TVLSE, Oklv.- This year the Oklahoma Coaches Association (OCA) held their annual banquet and ceremony at the Southern Hills Marriott Hotel on July 20. Thirteen participants were inducted in this year’s OCA Hall of Fame, including a Mvskoke citizen. Each inductee had to meet certain criteria to be considered for the honor. This includes serving as a coach, or contributing to athletics within the state.
According to the OCA website, “The Oklahoma Coaches Association is a nonprofit organization with a membership of over 9,300 coaches representing 470 Oklahoma public schools, private schools, and colleges. Our mission is to provide professional development for coaches, honor and reward student athletes and coaches, and support high school and junior high athletic programs. Our ability to achieve our goals is due in part to corporate partnerships and donations from the public. The OCA awards 46 scholarships totaling $23,000 to Oklahoma high school athletes each year.”
Oklahoma Coaches Association Office Manager Lea Mouss (Mvskoke) was one of the inductees chosen this year. Mouss has served in this position for 24 years now.
Mouss grew up in Henryetta and attended the University of Oklahoma for school, then pursued a career working for the OCA. In her position she oversees memberships, scholarships and puts together the organization’s quarterly magazine.
Mouss’ proudest achievement is seeing the OCA’s membership grow. When she first started at OCA, the organization had 6,000 members, now that number is close to 9,400 statewide.
“I like the people I work with, it really helps when you like the people you work with. I like watching sports, I never thought about working in a sports-related job, but I like that aspect of it as well. I get to meet a lot of interesting people here and there,” Mouss said.
Throughout her career Mouss has received great advice from different coaches who are now retired. One piece of advice in particular stuck out to her. “Change is inevitable. Things are always gonna change so just be prepared,” Mouss said.
After Mouss was inducted, she remarked that she was blown away by the unexpected honor. She never thought she would receive something like this, however Mouss said she will forever be grateful for it. Following her excitement, Mouss’ family was shocked when she gave them the news.
“They all kind of laughed at me but, I was at a birthday party for one of my cousins and I had to yell at everybody to come over there because I was only gonna say it once because I was still in shock,” Mouss said laughingly.
Mouss was familiar with some of her fellow inductees, some of them she has known for several years. It was not until one of Mouss’ employees pointed it out when Mouss learned that there had been five Mvskoke citizens previously inducted into the hall of fame, making her the sixth.
As a Mvskoke citizen Mouss said she feels proud, but did not expect many people to know about the OCA Hall of Fame. According to Mouss, that pride amplified when she saw the photos of all five previous Mvskoke citizens who had preceded her in being inducted. For Mouss, while it was an honor to be inducted, it was a bigger honor to be included in the OCA Hall of Fame with fellow citizens.
