yurchak gave Tulsa a 2-0 lead.
In the fifth, James Outman doubled in front of Devin Mann’s seventh homer of the year to make it 4-0.
Tulsa’s lead grew to five runs when Pages struck again in the sixth inning with his second homer of the game and his eighth of the year.
Stone departed after six inning and Aaron Ochsenbein followed on the mound with a 1-2-3 seventh inning.
The Naturals broke through against Alec Gamboa and Nick Robertson in the eighth. Gamboa gave up a leadoff double, followed by a one-out walk. After a strikeout, Robertson replaced Gamboa and walked a batter and hit another to force in a run that trimmed Tulsa’s lead to 5-1. He escaped further damage by striking out Seuly Matias to end the threat.
A solo home run with two outs in the ninth from John Rave off Guillermo Zuniga closed out the scoring.
HIGHLIGHTS AND HAPPENINGS:
*The win for Stone improved his record with the Drillers to 2-1. Overall, he is now a combined 4-2 on the season between Great Lakes and Tulsa. His Double-A ERA is 0.41.
*In addition to his two home runs, Pages hit his second triple of the year in the bottom of the fourth. He finished the game 3-4 with two runs scored and two runs batted in.
*The win was the second straight for the Drillers following a season high four-game losing streak.
*Ochsenbein has now held the opponent scoreless in 9 of his 11 outings this season.
*The game took just 2 hours and 12 minutes to complete.
*It has become official that the Drillers will not make up the two games that were cancelled in San Antonio this past weekend due to health and safety concerns within the Missions roster. With the cancellations the Drillers are now scheduled to play a total of 66 games in the first half of the season and 136 overall.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers and Naturals will have a quick turnaround for game two of their six-game series, facing off at 12:05 p.m. Wednesday afternoon at ONEOK Field.
The starting pitchers are slated to be:
NW Arkansas – LHP Dante Biasi (4-0 4.19 ERA)
Tulsa – RHP Clayton Beeter (0-2, 5.04 ERA)
The Tulsa school board approved a $653 million preliminary budget for the 2022-23 school year on Monday night.Under state law, districts have to approve at least a preliminary budget before the start of the fiscal year on July 1 but can make revisions during the fiscal year as conditions warrant.The preliminary budget includes an anticipated $13.3 million reduction in state aid for the 2022-23 school year due in part to a change in the state aid funding formula.To offset that potential hit, the preliminary budget calls f...
The Tulsa school board approved a $653 million preliminary budget for the 2022-23 school year on Monday night.
Under state law, districts have to approve at least a preliminary budget before the start of the fiscal year on July 1 but can make revisions during the fiscal year as conditions warrant.
The preliminary budget includes an anticipated $13.3 million reduction in state aid for the 2022-23 school year due in part to a change in the state aid funding formula.
To offset that potential hit, the preliminary budget calls for pulling $17 million out of the district’s fund balance, as well as using federal COVID-19 relief funds to maintain current staffing levels.
“With House Bill 2078, we don’t know what the actual revenue is going to be,” Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer Jorge Robles said. “We had to use an estimate based on what we’re going to see next fall.
“The appropriation from the state is a flat budget, so there’s no increase to cover for inflationary costs.”
The upcoming school year is the first one in which HB 2078 is in effect. Passed by the Oklahoma Legislature in 2021, the law requires state aid to be based on either a district’s initial current enrollment numbers or the previous year’s enrollment, whichever of the two is largest.
The initial current enrollment numbers will not be finalized until Oct. 1.
Prior to the law’s enactment, school districts were able to use the highest enrollment number among three school years to determine per-pupil funding.
For the current school year’s budget, Tulsa Public Schools was able to use its student count from 2019-20, which was 35,676.
By comparison, the district’s enrollment for 2021-22 was 33,470, and its projected enrollment for 2022-23 is 32,784.
“What we utilized to build the budget is a slight decrease from where we were in October,” Robles said. “We are expecting slower recovery in early grades, but we are working towards that number to be higher.
“Given that we don’t know yet what the (enrollment) number is, we have to use an estimate.
“We want to be conservative in our estimate for the budget.”
Due to inflation, the budget includes an extra 5% for utility costs and a 50% increase for fuel costs compared to 2021-22.
The preliminary budget was approved by a 6-1 vote, with Jerry Griffin casting the lone no vote. However, one of the board members who voted in support of the budget made it clear that she would like more notice in future years to allow for more time to digest the 153-page document.
“I just want to state that I’m concerned and disturbed that I got this late Friday,” Jennettie Marshall said. “All day today, when I wasn’t in meetings, I was taking calls from constituents who are concerned about this.
“In the future, I would hope we’d take the opportunity to get the budget out faster for the sake of transparency.”