Floyd ready for independence with OKC Spark
May 26—Tina Floyd is a business owner, school board president and she considers herself a lifelong learner. Her latest and most ambitious venture is as team owner of professional softball club OKC Spark, which now operates independent of a pro league. The Transcript caught up with Floyd ahead of the team's June 19 opener.
You wear many different hats — how do you juggle being a business owner and a school board member with owning a professional softball team?
Raising four children while being a public school administrator helped learn how to balance a hectic schedule. Prioritizing daily is critical. I look at my calendar overnight before I go to bed to ensure I know exactly where to be the following morning, and sometimes, I still get it wrong.
What was your path like, moving from a background in education to a new career as a business owner?
The transition has not been as difficult as I initially thought it would be. There are so many areas where the two overlap, which makes things easier to navigate. Having developed strong leadership skills while being in education helped me assemble a team that shares our vision while meeting the needs of the entire organization.
You're also the founder of Emerge Strongher, a nonprofit aiming to empower women. Can you tell me more about Emerge Strongher's mission and the initiatives you have planned?
Emerge StrongHer has been a mission of mine for several years. I have had a huge passion for lending my time and resources to multiple nonprofits throughout the years. I discovered a need in the professional sports space that attention. Emerge StrongHer is able to offer opportunities to females in the community who may need assistance or guidance in their professional endeavors on and off the field. Emerge StriongHer can offer scholarship opportunities to women who may want to seek to extend their education, certifications, workshops, etc. The nonprofit also provides mental health opportunities for female athletes within the community and team Spark as well.
What inspired you to create a new franchise in Women's Professional Fastpitch?
My husband and I have four adult children, three being female. We have always pushed for equity and equality for our daughters, which led to the progression of wanting to grow this space for all women. Softball reigns supreme in Oklahoma. Both Division I colleges in the state have great programs, fans love watching and supporting both teams. After following the sport for years and watching some of the most prolific collegiate players retire due to lack of quality professional playing opportunities seemed just wrong. My husband and I began to research what the possibilities were of bring the professional sport to OKC, and well, the rest is playing out as we speak.
Where did the team's name and colors come from?
As we began creating the name and logo, we looked at other professional teams with in the city and state, and looked at their names, colors, logos, etc. We knew we wanted to fit in with what OKC already had to offer, Thunder, Energy, now Spark seemed logical. We hired Old Hat Creative out of Norman to assist with the design of the team. I liked the sky dance bridge and knew that I wanted that incorporated somehow and the team at Old Hat made that a reality.
How did you go about the process of assembling a roster and staff?
We have been very fortunate to get the best staff and internal tam members in the industry.
Through connections with friends in the sport, I knew my first call was coach Amber Flores. She coaches at Seminole State in Seminole and is a fantastic coach. Once I got her on board, and I had some convincing to do, I let her create the vision of players for the Spark. She is the one who scouts talent and truly understands what is needed on the field to promote ultimate success. Our roster runs deep with ties to Oklahoma which will always be a priority for the Spark.
What led to the reestablishment of the Spark as an independent team?
After being in a league for the first year. We noticed many situations that did not always align with the Spark's mission and vision. Putting females first and listening to the athletes concerns led to our decision to move to independent play. By making this move, women on the Spark now have the opportunity to earn more money by playing for other softball entities while maintaining their spot on our roster. Playing independently also allows for a variety of world-class competition, including Team USA.
Very quickly after the franchise's creation, you realized there were problems with how the league treated its athletes. What steps have you taken to make sure the women on your team are treated better?
The Spark provides opportunities for athletes to play the sport they love while still being valued as a female athlete. These athletes deserve adequate living and travel conditions, accessibility to facilities and equipment, contracts that are clear and concise, opportunities to earn more pay, etc. We ave added a full-time mental health coach to our team. Athletes have year round access to this professional. The Spark also provides mentors to athletes who may need advice or assistance in financial needs, professional goal setting, etc. We are working with a player alliance as well to ensure that all females in the sport have their voices heard.
Many professional softball players work an additional job outside of softball. What steps do you take to ensure they'll be ready for careers when their time playing is over?
Professional softball players do not earn a livable wage. Yes, most athletes have an additional job to subsidize their living expenses. We do provide internships to athletes in many ways. The Spark host camps and clinics where we pay the professional athletes to work with the children, and allows our athletes to earn more income. We offer resume assistance, job shadowing with professionals in a variety of industries,
What have been your biggest lessons in the years since you began the franchise?
Wow! I have learned so many things throughout this process, and continually lean something every day. The biggest lesson I am reminded of daily is the lingering presence of inequities in professional sports. I am not mad at the situation, I just want to help be an agent that pushes for change. I want to be a person that these women can count on to help push the needle forward until true change has occurred.
Oklahoma has a special relationship with college softball. Are there familiar faces that Sooner fans, or even Cowgirl fans, can hope to see this summer with the Spark?
Of course Oklahoma fans will get to see familiar faces when coming out to a Spark game. Former Sooners, Keilani Ricketts, Jocelyn Alo, Alex Storako, Haley Lee, former Cowgirl Rylee Bayless will be back with the Spark this season as well. We will be inviting a few current collegiate players to join us this summer, and I would imagine some will have strong Oklahoma ties.
This being the first year that the Spark is operating as an independent team, what will the season look like compared to previous seasons?
Playing independently allows us the freedom to play international teams in preparation for the 2028 Olympics. We also have the first crossover event with Athletes Unlimited, which involves a two-game series at Hall of Fame (Devon Park) mid-July. Fans will see a whole new level of competition this year as the Spark will also play independent teams from New York, Florida and Chattanooga.
For new fans, how do you recommend they get involved with the team?
New fans should visit our website and follow us on all social media platforms to see the newest merchandise release, schedule announcements and roster updates. Coming out to one of the Spark's 17 home games is an excellent way to see what we have to offer as well. Games can be viewed on Cox YurrView and the Cox streaming platform for free this season.
Anything else you think people should know about the Spark?
Be sure to look for our mascot, Moxie, at the games this summer. She is the embodiment of a strong, fierce female warrior....she is the SPARK
