Kenneth Crawford — Personal Story & Legacy of Brian Crawford
For more than twenty-five years, I have dedicated my life to youth development, integrity in sport, and public service. My journey began as a father, coach, and mentor, but it was profoundly shaped by the life and legacy of my son, Brian Crawford. Brian’s deep love for baseball and his constant reminder of Philippians 4:13 — “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” — became the anchor for both my faith and my mission. Brian’s passion for the game and his belief in teamwork inspired the creation of the Brian Crawford Memorial Sports Complex, a project designed to bring opportunity, safety, and transparency to youth athletics. That vision extended far beyond the fields — it became a movement for integrity and community renewal. As a retired Chief Officer from Tinker Air Force Base and later a state employee at Seminole State College, I applied the same discipline, accountability, and stewardship to public projects that I had learned in public service. When Brian passed away, my life’s work took on new meaning. His legacy pushed me to document the realities behind youth sports economics — the cash-based systems, the lack of oversight, and the imbalance between profit and purpose. Through my doctoral study, “Integrity of the Game vs Economic Impact (Politics): The Oklahoma Business Plan,” I built case studies and datasets to expose weaknesses in governance and to propose solutions rooted in honesty, transparency, and community ownership. Today, that same mission continues through my grandson Jackson, who plays youth baseball with the same joy and energy his uncle once had. Watching him step onto the field is a daily reminder that this fight for integrity is not academic — it is generational. My goal is to ensure that his experience, and the experiences of countless children across Oklahoma, are guided by systems of fairness, accountability, and compassion. The Brian Crawford Memorial Sports Complex stands not only as a tribute to Brian’s spirit but as a living example of how love, data, and service can transform a community. Every dataset I analyze, every record I preserve, and every reform I advocate is rooted in a father’s promise — that the integrity of the game will always matter more than the politics of profit. Through that promise, Brian’s legacy lives on.






