For Kathy Mayfield, being a mom to Elk City High School athletes is more than showing up to games; it’s a way of life.
“My oldest, Harrison, graduated from Elk City High in 2023,” Kathy said with a proud smile. “He’s now attending the Electrical Lineman Training Program at Caddo Kiowa Technology Center in Ft. Cobb. He’s always been outdoorsy; if he’s not working, he’s hunting or fishing somewhere. Duck hunting seems to be his newest obsession.”
Harrison grew up on the baseball field, coached by familiar faces from T-ball through 8th grade: Jared Keyes, Denny Geno, and his dad, Matt. “Then came freshman and sophomore year, and he got to play for his uncle Monty and grandpa Rudy,” Kathy added. “That was really special for our family.”
By the time Harrison reached his junior year, current Big Elk Coach Jay McClure took the reins. “Harrison truly loved the game,” she said. “Now he gets to relive it all through his younger brother, Miller.”
Miller, 17, is a sophomore at ECHS and follows closely in his brother’s footsteps. “I always joke that he learned to walk with a ball in one hand and a glove in the other,” Kathy laughed. “He’s been playing since before he could tie his shoes.”
After years of local ball, Miller’s talents earned him a spot on the US Nationals South Plains team, based in Oklahoma City. “We were thrilled when Coach Ryan French called the night of tryouts to say he’d made the team,” she recalled. “Since then, he’s played in Atlanta for the PBR Futures Games and in Phoenix at the Rockies Invitational. We’re so thankful to have found a program that believes in these boys.”
Kathy balances it all with her work as secretary at Western Oklahoma Christian School. “I’ve been there 11 years,” she said. “I feel blessed beyond measure. It’s rare to have a job you truly love every day.”
For Kathy, the hardest part about raising athletes has been how quickly the seasons pass.
“In the blink of an eye, it’s over,” she reflected. “I missed Harrison’s first out-of-the-park home run because I thought I’d be missed at work. I’ll never make that mistake again. Now, I tell every parent, when it’s time to leave for a game, go. You’ll never get those moments back.”
Faith keeps the Mayfields grounded. “God first, family second, and baseball third,” Kathy said. “Do we get it right every time? No. But we try, and that’s what matters.”
With her husband Matt serving as booster club president and their family deeply tied to Elk City, Kathy believes they’re exactly where they’re meant to be.
“Elk City has always been home,” she said. “This community raised our boys, and I’m so thankful for that.”
